ATEEZ’s [TOWARDS THE LIGHT : WILL TO POWER] world tour reaches new heights in London, captivating The O2 Arena across two shows which push the limits of on-stage creativity.
There’s something almost mythic about the way ATEEZ commands a stage. Even before they appear at London’s O2 Arena for their TOWARDS THE LIGHT: WILL TO POWER world tour, a video montage flashes across towering LED screens, chronicling their European rise—including a recent No. 2 spot on the UK album charts. But tonight isn’t just another stop, or even just Night Two at the arena. They’ve conquered this stage before—as well as Wembley Arena multiple times—but tonight, something feels different. This is a milestone in their biggest-ever UK run, one that cements ATEEZ in history as the first K-pop boy group to headline Manchester’s AO Arena, joining BLACKPINK as the only K-pop acts to perform there. ATEEZ isn’t here to pass through. They’re here to own it.
ATEEZ are the type of performers where grand compliments, glossy photos or close-up videos can’t truly capture their on-stage magic: they must be seen in real life to be believed. Their reputation as one of K-pop’s most charismatic performers has propelled their artistry beyond K-pop’s borders, securing them spots on global stages like Coachella and Mawazine.
K-pop thrives on narrative, and ATEEZ takes that to cinematic extremes with their concerts. This quality is a crucial component of their appeal; an ATEEZ concert is not just a run-of-the-mill show reeling through hits (ATEEZ have plenty), but an almost out-of-body experience traversing storylines, emotions and moods. TOWARDS THE LIGHT : WILL TO POWER unfolds like a dystopian odyssey, telling the tale of eight warriors battling against a totalitarian regime where emotion is outlawed. The stage is dominated by a monolithic surveillance tower, its presence growing more menacing as the story unfolds. “You can finally become your true self once you’ve found your light,” a disembodied voice declares during a stylish video interlude. “Light empowers you to confront challenges, overcome failure, and build confidence.” It’s a classic hero’s journey, one ATEEZ has been crafting since their 2018 debut.
The concert is relentless, almost defiant in its scale, and there is no shortage of explosive pyrotechnics, flamethrowers, props, confetti cannons or frenetic lighting rigs which flicker like an electric storm. K-pop concerts are known for their glitzy grandeur, yes, but ATEEZ operates on an arena-shattering scale which channels the limitless creativity of legendary O2 headliners like Janet Jackson and Madonna. In all their glory, ATEEZ’s energy demands stadiums, an expanse wide enough to contain the sheer scale of what they have built.
Picking a highlight from TOWARDS THE LIGHT : WILL TO POWER is a challenge, not just because the concert’s runtime clocks in at almost three hours, but because it never stops peaking. ATEEZ wasted no time setting the stakes when 2023’s “Crazy Form” cracked the night open with an explosive bang, immediately dominating every inch of the stage. The infamous sash choreography of “Wake Up” is heart-poundingly sensational, unfolding with precision, sensuality and hypnotic allure. Their signature hits, like the anthemic “Say My Name” and the turbo-charged “BOUNCY (K‐HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)”, elicit the expected raucous response: full-throttle, roof-rattling explosions of adrenaline. However, it’s their most recent braggadocious smashes, “Work” and “Ice On My Teeth,” which audibly excite the arena the most, as proof that ATEEZ’s latest sonic direction is hitting hard.
The drama and chaos of the main set’s closer, “WONDERLAND,” is ATEEZ at their most excessive. A spectacle where ATEEZ lean fully into their cinematic ethos, the track transforms the stage into a fever-dream battlefield. Massive, writhing kraken tentacles snake across the set, as a resplendent SEONGHWA dramatically wields a sword with graceful precision. The tension builds until JONGHO, the group’s vocal powerhouse, detonates his signature high note, ringing out like a war cry and sending shivers through the crowd before ATEEZ erupts in unrestrained awe.
Their ethos, “8 makes 1 team,” is embedded into the very DNA of their performance; eight distinct performers, each a star in their own right, yet seamlessly aligned. WOOYOUNG’s playful charisma bleeds seamlessly into SEONGHWA’s smoldering elegance; SAN’s raw intensity collides with MINGI’s effortless swagger and grounded, thunderous presence. This isn’t a show where individual moments disrupt the flow, but instead where the end result is a performance that feels like a singular force, each member contributing to a collective energy that never wavers.
HONGJOONG, ever the flamboyant captain, takes his moment in the spotlight with a swaggering rockstar grandeur. With an electric guitar slung across his body, he rips through a solo before hurling into the controlled chaos of “Guerilla” – the kind of anarchy set to sound that turns a concert into a movement. Later, he joins forces with SEONGHWA for the confrontational “MATZ.” SEONGHWA, sharp-edged and smoldering, matches HONGJOONG’s untamed fire and rebellion with a poised, calculated intensity that leaves the stage scorched in their wake.
