K-Pop Forever!
| Location |
|
|---|---|
| Start date | February 14, 2026 |
| End date | March 18, 2027 |
| No. of shows | 142 (including shows with matinee and evening showings) |
K-Pop Forever! is a tribute act concert tour featuring music by various K-pop performers as well as music from the 2025 Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters. Produced by Taylor Entertainment, it features performances by live vocalists and dancers. The tour, which includes stops in cities in Europe and Asia, began on 14 February 2026 in Saint Peter Port, Guernsey and is set to conclude on 18 March 2027 in Saint-Étienne, France.
The tour went viral online after its show in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 19 February 2026 sparked backlash from parents over the quality of the show's performances and its appropriateness for children, believing that the show was solely a tribute to KPop Demon Hunters.[1]
Background
K-Pop Forever! is organized by Taylor Entertainment, a British live entertainment company specialized in producing touring shows that feature tribute performances to various musical acts such as Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift.[2] It was first announced on 24 September 2025 through its official social media platforms, with promotional material featuring animated characters that slightly resemble the characters from the film KPop Demon Hunters.[3][4] Advertised as an "all ages" event, the tour features live performances of songs from various K-pop musicians, including BTS, Blackpink and Twice, as well as songs from KPop Demon Hunters such as "Soda Pop" and "Golden". These songs are performed by four live vocalists accompanied by four backup dancers.[5]
The first set of dates for the tour were announced on 26 November 2025, with shows in various different cities across the United Kingdom and Ireland, including the British Crown Dependency of Guernsey in the Channel Islands.[6] On 28 January 2026, the second set of dates were announced, with shows in various cities in Europe (including France, Italy, Slovenia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, North Macedonia, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia), as well as new dates in the UK and Ireland.[7] A date in Les Sables-d'Olonne, France was added to the tour on 13 February 2026.[8]
On 18 March 2026, five new dates were announced, with shows in the Czech Republic, Latvia, Greece, Slovakia and Kazakhstan, along with rescheduled shows in Bucharest, Romania and Istanbul, Turkey.[9] At the same time, Indigo Productions (the co-producer of the tour's shows in Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Moldova and Serbia) announced ten new dates, including nine additional shows in France and a new date in Switzerland, extending the tour's run until 2027.[10] Additional shows, including those in the United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, Spain, Portugal and Austria, are set to be announced at a later date.[7][9]
Reception
The tour attracted attention on social media following its sold-out show at the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 19 February 2026, where it garnered a mixed reception after parents who attended the show with their children complained that the show was "too mature" for younger fans, many of whom expected that the show would center exclusively around KPop Demon Hunters, saying that some parts of the show were "a little bit raunchy" and "not appropriate for kids."[11] Much of the criticism of the Belfast show were largely focused on its production, including explicit lyrics of the songs performed, the performers wearing skimpy outfits, "sexualized" dancing, and sound mixing issues, with some parents claiming that a performer's microphone did not function properly during the beginning of the show and alleging that some of the performers were miming.[1][12] In an interview with Belfast Live, one parent described the show as a "cash grab," claiming that the performers encouraged the audience to leave positive reviews of the show in exchange for a chance to win free merchandise.[13]
