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SMTOWN LIVE 2025 'The Culture The Future' Redefines K-pop Legacy in London
- Rosa Gulliver
- Jun 29
- 7 min read
Rosa Gulliver of TINYGMUSIC | June 29, 2025
![SMTOWN LIVE 2025 'THE CULTURE, THE FUTURE' Makes K-pop History in London
SMTOWN FAMILY PHOTO
in SMTOWN LIVE 2025 [THE CULTURE, THE FUTURE] in LONDON - MAY 28, 2025
#SMTOWN #SM_30thAnniversary
#SMTOWN2025 #SMTOWN_LIVE #SMCU](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/7869bc_ba54b41b80a64ae594ab15440660d549~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_46,h_26,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_avif,quality_auto/7869bc_ba54b41b80a64ae594ab15440660d549~mv2.png)
SHINee’s MINHO, EXO, Red Velvet, aespa, NCT and more light up London for SM’s 30th anniversary mega-concert
SMTOWN LIVE 2025 'THE CULTURE, THE FUTURE' took over London’s The O2 for a landmark celebration of K-pop culture and artistry. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the iconic powerhouse SM Entertainment, the legendary concert brought together 14 artists from K-pop pioneers to next-gen rookies for the first ever K-pop festival at The O2.
SM’s label-wide concert series, SMTOWN LIVE, began in 2008 and first ventured to Europe in 2011 for two shows in Paris. After kicking off with two massive sold-out concerts in Seoul in January, SMTOWN LIVE 2025 also took over Mexico City on May 9, followed by Los Angeles on May 11. Now, the beloved concert format has returned to Europe for the first time in 14 years, promoted by London/Seoul-based K-entertainment technology company FrontRow Global in partnership with Kilimanjaro.
Marc Saunders, Head of Programming The O2, said: “Hosting SM TOWN LIVE 2025 'THE CULTURE, THE FUTURE' in London at The O2 was a landmark moment for us, marking the first-ever K-pop festival in our arena. It was really special to witness such an incredible line-up of artists perform on one stage across the night, and it was without doubt an unforgettable experience for all the fans who attended the show. We look forward to welcoming even more ‘idols’ at The O2 in the near future.”
Just hours ahead of London’s concert, VVIP ticket holders were invited to a special pre-event at Magazine London, featuring exclusive red carpet interviews and artist content. The HELLO PINK BLOOD SESSION – referencing “Pink Blood,” the fandom name for SM Entertainment’s collective roster – brought the entire SMTOWN LIVE 2025 in London lineup together for this private showcase, offering fans an intimate prelude to the evening’s historic performances.
Over three hours in duration, the history-making SMTOWN LIVE 'THE CULTURE, THE FUTURE' in London delivered a show-stopping spectacle. The star-studded event spanned K-pop’s past, present and future, spotlighting a multigenerational lineup of SM artists including EXO’s SUHO, CHANYEOL and KAI, Red Velvet, aespa and newer stars like RIIZE, dearALICE and Hearts2Hearts. The show also marked the first time all NCT units, NCT 127, NCT DREAM, WayV and NCT WISH have performed together in Europe.
Opening with a thunderous performance of “Rising Sun” from TVXQ!, the fiery and theatrical number by the legendary duo making their long-awaited UK debut after two decades as icons of the genre, set the tone for the evening. The following transition to SM’s next-generation trainees, SMTR25, put the future of SM directly into the spotlight with their masterful covers of iconic K-pop hits like SHINee’s “Lucifer” and EXO’s “Growl.”