After the electro headbanger “HALAZIA” morphs the arena into an apocalyptic dreamscape, SEONGHWA takes centre stage to dazzle with his viral, hip-thrusting chair choreography. Draped in androgynous allure, equal parts elegance and danger, SEONGHWA is a masterclass in the kind of star power that doesn’t just command attention but demands surrender.
MINGI and YUNHO’s performance of “Youth” is a moment of pure meta-theater, where two best friends relive a phone call from their trainee days, a time when this stage was still just a distant dream. Watching them now, standing under the glow of the arena’s lights, turns the set into something deeper than spectacle. It’s raw, lived-in, a testament to the kind of bond that makes ATEEZ a brotherhood.
YEOSANG is ATEEZ’s quiet storm, an ethereal presence whose magnetism builds in slow, hypnotic waves. His flamenco solo in “ARRIBA” is mesmerizing, a blur of sharp footwork and sculpted precision. “IT’s You” truly highlights his live vocal range; moving through tones and textures so distinct it feels like multiple singers are trading lines, all while the same voice carries it forward. He is joined during “IT’s You” by SAN and WOOYOUNG, with the trio making some of the show’s most intricate choreography look effortlessly easy.
SAN is a master of dramatics. ATEEZ’s resident heartthrob and fiercely dynamic dancer throws himself into every movement with unrelenting intensity, his presence so electrifying it feels almost cinematic. Shackled and seething, his role in “This World” is choreography as storytelling, heightened by SAN’s visceral energy where every movement collides with raw emotion and unyielding power. After MINGI’s hyped-up solo rap opening, “Cyberpunk” is SAN’s reckoning; the song’s hammering bassline and wailing synths provide the perfect backdrop for SAN to unravel. He lives in the music, channeling every beat through his body with fluidity that borders on surreal.
WOOYOUNG commands the stage once more during his solo dance segment, a mesmerizing display of precision and poise before the shimmering synths of “Silver Light” wash over the audience, feeding into the song’s hypnotic pull and elevating one of ATEEZ’s strongest B-sides into an entrancing performance. His artistry shines in layers; it’s this duality that defines his stage persona. His moment in “Silver Light” is elegant and intense, standing in direct contrast to his carefree, almost mischievous energy elsewhere, like the now-iconic ‘twerk’ in “Crazy Form,” a moment of pure, uninhibited fun that sends the arena into hysterics.
When JONGHO takes center stage for his solo, “Everything,” the energy shifts. A respectful silence falls over the arena. There are no theatrics; just his voice, soaring and unrestrained. JONGHO’s belts are powerful, but not overbearing; his lower register is soft and fragile, yet still crystal clear. Although it’s no overstatement to declare him one of K-pop’s most gifted vocalists, JONGHO is a phenomenal singer beyond K-pop standards, and the depth of his vocal prowess is one in a million.
The emotional synth-ballad “Dreamy Day” is the concert’s wind-down, the moment of reflection. A song written by HONGJOONG from the band’s memories of post-show conversations, “Dreamy Day” traces the way music crystallizes moments into something sacred: “We capture this scene in our hearts, even if we have to wake up someday / All the memories, never gonna fade away / Here, we’re living in this moment and time, because I’m in front of you right now,” SAN, YEOSANG and SEONGHWA poignantly trade off during the song’s tear-inducing bridge. There’s a collective sense of reflection, a quiet acknowledgment that the hours before were not just about the spectacle but about memories made, moments shared, and an undying connection between artist and fan: “Will you still come to ATEEZ’s concerts even after ten years?” HONGJOONG tenderly asks (the answer from the crowd is yes, obviously).
“Dreamy Day” provides a poignant moment of unity before “UTOPIA,” the show’s real closer, erupts into a final explosion of rainbow lights and showers of confetti—a fittingly euphoric sendoff. As the members sink beneath the stage, passionately waving until the last possible moment, their presence lingers. Amid the confetti-strewn floor and lingering concert fog, ATEEZ leaves behind the beginnings of a legacy.
There is a moment after “ARRIBA” and “DJANGO” where WOOYOUNG holds up a handwritten sign: “Today is more magical than Hogwarts itself.” The crowd roars at the sight of his playful sentiment; he is a devout Harry Potter enthusiast, and visits the UK during rare free time. But this is not magic – this is hard-won success, years in the making, through each member’s talent as epic, awe-inspiring performers. ATEEZ, the underdogs, the indie-label anomaly, stand tall: eight members, one team, rewriting the rulebook in real-time. After this tour, ATEEZ’s return to the UK for stadium shows feels less like a possibility and more like destiny.
Words — Hasan Beyaz
Photography — KQ Entertainment