SEOUL, April 20 (AJP) - The courtyard of the KSPO Dome in southern Seoul was a sea of colorful outfits and posters on Sunday, buzzing in a state of suppressed excitement. Thousands of fans stood in long lines under a torching, late spring sun, clutching lightsticks and merchandise with the sternness of warriors before battle. They were there for the final stop of the first solo tour by the boy band NCT WISH, an event that has become a focal point for the latest phase of the expansion strategy of SM Entertainment.
"Section H and I, please enter through Gate 2-1 in an orderly fashion." The long wait was occasionally broken by announcements ringing through the courtyard as fans were notified to enter the dome section by section. While masses rushed into the building, those on standby spent the remaining time trading photo cards or engaging in silent group choreography. Inside the arena, the atmosphere shifted. Fans did not hesitate to drop their composure, filling the space with noise in anticipation of rumors that the group would unveil unreleased songs during the Seoul finale.
The three-night engagement drew 33,000 attendees, selling out every seat including those with restricted views. While the presence of photo zones and lottery events kept the crowd engaged, the venue itself provided the broader industrial context. The KSPO Dome, which has a capacity of approximately 15,000, is the definitive benchmark in the live music circuit of South Korea. Reaching this stage signals the transition of an artist into the top tier of the market. For NCT WISH, arriving here marked a compressed, high-velocity ascent from small live halls in early 2024 to the Handball Gymnasium and finally this benchmark arena.
This trajectory framed the encore as a strategic checkpoint rather than a mere closing chapter. With their first full-length album, "Ode to Love," scheduled for release on Monday, the group utilized the stage as a live testing ground for new intellectual property. The title track and a second song, "Sticky," were performed for the first time to an immediate response from the crowd.
The title track is built around a reworked humming motif from "Ode To My Family" by the Cranberries, blending a familiar melody with a New UK garage-inspired rhythm. The hook proved accessible enough for the audience to echo it back in unison during its debut performance. At a pre-concert press conference, the member Jae-hee described the track as instantly recognizable, noting a deliberate shift toward performance-led promotion by introducing the song visually ahead of its digital debut.
The production of the concert leaned into the scale of the venue. A 68-meter-wide LED screen spanned the stage, while temple-inspired sets and kinetic butterfly lighting transformed the arena into a shifting visual landscape. During "We Go!," the members boarded moving stage carts to reach fans in the upper-level seats, physically collapsing the distance between the performers and the edge of the crowd. This emphasis on immersion continued through a series of choreographed sequences, including a winged entrance for the title track and a floating paper boat for the song "WICHU."
Near the end of the show, the tone shifted as the members addressed the audience to reflect on a tour that spanned 18 cities and 30 shows across Asia. "You say we're your wish—but you are ours," the members told the fans. What began in Kaohsiung and traveled through Bangkok and Jakarta concluded in Seoul with a sense of acceleration.
The forward trajectory outlined onstage was reinforced ahead of the show. During a pre-concert press conference, member Sakuya pointed to Japan as the group’s next strategic milestone, noting that while NCT WISH had already held its first arena-scale performances in the country, the long-term goal remains a Tokyo Dome debut. "We’ve only been active for about two years, but we were grateful to perform in arenas in Japan," adding "We haven’t stood on the Tokyo Dome stage yet that’s our next goal."
NCT WISH releases its first full-length album "Ode to Love" at 6 p.m. on Monday across major streaming platforms. The album features 10 tracks, led by the title song and "Sticky," both of which were previewed during the sold-out encore engagement.
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