Inside the stadium where one of K-pop’s biggest boy bands kicked off a new leg of their world tour

I’ve been following Seventeen for just over a year now, which makes me a newbie Carat — the name the group has for its fans. The band, which is down four members because of South Korea’s mandatory military service, has been touring the US and East Asia, playing over 26 shows to date, to close to 800,000 people.

Seventeen kicked off the “NEW_” tour in South Korea on September 13 and 14, and did shows in five US cities. They’re back after a short break following their winter dome tour in four Japanese cities.

The 55,000-seat National Stadium in Singapore is a tough venue to play, in part because of the humidity and the heat. It was around 90 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff.

But it’s the stadium of choice for any big act coming to the island. Taylor Swift performed six nights at the stadium in 2024, and Lady Gaga did four shows there in May 2025.

Seventeen played the venue for two nights in January 2025.

At nine people, the band rallied hard. They kicked off the show with tracks from their 2025 album, “Happy Burstday,” which sold over 2.52 million copies in its first week of release.

The group also dug deep into their archives and pulled out tracks like “Hot,” “Hit” and “Rock” for a segment that the members said was particularly hard to get through because of the strenuous choreography.

Every member of the team got their fair share of airtime with the nine solo songs, each showcasing their personal style.

The group’s youngest, Dino, and Chinese member Jun showed off their slick moves in “Trigger” and “Gemini.” Korean-American member Vernon went full pop-rock and brought out his electric guitar for “Shining Star.”

Joshua — the group’s other Korean-American, and my favorite band member — kicked off a segment of ballads with his saccharine solo song, “Fortunate Change.” Hong is fresh off an appearance at the Golden Globes and this year’s Super Bowl.

His bandmates Seungkwan and DK — who are in the midst of promoting their unit album, “Serenade” — showed off their vocal chops with their solos, “Raindrops” and “Happy Virus.”

The crowd went wild when the group’s resident Calvin Klein model, Mingyu, strutted down the stage in head-to-toe denim for “Shake It Off.” That was right after the electro-dance party number, “Skyfall,” from his bandmate The8.

The deafening cheers kept coming for the band’s leader S.Coups’ head-banging hip-hop track, “Jungle.” The rapper — like his teammates Joshua, Mingyu, and Jun — is a fashion week regular in Europe.

S.Coups was the reason Jackie Ko flew in from California. This was Ko’s 11th time at a Seventeen concert and first abroad.

Ko told me she spent around $2,500 for the trip. It was worth it, she said — she heard songs that weren’t on the US set list.

“S.Coups and Seventeen helped me get through some of the toughest times,” Ko told me. “He makes me feel rejuvenated. He’s my motivation to keep going, no matter what life throws at me.”

Seventeen is part of an industry that generates billions in annual revenue. Tickets to their Singapore show started at $199 Singapore dollars, or around $155, and topped off at $320.

The monetizable hype was evident in the run-up to the concert: Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands resort lit up the landmark in the band’s colors, organized a party featuring their songs at the property’s Marquee club, and had half a dozen restaurants curating custom menus inspired by their tracks.

The group’s parent company Hybe is riding Seventeen and similar groups’ success: Shares are up 55% in the last year.

For four hours, there is nothing that shines brighter or makes me happier than watching Seventeen perform. In these troubled times, that’s something worth holding onto.

Seth Aw, an artist from Singapore, agreed.

“The feeling of being in a stadium with other fans enjoying the same moment is so healing,” Aw said. “I don’t think anything can compare to how a good concert makes me feel, and that gives me strength to deal with many things in life.”