IU impresses 15,000 fans with massive, but intimate concert finale

Even the KSPO Dome, one of Korea’s largest indoor venues, was too small for IU. The singer-songwriter filled the stage on Sunday night at the fourth Seoul concert of her “H. E. R” world tour, performing 30-plus songs for 15,000fans for more than four hours. But the highlight of the show, for many viewers, was her surprise announcement, as the main concert came to an end,that she would return to Seoul for encore concerts on Sept. 20 and 21 — at the much larger Seoul World Cup Stadium.

The venue, on Sunday afternoon, was packed with IU fans of all ages and genders. Some came with friends, some came hand-in-hand with their parents and many were repeat attendees.

“I’m very familiar with the KSPO Dome,” said Lee Jeong-hyun, a longtime fan of the singer who had traveled to Seoul from Gwangju to see her performances. “I was here last year during her fan concert, and I was also here last Saturday.”

The KSPO Dome, which typically seats up to 10,000 concertgoers, was restructured and tailored for IU’s concert to accommodate a larger audience. The so-called 360-degree stage setup saw the main stage at the center of the stadium, with seats circularly surrounding the main stage. This setup seated around 15,000 audience members but, more importantly, allowed for more intimate interaction between IU and her fans. The arena also featured curved screens, stage props and lifts that moved in groups of four, each facing a different direction, all to give fans equal opportunity to enjoy the show.