The Welcome Back Tour was the 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). Spanning twenty-seven shows across Asia, the Welcome Back Tour commenced at the Olympic Hall in Seoul on October 4, 2024, and concluded at the KSPO Dome on April 13, 2025.
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.[1] 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,[2] in response to the requests received from across the globe.[3]
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.[4] Fans expressed discontent regarding the venue's capacity after the announcements were made;[5] in response, YG Entertainment issued a statement explaining that all larger venues in Seoul had "already been booked".[6] It was announced the following day that 2NE1's Japanese fanclub, Blackjack Nolza, would be re-opened in early August.[7][8]
On September 6, 2024, concert dates in Manila and Jakarta were announced,[9][10] followed by Hong Kong and Singapore four days later,[11] and Bangkok and Taipei on September 13.[12] Dates in Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City, and Macao were announced on November 6.[13] On January 6, 2025, encore concerts in Seoul at the KSPO Dome were announced for April 12 and 13, 2025.[14]
Production
2NE1 performing "Can't Nobody" in Manila (top), and "Go Away" in Singapore (bottom)
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.[15] 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.[16]
Commercial performance
Demand for the Seoul concerts resulted in over 400,000 people vying for tickets accommodating 3,000 to 4,000 seats at the venue,[17][18] thereby crashing the server.[19] An additional concert was added for October 4,[20] alongside the release of additional restricted-view seats for all three dates.[21] All four initial shows in Japan were sold out within a day, therefore two additional shows were added.[22] The shows in Jakarta and Singapore were sold out instantly after tickets went on sale, with over 200,000 users queuing for the latter concert.[23][24] An additional show was added in both cities.[25]
Over 350,000 users were recorded in the virtual queue for the Manila concerts, with both dates selling out immediately.[26][27] On October 11, YG announced that all shows in Tokyo and Kobe were sold out.[28] In Taiwan, all 18,000 tickets were sold out in 90 seconds after the general sale release.[29] In Macao, over 300,000 users were recorded in the virtual queue, and all tickets were sold out.
The concerts in Seoul were attended by numerous K-pop artists, actors, and entertainers.[30][31] The shows in 2024 attracted around 170,000 people from 16 shows.[32] In total, the tour grossed an estimated US$44 million.[33]
Critical reception
The tour received mostly positive reviews from music critics. 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".[34] Pyo Kyung-min writing for The Korea Times cited the show reaffirmed the quartet's "legendary status in the music scene".[35] 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.[36]
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".[37] 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".[38] In Singapore, Ang Benson from The Straits Times remarked that although a decade has passed since 2NE1 last performed, "their infectious energy and their fans' fiery passion have not abated".[39] Belinda Poh of HallyuSG praised the group's vocals, charisma, and stage presence, and likened the show to a "love letter to their fans".[40]
Ticketing issues
The tour's "overwhelming demand" resulted in tickets quickly resurfacing on third‑party websites at "exorbitant prices".[41] In the Philippines, former senator Francis Pangilinan called for political action and the introduction of a legislation as a result of widespread scalping for the tour's tickets in Manila.[41][42] The Anti-Ticket Scalping Act was filed in the Filipino senate in December 2024, aiming to regulate the purchase of tickets to "protect consumers from exploitation and guarantee fair access to events".[43][44]
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.[45] The police advised the public to utilize the "Scam Shield" app, and to purchase tickets from authorized sellers and legitimate ticket marketplaces.[45]
Set list
This set list represents the show on October 6, 2024, in Seoul, South Korea.[46] Variations to the setlist over the course of the concert run are noted below.
In Manila, "In the Club" was replaced by "In or Out" (group version).
In Jakarta, "Happy" and "In the Club" were replaced by "Follow Me" and "Baby I Miss You".
In Kobe & Hong Kong, the same two songs were replaced by "Don't Stop the Music" and "Good to You".