Elsewhere, the show featured a string of high-profile debuts. SM’s newly debuted girl group, Hearts2Hearts, made their first UK appearance with “The Chase” (co-written by British R&B band FLO) and “Butterflies.” “We’re meeting a lot of fans with the SMTOWN 2025 Tour, and now we can understand why our seniors say the stage is the happiest place in the world,” the group shared. British boy band dearALICE, who were trained and developed by SM Entertainment, delivered a hometown performance with “Ariana” and “Save Us” (“It means the world that we are here at The O2 in our hometown,” they shared), while RIIZE brought standout performances of “Boom Boom Bass” and “Ember to Solar.”
aespa triumphantly returned to the UK stage after their sold-out Wembley Arena concert in March, commanding the crowd with their hits “Whiplash” and “Next Level”: “I knew your energy would be good, but today it feels especially good,” aespa’s WINTER told the crowd. Red Velvet added nostalgic flair with their R&B cut “Bad Boy” and a thrilling cover of Girls’ Generation’s classic “Run Devil Run” before Girls’ Generation’s HYO lit up the stage with her recent solo single, “Retro Romance.” “SM is very meaningful to me, so I’m so happy and thankful that I could take part in SM’s 30th anniversary with you guys,” she told the crowd. HYO later returned alongside aespa’s GISELLE and WayV’s YANGYANG for a high-energy performance of her EDM hit “Dessert.”
Marking the first time all units of NCT are together for a show in Europe; standout moments like NCT 127’s “Fact Check,” NCT DREAM’s “Smoothie,” WayV’s “FREQUENCY,” and NCT WISH’s “Steady” brought each sub-unit’s distinctive sounds and performance styles together into a cohesive segment. NCT’s RENJUN told fans, “Every time I come to London, I feel a different kind of energy. You guys are so amazing,” while NCT’s MARK said, “I want you all to have the best time of your lives today.”
The show was also rich in solo performances too: SHINee’s MINHO (a surprise last-minute addition to the line-up), and EXO’s SUHO, CHANYEOL and KAI all delivered memorable solo stages. For MINHO, SMTOWN Live in London marked his first UK performance since he was last here with SHINee in 2011; EXO’s KAI made his first UK stage appearance in three years to perform his latest Afrobeat-inspired hit “Wait On Me.” “I’m taking London and all of you into my heart today,” EXO’s KAI shared.
EXO’s SUHO, CHANYEOL and KAI delivered an emotional highlight as they joined forces to perform H.O.T.’s classic “Git It Up,” a nod to the first-generation idols who laid the foundations for SM’s success. Meanwhile, TVXQ! returned to the stage to deliver a surprise rework of Red Velvet’s “Psycho,” flipping the script with commanding vocal harmonies and drama-filled flair. TVXQ!’s MAX CHANGMIN said, “I want to remember today’s energy and this memory for a long, long time,” while TVXQ!’s U-KNOW told the crowd, “We hope to continue making even greater performances together with all of you.”
In honour of SM’s 30th anniversary, SMTR25 returned with a tribute medley of historic SM moments such as “Keep Your Head Down” (TVXQ!), “Bonamana” (Super Junior), and “Sherlock (Clue + Note)” (SHINee). The crowd’s energy remained sky-high through encore-style, climactic performances from each artist: TVXQ!’s genre-defining “Mirotic,” Red Velvet’s “Red Flavor,” NCT 127’s “Kick It,” NCT DREAM’s “Hot Sauce,” WayV’s “Love Talk,” aespa’s “Supernova,” RIIZE’s “Fly Up,” NCT WISH’s “poppop,” and Hearts2Hearts’ “STYLE.”
The finale brought all artists together for a moving performance of “빛 (Hope from KWANGYA),” an uplifting anthem that closed the night on a note of unity, legacy and vision. With a star-studded line-up and three decades of talent on full display, SMTOWN Live in London cemented its place as one of the most ambitious and historic K-pop events ever staged in Europe.
As SM Entertainment co-CEO Daniel Jang recently told Music Week, the slogan “The Culture, The Future” “represents the past 30 years of SM Entertainment, and also… the next 30 years and beyond.” SMTOWN LIVE 'THE CULTURE, THE FUTURE' in London did exactly that, honouring legacy while confidently declaring K-pop’s global future.
Next, the festival will move onwards to Tokyo on 9 and 10 August.
