K-pop boy group Ateez made their long-awaited return to Singapore with an explosive one-night performance on their In Your Fantasy world tour on Sunday (Feb 22).
Fresh off the promotions for their recent comeback with Golden Hour: Part 4 on Feb 6, the eight-member group — consisting of Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho — brought Atiny’s (fandom name) fantasies to life with an intense concert that lasted over two-and-a half hours at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
As a casual fan who has been listening to them soon after their debut in 2018, I was excited to see them up close and went into the concert with high expectations, having missed their last show in Singapore in 2023 for their The Fellowship: Break The Wall tour.
Multi-sensory experience with fire, smoke and lasers
The entire show was rife with theatrics and dramatic effects to complement the group’s powerful performances, captivating Atiny from start to end.
Ateez kicked off the concert on the main stage in red and black outfits complete with Gothic detailing, a bold look to complement their darker and more mature concept.
I was admittedly on the edge of my seat just after the first two songs, Bouncy (K-Hot Chilli Peppers) and Fireworks, EDM-hip-hop tracks with an infectious chorus.
They were accompanied by a four-piece live band on stage, giving their usual songs a strong rock vibe that echoed through the stadium.
Another unique point I noted was the large group of backup dancers flanking the members on stage for most performances.
There were around 12 dancers in total and they played a pivotal role, especially supporting the members during performances that required the use of props.
One such performance was Blind, a Latin-inspired pop track where the dancers held up red silk capes which acted as a canvas for optical illusions and complicated choreography.
The production for the show was off the charts, and I was also impressed with the sheer number of performances involving a moving stage and multiple props, including Outlaw, which had members in rolling trolleys that resembled prison cells.
The concert setlist was chock-full of high tempo and rap-heavy tracks like In Your Fantasy and Crazy Form.
It was a shame that they didn’t perform their new tracks Adrenaline and Nasa, however, and many fans were disappointed that they weren’t added to the setlist.
It was only after the show that 26-year-old San took to a livestream to explain that the new songs were excluded from not only the Singapore stop, but all of the upcoming stops. Instead of updating the current setlist, the group will perform their new songs on the next tour, he said.
A spotlight on all 8 members
Solo stages were a key highlight of this show, with each of the eight members getting a chance to showcase their unique talents and individual flair.
Unlike other K-pop concerts where members often perform shortened versions of their solos, the Ateez members performed their full songs, with each act lasting between three to five minutes.
The solo stages were peppered throughout the show, arguably giving members ample time to catch their breath and recover amid all the fierce performances in the setlist.
The first soloist of the night, Yunho, ended up being one of my favourites.
Donning a fedora, the 26-year-old performed Slide to Me, a groovy R&B track featuring his smooth vocals complemented by effortless choreography.
The youngest member, 25-year-old Jongho, also captured my attention with his solo To Be Your Light that diverged from Ateez’s typical loud and energetic sound.
Emerging on stage with a standing mic, the group’s main vocalist belted the first lines a capella before being accompanied by the backing track of piano and drums to deliver an emotional soft rock ballad that felt like an OST for a K-drama.
The leader of the group, Hongjoong, also had one of the most anticipated stages of the night and turned the stadium into a nightclub with his track No1.
Even before the performance began, multi-coloured strobe lights projected across the venue and progressive EDM beats amped up the crowd who excitedly chanted “No1! No1!” in anticipation.
Hongjoong, often referred to as Captain, dialled it up a notch when he took his position on stage at the DJ turntable and got all Atiny jumping to the beat of the music.
The performance hit a peak when he ran offstage to the standing pen area, holding the mic to some lucky fans who got to sing along while others nearby danced.
The ‘ninth member’ of Ateez
The fans at a concert can often make or break the entire experience, and Atiny made sure to channel all their energy to the members, cheering fervently throughout the show and cooed when the members made hearts to the camera.
The energy was buzzing throughout the stadium long before the show started, and never let up even at the end when Atiny chanted for an encore.
Music videos of Ateez’s popular tracks played while fans streamed into the stadium before 7pm, and the sheer volume of the screams and fervent fan chants, from both the floor and seated areas, were a pleasant surprise.
Having been to my fair share of K-pop concerts both locally and overseas, I was familiar with the notion that Singapore fans rarely memorise fan chants unlike fans who attend shows in South Korea.
The fans at Sunday’s show proved otherwise, shouting their rehearsed lines in unison especially during Guerilla, a high-octane punk track accompanied by a spectacular laser sequence and smoke show.
While the members didn’t have many speaking segments, the members did their best to communicate in English and conveyed their gratitude towards fans who patiently waited for their return.
All in all, the concert was an ambitious one that seemed to push the members to their limits, though it left me wanting a little more as a fan of their older tracks that were not included in the setlist.
Ateez is headed to Australia next, with two shows in Melbourne on March 2 and 3 before another two nights in Sydney.
More photos from the concert will be added soon!
[📷] TODAY ATEEZ
ATEEZ 2026 WORLD TOUR [IN YOUR FANTASY] IN SINGAPORE ❤️#TODAY_ATEEZ #ATEEZ #에이티즈#In_Your_Fantasy pic.twitter.com/ufcDlhEaGw— ATEEZ(에이티즈) (@ATEEZofficial) February 22, 2026
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