In Tokyo, the same two songs were replaced by "Scream" and "Don't Stop the Music". Additionally, the Japanese versions of "It Hurts (Slow)", "I Am the Best", "Go Away," "Scream", and "Don't Stop the Music" were performed.
↑ Lee, Tae-soo (January 6, 2025). 투애니원, 서울 KSPO돔서 15주년 투어 앙코르 공연[2NE1, 15th Anniversary Tour Encore Performance at Seoul KSPO Dome]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 6, 2025. Retrieved January 6, 2025– via Naver.
↑ Park, Ji-hye (August 5, 2024). 투애니원 단독 콘서트, 대기인원만 '40만명' 몰려[400,000 people waiting for 2NE1's solo concert]. Geumgang Ilbo (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
↑ Lee, Seung-hun; Lee, So-yun (August 28, 2024). "2NE1 Opens Limited-View Seats". Star News. Archived from the original on September 1, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
↑ デビュー15周年を迎え再始動を発表した韓国のガールズグループ2NE1、11月から開催のJapan Tour全公演完売！[2NE1, the Korean girl group that announced their comeback in celebration of their 15th anniversary since their debut, has sold out all of their shows on their Japan Tour starting in November!]. Avex Portal (in Japanese). October 11, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2024.
↑ 2NE1演唱會18000張門票90秒賣光光！歌迷點進去傻了：根本買不到 | 日韓 | 娛樂[All 18,000 tickets for 2NE1’s concert were sold out in 90 seconds! Fans clicked in and were dumbfounded: they couldn’t buy it at all]. NOWnews (in Chinese). October 16, 2024. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
↑ Ko, Seung-hee (October 6, 2024). “마침내 우리가 돌아왔다”…2NE1, K-팝 기강 잡으러 온 원조 여제들 [고승희의 리와인드]['We’re finally back'… 2NE1, the original queens who came to establish the K-pop standard [Ko Seung-hee's Rewind]]. Herald Economy (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024– via Naver.
1 2 Kim, Kyung-eun (February 28, 2025). 와이지엔터, 4분기 실적 흑자전환 시장 기대치 상회 - IBK[YG Entertainment, Q4 Performance Turns to Profit, Exceeds Market Expectations - IBK]. Edaily (in Korean). Retrieved February 28, 2025– via Naver.
↑ Kim, Na-yeon (October 6, 2024). “또 놀자”..모두가 기다린 2NE1 완전체, 10년 공백 깨부순 ‘레전드의 귀환’[Oh!쎈 현장](종합)['Let’s play again'.. The full 2NE1 that everyone has been waiting for, the 'return of the legend' that broke the 10-year hiatus [Oh! Sen site] (comprehensive)]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 6, 2024. Retrieved October 6, 2024– via Naver.
1 2 "한국 공연예술 통합정보시스템공연통계"[Korea Performing Arts Integrated Information System Performance Statistics] (in Korean). KOPIS. Click on "daily", and enter the performance dates in the calendar range. Archived from the original on April 17, 2025. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
↑ "공연예술통합전산망종합통계"[KOPIS Comprehensive Statistics] (in Korean). KOPIS. Enter performance dates in calendar range, click on "popular music", "1,000 to 5,000 seats", "Seoul", and "Songpa-gu". Archived from the original on July 12, 2025. Retrieved August 6, 2025. Total ticket sales: ₩1,640,540,000
↑ 2NE1, 亞 투어 '전석 매진' 행렬..서울 앙코르 공연만 남았다[2NE1, Asia Tour 'All Tickets Sold Out'... Only Seoul Encore Concert Left]. Osen (in Korean). February 23, 2025. Archived from the original on April 14, 2025. Retrieved February 24, 2025– via Naver.
↑ "공연예술통합전산망종합통계"[KOPIS Comprehensive Statistics] (in Korean). KOPIS. Enter performance dates in calendar range, click on "popular music", "more than 10,000 seats", "Seoul", and "Songpa-gu". Archived from the original on July 12, 2025. Retrieved July 12, 2025. Total ticket sales: ₩3,675,989,000
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