Parents also recalled that the children, most of whom went to the show dressed as characters from the film, began feeling bored and crying, resulting in people starting to leave the arena during the show's interval as songs from the film were performed at the end of the show.[1][14] While describing her experience at the show with her seven-year-old daughter, a parent admitted on BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra that she was not aware that K-pop is a genre of popular music.[1]
However, other attendees of the concert received the show positively, with some parents saying that their children had a "great night."[1] An attendee told TheJournal.ie that her five-year-old niece had "the time of her life" and that it was a "brilliant night," knowing that the show was a K-pop tribute and already expected songs other than those from KPop Demon Hunters were going to be performed.[4][12]
Reaction to the Belfast show spread widely on TikTok, where videos of parents who attended the show attracted large audiences and sparked an intense debate, with some online users criticising the parents and defending the show's organizers and performers, pointing out the parents' lack of research on the event prior to buying tickets and misunderstanding what they had paid to see, as the concert was clearly advertised as a tribute to K-pop music rather than a show focused entirely on KPop Demon Hunters.[15]
In response to the criticism, the SSE Arena and Aiken Promotions (the promoter for the tour's shows in Ireland and Northern Ireland) released a statement on Facebook on 20 February, claiming that "the majority of customers enjoyed the show" and that the show was "an arena-standard tribute to the entire K-pop genre," while also admitting that they "understand that this was not what some expected." In addition, Aiken Promotions said that they took "all customers feedback seriously."[16]
Set list
The following set list is representative of the shows in the United Kingdom. It does not represent all shows throughout the tour.[17]
- "Jump"[I]
- "Debut"[II]
- "Internet Girl"[II]
- "This Is For"[III]
- "Your Idol"[IV]
- "Ice Cream"[V]
- "Gnarly"[II]
- "Gabriela"[II]
- "Touch"[II]
- "Gameboy"[II]
- "The Feels"[III]
- "Cupid"[VI]
- "Dynamite"[VII]
- "Takedown"[VIII]
- "Kill This Love"[I]
- "Pink Venom"[I]
- "Like Jennie"[IX]
- "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du"[I]
- "How You Like That"[I]
- "APT."[X]
- "How It's Done"[VIII]
- "Soda Pop"[IV]
- "Free"[XI]
- "Strategy"[XII]
- "Butter"[VII]
- "What It Sounds Like"[VIII]
- "Golden"[VIII]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e Blackpink cover
- ^ a b c d e f Katseye cover
- ^ a b Twice cover
- ^ a b Cover from KPop Demon Hunters (originally performed by Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo and SamUIL Lee as the Saja Boys)
- ^ Blackpink and Selena Gomez cover
- ^ Fifty Fifty cover
- ^ a b BTS cover
- ^ a b c d Cover from KPop Demon Hunters (originally performed by Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami as Huntrix)
- ^ Jennie cover
- ^ Rosé and Bruno Mars cover
- ^ Cover from KPop Demon Hunters (originally performed by Ejae and Andrew Choi as Rumi and Jinu respectively)
- ^ Twice and Megan Thee Stallion cover
Tour dates
| Date (2026) | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 14 | Saint Peter Port[a] | Channel Islands | Beau Séjour |
| February 15 | |||
| February 18 | Mullingar | Ireland | Mullingar Arts Centre |
| February 19 | Belfast | Northern Ireland | SSE Arena |
| February 20 | Drogheda | Ireland | The TLT |
| February 22[b] | Castlebar | TF Royal Hotel & Theatre | |
| February 23 | Belfast | Northern Ireland | SSE Arena |
| February 24 | Cork | Ireland | Cork Opera House |
| February 26 | Galway | Leisureland | |
| February 28 | Kingston upon Hull[b] | England | Middleton Hall |
| Skopje | North Macedonia | Boris Trajkovski Sports Center | |
| March 1 | Stoke-on-Trent | England | King's Hall |
