aespa dazzles 35,000 fans at Gocheok Sky Dome on first-ever visit

aespa performs at Gocheok Sky Dome [SM Entertainment]

"We never imagined we could actually fill Gocheok Dome."

The originators of the "metal flavor" sound are back. K-pop group aespa made their first-ever appearance at Gocheok Sky Dome, cementing the standing and musical weight of a group now in its seventh year.

aespa wrapped up the Seoul leg of their fourth world tour, "2026-27 aespa LIVE TOUR - SYNK : COMPLæXITY," over two nights Friday and Saturday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul. The concerts drew a combined 35,000 fans across both nights, filling every seat up to the fourth tier despite a heat wave with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.

The concert centered on the narrative universe branching from the group's second full-length album "LEMONADE," weaving its lore into a tightly structured show. The performance was built around five chapters — "Singularity," "Intrusion," "Confinement," "Awakening" and "Resolution" — inviting the audience to track hidden symbols scattered throughout the staging.

aespa took the stage following an eerie VCR depicting a hacked "MY WORLD," then ignited the crowd with a run of high-energy tracks: the opener "LEMONADE," followed by "Switchblade," "Whiplash," their debut single "Black Mamba" and "WDA - Whole Different Animal."

The second chapter shifted to a warmer register, with the members delivering flawless handheld-microphone performances of B-sides including "Count On Me," "Thirsty," "Can't Help Myself" and "KISS N TELL."

Solo and unit stages showcasing each member's evolved musical range and individuality offered a clear demonstration of the stage command aespa has built over seven years.

Karina brought a heavy groove to "16 Bit," an R&B dance track she co-wrote, while Winter transformed into a cowgirl for "Saddle Up," an R&B dance number that highlighted her assertive presence. Giselle, credited as co-writer and co-composer, delivered a provocative twist during "BYEB4HELLO" with a performance that saw her lying on the stage floor. NingNing, who also contributed to the songwriting, performed the ballad "I Love You But I Gotta Let You Go" with delicate vocals set against a live string arrangement of violins and cellos.

The setlist was further enriched by unit stages first unveiled at the Tokyo Dome shows to considerable buzz: "Serenade" by Karina and Winter, and "Lollipop" by Giselle and NingNing. Both unit tracks were officially released across music platforms Sunday at 6 p.m.

The latter half of the show erupted into a parade of aespa's signature hits — "Armageddon," "Drama," "Next Level" and "Supernova" — sending the entire dome into a roar of mass sing-alongs and cheers. After encore performances of "YEPPI YEPPI" and "MY PLAN," the members wrapped up a roughly two-and-a-half-hour, 27-song set, taking time to make eye contact with fans across the venue and share heartfelt words.

"I'm so happy and grateful that we finished two nights without anyone getting hurt," Winter said. "Thank you so much to our MY for filling the venue like this. We never imagined we could actually fill this place. Please look forward to more — we'll keep working hard and showing you new and improved sides of ourselves."

Giselle credited the fans for the show's energy. "We worked really hard to prepare this concert and tried to put together stages you would love — I hope you enjoyed them," she said. "Because you cheered so hard, we were able to have so much fun on stage. Thank you for coming all this way in the heat. Everything is thanks to our MY. I love you."

NingNing added her own message of gratitude. "Thank you for today, Sunday. I had such a great time. Thank you so much for making time to be here. I'll keep showing you even better things. The tour is just starting now, and I'm so excited to meet fans all around the world. I'll prepare hard," she said.

Karina closed out the night on a forward-looking note. "These two days were so much fun. We're planning to tour through next year, and we'll be an aespa that gives its all — I hope these two nights become a precious memory for you," she said. "For us, today is already a memory we'll never forget. Thank you for always choosing aespa. We'll become an even cooler aespa. Please look forward to it."

shee@heraldcorp.com