- Source: Welcome Back Tour
The Welcome Back Tour is the ongoing fourth concert tour by South Korean girl group 2NE1. Held in commemoration of the group's 15th anniversary, it is the quartet's first headlining concert tour since the All or Nothing World Tour (2014). The Welcome Back Tour commenced in Seoul on October 4, 2024, and currently spans twenty-five shows in Asia.
Background
On July 22, 2024, YG Entertainment officially announced the reunion of 2NE1 for their 15th debut anniversary, after having been disbanded for eight years since November 2016. It was announced that the group would embark on a world tour beginning in South Korea in October 2024, with shows slated to be scheduled in other regions within 2025, in response to the requests received from across the globe.
Three days later, it was unveiled that the tour would kick off at the Olympic Hall in Seoul, the venue which 2NE1 performed at for their first concert tour Nolza in August 2011. Fans expressed discontent regarding the venue's capacity after the announcements were made; in response, YG Entertainment issued a statement explaining that all larger venues in Seoul had "already been booked". It was announced the following day that 2NE1's Japanese fanclub, Blackjack Nolza, would be re-opened in early August.
On September 6, 2024, concert dates in Manila and Jakarta were announced, followed by Hong Kong and Singapore four days later, and Bangkok and Taipei on September 13. Dates in Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, and Macao were announced on November 6.
Production
2NE1 aimed to capture the essence of their classic sound during the Welcome Back Tour by performing their songs in their original form. The group's leader, CL, expressed that this was in contrast to their previous tours, where they often presented rearranged versions of their songs or featured reworked choreography. Furthermore, the quartet actively crafted the concert's experience through their involvement in all of its aspects during its preparation, spanning from the setlist, stage design, choreography, and costumes, amidst others.
Ticketing
In Singapore, ticket sales for the quartet and Hong Kong singer Andy Lau's concerts, sufficed a loss of $66,000 within a period of two weeks due to scams over fake concert tickets. It resulted in a minimum of 92 reported police cases where the victims completed transactions through third party platforms in early October. The police advised the public to utilize the "Scam Shield" app, and to purchase tickets from authorized sellers and legitimate ticket marketplaces. In the Philippines, former senator Francis Pangilinan called for political action and the introduction of a legislation to address ticket scalping in response to the Welcome Back Tour in Manila.
Commercial performance
= General sale
=Demand for the Seoul concerts resulted in over 400,000 people vying for tickets accommodating 3,000 to 4,000 seats at the venue, thereby crashing the server. An additional concert was added for October 4, alongside the release of additional restricted-view seats for all three dates. All four initial shows in Japan were sold out within a day, therefore two additional shows were added. Over 100,000 users queued for tickets for the Jakarta show and over 200,000 users queued for the Singapore show, resulting in both shows selling out. A second performance was added in both cities.
The virtual queue for the general sale of tickets for the Manila concerts recorded over 200,000 users on the first day and 350,000 users on the second day, resulting in both dates selling out immediately. On October 11, YG Entertainment announced that all shows for the Japanese leg were sold out. Shortly after the presale for the Taiwan show on October 15, an additional performance was added. It was reported that all 18,000 tickets in Taiwan were sold out in 90 seconds.
Critical reception
The tour received rave reviews from critics in music and entertainment, who praised the spectacle of the show. Beginning in Seoul, Yoon Seo-yeon writing for Korea JoongAng Daily called the concert as a "true definition of what K-pop is and what it should be". Pyo Kyung-min writing for The Korea Times cited the show reaffirmed the quartet's "legendary status in the music scene". Hong Yoo writing for The Korea Herald wrote their choreography was vigorous and demanded much more energy than the routines of some of today's K-pop girl groups.
In Manila, Russell Ku writing for Rappler described how stunned he was at how an arena could be packed from front to back with fans, young and old, and felt the show was different from the other concerts he had gone to after witnessing the crowd already jumping, resulting in the arena to feel as though it were "shaking". Allan Policarpio writing for Philippine Daily Inquirer narrated them as a group who "never looks too calculated or preoccupied with what they have to do next", elaborating how their "instincts guide the way they work their numbers, and make sure to always leave room for spontaneous interactions with each other, or with the crowd".
Ranging from an audience primarily in their twenties to forties, their Seoul concert also witnessed an array of celebrities from various fields including K-pop artists such as NewJeans, Winner, G-Dragon, Daesung, Blackpink's Jennie, Aespa's Winter, BoyNextDoor, Kang Daniel, members of Stray Kids, iKon, and The Boyz, Jung Yong-hwa, and Shinee's Key; actors such as Ross Butler, Rowoon, Lee Joon, Lee Soo-hyuk, and Lomon; veteran singers such as Uhm Jung-hwa, and Yoon Do-hyun; and entertainers such as Noh Hong-chul and Jun Hyun-moo, among others.
Set list
This set list represents the show on October 6, 2024, in Seoul, South Korea. It does not represent all dates.
Main set
Notes
During the first performance in Seoul on October 4, Park Bom sang a small part of "You and I" in acapella.
The double encore was performed on the third day in Seoul only.
Tour dates
Notes
References
External links
Welcome Back Tour Official Website
(in Japanese) 2NE1 15th Anniversary Japan Website
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