| March 6 | Dumfries | Scotland | Easterbrook Hall |
| March 7 | Brussels | Belgium | ING Arena |
| March 8 | Norwich | England | Epic Studios |
| March 9 | Dublin | Ireland | 3Arena |
| March 10 | |||
| March 11 | |||
| March 14 | Łódź | Poland | Atlas Arena |
| Trowbridge[b] | England | Civic Centre | |
| March 20 | Barnsley | Barnsley Metrodome | |
| Zagreb | Croatia | Arena Zagreb | |
| March 21 | Middlesbrough | England | Middlesbrough Theatre |
| Zagreb | Croatia | Arena Zagreb | |
| March 22 | Rijeka | Centar Zamet | |
| Portobello | Scotland | Portobello Town Hall | |
| March 27 | Ljubljana | Slovenia | Arena Stožice |
| March 28 | Maribor | Tabor Hall | |
| Lanark[b] | Scotland | Memorial Hall | |
| March 29 | Zadar | Croatia[c] | Krešimir Ćosić Hall |
| March 31 | Solihull | England | Core Theatre |
| April 2 | Aberdeen | Scotland | Beach Ballroom |
| April 3 | Arbroath | Webster Memorial Theatre | |
| Assago[d] | Italy | Unipol Forum | |
| April 4 | Casalecchio di Reno[e] | Unipol Arena | |
| Ayr | Scotland | Ayr Town Hall | |
| April 5 | Arbroath | Webster Memorial Theatre | |
| April 6 | Felixstowe | England | Spa Pavilion |
| April 7 | Leicester | Leicester Athena | |
| April 8 | Rhyl | Wales | Rhyl Pavilion |
| April 9 | Swindon | England | Meca |
| April 10 | Huntingdon | Commemoration Hall | |
| April 11[b] | Northallerton | The Forum | |
| April 17 | Oban | Scotland | Corran Halls |
| April 18 | Airdrie | Airdrie Town Hall | |
| April 24 | Kidderminster | England | Kidderminster Town Hall |
| April 25 | Assago[d] | Italy | Unipol Forum |
| Ossett[f] | England | Ossett Town Hall | |
| April 26 | Leamington Spa | The Assembly | |
| May 3 | Kilkenny | Ireland | The Hub |
| May 4[b] | Cork | Cork Opera House | |
| May 6 | |||
| May 8 | Galway | Leisureland | |
| May 9[b] | |||
| May 10 | Castlebar | TF Royal Hotel & Theatre | |
| May 12 | Cork | Cork Opera House | |
| May 13 | |||
| May 14 | |||
| May 16 | Belfast | Northern Ireland | SSE Arena |
| May 22 | Whitehaven | England | Civic Hall |
| May 23 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Rotterdam Ahoy |
| Weymouth[b] | England | Weymouth Pavilion | |
| May 24 | Bath | Komedia | |
| May 25 | Northampton | The Deco | |
| May 26 | Runcorn | The Brindley | |
| May 27 | Coventry | Albany Theatre | |
| May 28 | Stamford | Corn Exchange | |
| May 29 | Chesterfield | Winding Wheel | |
| May 30 | Colchester | Mercury Theatre | |
| May 31 | Whitby | Whitby Pavilion | |
| June 5 | Killarney | Ireland | Gleneagle Arena |
| June 6 | |||
| June 7 | Castlebar | TF Royal Hotel & Theatre | |
| June 10[g] | Cork | Cork Docklands | |
| June 11[g] | |||
| June 12 | Mansfield | England | Palace Theatre |
| June 13 | Leeds | Pudsey Civic Hall | |
| June 14 | Hamilton | Scotland[h] | Hamilton Townhouse |
| June 19 | Brentwood | England | Brentwood Centre |
| June 20 | Kidderminster | Kidderminster Town Hall | |
| June 27 | Buxton | Buxton Pavilion Gardens | |
| June 28 | Newport | Wales | Riverfront Arts Centre |
| July 5 | Wick | Scotland | Assembly Rooms |
| July 11 | Dunoon | Queen's Hall | |
| July 17 | Limerick | Ireland | University Concert Hall |
| July 18 | Drogheda | The TLT | |
| July 19 | |||
| July 25 | Les Sables-d'Olonne | France | Arena Forum |
| July 31 | Chester | England | Storyhouse |
| August 1[i] | East Lulworth[j] | Lulworth Castle | |
| August 12[k] | Letterkenny | Ireland | The Big Top |
| August 14 | Killarney | Gleneagle Arena | |
| August 16 | Castlebar | TF Royal Hotel & Theatre | |
| October 16 | Hamburg | Germany | Barclays Arena |
| October 18 | Berlin | Uber Arena | |
| October 20 | Nuremberg | PSD Bank Nürnberg Arena | |
| October 21 | Düsseldorf | Mitsubishi Electric Halle | |
| October 22 | Hanover | Swiss Life Hall | |
| October 23 | Munich | BMW Park | |
| October 27[l] | Bucharest | Romania | Romexpo |
| November 7 | Prague | Czech Republic | Prague Congress Centre |
| November 19 | Riga | Latvia | Xiaomi Arena |
| November 22 | Athens | Greece | Christmas Theater |
| November 23 | Bratislava | Slovakia | Tipos aréna |
