K-pop girl group Blackpink wrapped up their successful “BORN PINK” world tour with a grand finale in Seoul, holding a concert at Gocheok Sky Dome from September 16 to 17 amid uncertainties surrounding a contract renewal with the group’s current entertainment company YG Entertainment Inc.

Kicking off with fireworks and powerful dance performances, the Blackpink members displayed their explosive energy that filled the venue. The performances marked the conclusion of an extensive 11-month global tour, which kicked off last October at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul. Blackpink embarked on a journey that took them to 34 cities across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, where they mesmerized audiences with a total of 66 sold-out shows. In July, Blackpink achieved the remarkable feat of becoming the first K-pop girl group to grace a European stadium in Paris, and in August, it held solo concerts in large stadiums, drawing tens of thousands of fans in New Jersey, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, with the tour reaching a staggering 1.8 million fans worldwide.

The finale also saw fans fill the Gocheok Sky Dome, the largest indoor venue in Korea, drawing in an audience of 17,500 people daily to total an impressive 35,000 attendees over the two days. Fans flocked to the event not just from Korea but China, Japan, Southeast Asia, and various other countries as well.

Blackpink member Ros? said, “Although this is our last ‘Born Pink’ concert, it feels like we will be together forever.” Bandmate Jennie also shared, “There was a lot of time spent traveling and flying, but the four of us worked really hard to lead each other,” while Jisoo added, “I got this thought that it’s a relief no one got hurt and everyone stayed healthy while we were performing over the past year.”

Member Lisa read a message that she wrote on her phone. “Thanks to our fans, BLINKs, we were able to perform in such diverse and amazing concert venues. Thank you, BLINKs, for this amazing experience and for making my 20s shine.”

The concert featured performances by the live band, with custom arrangements and dazzling stage effects, including lasers and fireworks, adding to the excitement. The group performed their hits like “Pink Venom,” “How You Like That,” “WHISTLE,” “Kill This Love,” and “PLAYING WITH FIRE” on a stage decorated to look like a roof of Hanok, or Korean traditional house. Global favorites such as “Lovesick Girls,” “Shut Down,” and “DDU-DU DDU-DU” had the audience singing along.

The members’ solo performances were also impressive. Jennie danced solo for “Solo” and then duetted with a male dancer for the unreleased track “YOU & ME.” Ros?’s “On the Ground” performance broke convention as she danced on the ground after a dramatic one-beat silence. Jisoo performed her single “FLOWER” on stage, while Lisa demonstrated her rap-dance skills with “MONEY” in a gold, money-themed setting.

By Chung Joo-won and Han Yubin

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