On Sunday, June 16, K-Pop girl group IVE concluded the European leg of their SHOW WHAT i HAVE tour in London, lighting up the stage of the city’s famous O2 Arena with their dazzling presence and unforgettable music. Having only debuted in December 2021, this show marked an incredible achievement for IVE, with the girls successfully making their UK debut at a venue known for hosting some of the biggest names in music; less than three whole years into their career, creating an extra special night for IVE and their adoring UK-based fans (known as DIVE).
Once doors opened at 6 p.m., excitement filled the arena as fans made their way inside, beaming with zest as they took to their seats, eagerly awaiting the onstage appearance of IVE. At around 7:30 p.m., it was showtime, as an eruption of cheers replaced the sounds of the IVE tracks playing in the venue. A VCR displayed across the stage screens introduced An Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, Jang Wonyoung, Liz, and Leeseo, before the girls made their appearance, diving into an electrifying opening of “I AM,” a rock version of “ROYAL,” and “Blue Blood,” setting the tone for the evening with their phenomenal vocals and mesmerising visuals.
Each member wore ethereal white and light blue outfits presenting angelic visions, which they further implemented through their stage presence and crowd interaction, especially in their performance of “Blue Heart,” the third single from their latest EP IVE SWITCH written by Wonyoung.
IVE followed “Blue Heart” with a fun and playful performance of “Cherish,” using an Instagram-inspired staging for the track, labelling the platform ‘ivestagram.’ During this song, one of the stage screens captured IVE in an ‘ivestagram’ live video with the lyrics displayed through DM text messages on a separate screen. This performance captured a youthful presence with IVE playing around on stage, evidently having a great time with their dancers who joined them through several performances in the night. After “Cherish,” IVE took us back to their beginning with a performance of their debut single “ELEVEN,” bringing the show's first section to a close. Moments later, IVE returned to the stage with a costume change, now dressed in pink outfits that matched the beautiful pink staging around them. After an upbeat opening, IVE took the show in a different direction, this time delivering heartfelt vocals through their stunning ballad “Shine With Me,” another track beautifully written by Wonyoung. Speaking to the crowd, Rei said everyone looked like stars in the night sky, with all of the I HA-BONG’s (the name of IVE’s lightsticks) adding to the magical glow in the room, contributing to the magical fairytale feel of the concert.
IVE then took the time to tell the crowd about their activities in London with mentions of ‘delicious desserts,’ and fish and chips, the latter being the staple food everyone must try when visiting England. Unfortunately, the members didn’t have much time to explore London as Yujin and Leeseo revealed their hopes of visiting the Notting Hill bookstore and the London Eye next time they are here, meaning IVE must come back to the UK one day!
IVE then switched up the mood again, delivering more playful energy with performances of “Lips” and “Mine,” with the latter incorporating umbrellas and more fun onscreen visuals for fans to enjoy. They followed this with “Off the Record” before Yujin and Leeseo teased more exciting stages and an upcoming performance of “Wannabe” by British girl group Spice Girls, heightening everyone’s excitement.
For the next stage, Gaeul brought fire to the room with a captivating solo performance of Ariana Grande’s “7 rings” followed by Rei who adorably covered NIKI’s “Every Summertime.” The two then joined together to give fans a vibrant cover of Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” that Yujin and Leeseo had teased earlier.
Liz and Wonyoung were next to form a unit stage. Together, the two members sang an enchanting cover of Richard Sanderson and Vladimir Cosma’s 1981 ballad track “Reality,” looking like two beautiful Disney princesses against a movie set backdrop.
Yujin and Leeseo followed Liz and Wonyoung’s duet with a dynamic cover of “Woman Like Me” by Little Mix (featuring Nicki Minaj) serving another taste of British girl group vibes. Each of these duet stages showcased IVE’s undeniable chemistry with one another whilst also revealing new sides to them and their artistry that DIVE may have never seen before, perfectly matching the SHOW WHAT i HAVE theme of the concert.
Photo Cr. Andy Paradise // Live Nation
Following the solo and duet stages, IVE took the concert down an eerie path, setting a chilling tone for the upcoming stage via a horror film-inspired VCR. With scenes of a dancer stepping on a sharp pin and a rocking chair in a dark, unsettling room (amongst many others) the show had now entered a beautifully, dark concept. Here, IVE performed their hypnotic track “섬찟 (Hypnosis),” whose choreography and set incorporated the rocking chairs and white sheets from the VCR. Dressed in edgy, black and white leather attires, IVE’s appearance screamed fierce, feminine energy, perfect for the concept of “섬찟 (Hypnosis)” as well as the following track “Accendio.”
IVE then delivered more of their adored title tracks, moving into the addictive and atmospheric “LOVE DIVE,” the boldly, unique “Kitsch,” and the attitude-driven “Baddie,” before going into their penultimate track- the sweet, nu-disco single “After LIKE.” IVE then performed “해야 (HEYA),” ending the show with one of their most highly-anticipated tracks of the night.
IVE then exited the stage, leaving fans eagerly awaiting the encore. As we waited, different audience members were selected for a freestyle dance segment, screened to the entire venue. This was an excellent addition to the show, having fans participate in a fun activity that not only passed the time but made a nice memory for them to cherish forever. This showed IVE’s appreciation and love for their DIVEs, allowing them to feel even more included in the night’s events, instead of the usual waiting around for an encore to begin.
After a few minutes, IVE returned in customized and altered versions of their official merchandise tour T-shirts. Working the stage, IVE performed “OTT” before officially ending the show with their debut English-language single “All Night” (featuring Saweetie).
IVE stayed true to its lyrics “We could do this all night” by keeping the party going for as long as they could by continuously repeating parts of the song, much to the amusement of themselves and DIVE. After a confetti-filled party, the show was now over, with IVE exiting the stage, bringing the London show and the European leg of the tour, to a bittersweet end.
Through this tour, IVE further cemented their place as a global force within the K-Pop industry with their songs, charisma, and talents, highlighting their star quality, and making them seem way more experienced than they are. If this is IVE just three years into their career then I can’t wait to see what they have in store for the future.
Thank you to IVE, and the teams at Starship Entertainment and Live Nation for bringing the SHOW WHAT i HAVE tour to London and for allowing KpopWise to attend this magical night of music. It was an excellent night that IVE and UK DIVEs will never forget!