2025 SMTOWN LIVE 'THE CULTURE, THE FUTURE' IN LONDON Set List:
TVXQ! – “Rising Sun (순수)”
SMTR25 (7 members) – “Lucifer” (SHINee Cover)
SMTR25 (9 members) – “으르렁 (Growl)” (EXO Cover)
Hearts2Hearts – “The Chase”
Hearts2Hearts – “Butterflies”
dearALICE – “Ariana”
dearALICE – “Save Us”
RIIZE – “Boom Boom Bass”
RIIZE – “잉걸 (Ember to Solar)”
aespa – “Whiplash”
aespa – “Next Level”
Red Velvet – “Bad Boy”
Red Velvet – “Run Devil Run” (Originally by GIRLS' GENERATION)
HYO of GIRLS’ GENERATION – “Retro Romance”
NCT WISH – “WISH”
NCT WISH – “Steady”
NCT DREAM – “When I’m With You”
NCT DREAM – “Smoothie”
WayV – “Give Me That (Korean Ver.)”
WayV – “FREQUENCY (Korean Ver.)”
NCT 127 – “삐그덕 (Walk)”
NCT 127 – “Fact Check (불가사의; 不可思議)”
SUHO of EXO – “점선면 (1 to 3)”
CHANYEOL of EXO – “Hasta La Vista”
KAI of EXO – “Wait On Me”
MINHO of SHINee – “CALL BACK”
MINHO of SHINee – “Something About U”
HYO x YANGYANG x GISELLE – “Dessert”
EXO – “투지 (鬪志, Git It Up!)” (Originally by H.O.T.)
TVXQ! – “Psycho” (Originally by Red Velvet)
SMTR25 (11 members) – SM 30th Tribute Performance
Hearts2Hearts – “STYLE”
NCT WISH – “poppop”
RIIZE – “Fly Up”
aespa – “Supernova”
NCT DREAM – “맛 (Hot Sauce)”
WayV – “Love Talk”
Red Velvet – “빨간 맛 (Red Flavor)”
NCT 127 – “영웅 (英雄; Kick It)”
TVXQ! – “주문-MIROTIC”
SMTOWN – “빛 (Hope from KWANGYA)”
About SM ENTERTAINMENT
SM Entertainment stands as South Korea's No. 1 entertainment and media group, leading the way in international markets with its unique and innovative production and training system, coupled with unparalleled overseas marketing strategies. As a trailblazing entity, it has cultivated a galaxy of global K-pop superstars, solidifying its status as a premier industry leader. SM Entertainment is dedicated to every facet of the music business, meticulously orchestrating album planning, production, distribution, promotion, and artist management. Leveraging a wealth of accumulated expertise, it sets the standard for excellence in each endeavor. The company manages artists, including, but not limited to: KANGTA, BoA, TVXQ!, SUPER JUNIOR, GIRLS’ GENERATION, SHINee, EXO, Red Velvet, NCT, NCT U, NCT 127, NCT DREAM, WayV, NCT WISH, aespa, RIIZE, Hearts2Hearts and more. SM Entertainment has established a global network through overseas subsidiaries in the United States, Japan, as well as other countries, owning various affiliated companies such as SM C&C, DearU, SM Brand Marketing, etc. Furthermore, by creating the unique concert brand called SMTOWN, the organisation has successfully hosted shows in major cities worldwide, continuously setting new records in the concert business. SM Entertainment is growing as the world’s leading entertainment company, and as the pioneer of K-pop and the creator of an unrivalled system, it continues to produce today’s most prominent K-pop acts.
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About FRONTROW
FRONTROW is a London/Seoul-based K-entertainment technology company pioneering access to K-pop. Specialising in concert production and ticketing through its proprietary platform, Konne Ticket, FRONTROW seamlessly connects global audiences with the best of Korean entertainment. With extensive experience in organising K-pop concerts and festivals, the company delivers world-class live experiences while enhancing fan engagement through innovative ticketing and merchandise solutions.
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