| November 25 | Almaty | Kazakhstan | Baluan Sholak Sports Palace |
| November 29[m] | Istanbul | Turkey | Ora Arena |
| December 1 | Budapest | Hungary | László Papp Budapest Sports Arena |
| December 3 | Chișinău | Moldova | Chișinău Arena |
| December 7 | Sofia | Bulgaria | Arena 8888 Sofia |
| December 9 | Belgrade | Serbia | Sava Centar |
| December 12 | Rennes | France | Le Liberté |
| December 13 | Floirac[n] | Arkéa Arena | |
| December 14 | Saint-Herblain[o] | Zénith de Nantes Métropole | |
| December 15 | Poitiers | Arena Futuroscope | |
| December 17 | Caen | Zénith de Caen | |
| December 18 | Boulogne-Billancourt | Grande Seine | |
| December 19 | Amnéville | Galaxie Amnéville | |
| December 20 | Dijon | Zénith de Dijon | |
| December 22 | Lille | Zénith de Lille | |
| December 26 | Chambéry | Le Phare | |
| December 27 | Décines-Charpieu[p] | LDLC Arena | |
| December 28 | Marseille | Le Dôme de Marseille | |
| December 29 | Toulouse | Zénith de Toulouse | |
| December 30 | Montpellier | Le Zénith Sud |
| Date (2027) | City | Country | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 5 | Eckbolsheim[q] | France | Zénith de Strasbourg |
| March 6 | Reims | Reims Arena | |
| March 7 | Le Grand-Quevilly[r] | Zénith de Rouen | |
| March 9 | Tours | Parc Expo de Tours | |
| March 10 | Orléans | CO'Met Arena | |
| March 11 | Cournon-d'Auvergne[s] | Zénith d'Auvergne | |
| March 12 | Geneva | Switzerland | Geneva Arena |
| March 16 | Nice | France | Palais Nikaïa |
| March 17 | Toulon | Zénith Oméga de Toulon | |
| March 18 | Saint-Étienne | Zénith de Saint-Étienne |
Notes
- ^ Labeled as Guernsey in promotional material.
- ^ a b c d e f g h This stop has two showings, a matinee and an evening show.
- ^ Labeled in earlier promotional material as being part of the tour's shows in Slovenia. However, it was labeled in newer promotional material as being part of the tour's shows in Croatia.
- ^ a b Labeled as Milan in promotional material.
- ^ Labeled as Bologna in promotional material.
- ^ Labeled as Wakefield in promotional material.
- ^ a b The concert will be a part of Live at the Marquee.
- ^ Labeled in promotional material as being part of the tour's shows in England.
- ^ The concert will be a part of Camp Bestival.
- ^ Labeled as Dorset in promotional material.
- ^ The concert will be a part of Summer Sessions.
- ^ The concert on October 27, 2026, at Romexpo in Bucharest was originally announced to take place on December 8, 2026, but was rescheduled.
- ^ The concert on November 29, 2026, in Istanbul was originally announced to take place on December 5, 2026, at the Istanbul Congress Center, but was rescheduled and moved to Ora Arena.
- ^ Labeled as Bordeaux in promotional material.
- ^ Also labeled as Nantes in promotional material.
- ^ Also labeled as Lyon in promotional material.
- ^ Labeled as Strasbourg in promotional material.
- ^ Labeled as Rouen in promotional material.
- ^ Labeled as Clermont-Ferrand in promotional material.
References
- ^ a b c d e "Organisers defend KPop gig after angry backlash over 'horrendous' concert". BBC News. 21 February 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ "ABOUT US". Taylor Entertainment. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ "K-Pop Forever Tribute". K-Pop Forever. 24 September 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2026 – via Facebook.
- ^ a b Chalouche, Aicha (23 February 2026). "What's Going On With The K-Pop Concert Belfast Drama?". Stellar. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ Shortiss, Eoin (13 October 2025). "Sell-out K-Pop show coming to Cork's Live at the Marquee next summer". Cork Beo. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
Four vocalists will perform all songs, singing alongside backup dancers and under a dazzling display of "eye-popping" lighting and special effects.
- ^ "⭐️⭐️ 𝑲 𝑷𝑶𝑷 𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹 𝒙 𝑼𝑲 & 𝑹𝑶𝑰 𝑻𝑶𝑼𝑹 ⭐️⭐️ The juggernaut that is K-Pop Forever embarks on its maiden voyage this February & here are the tour dates! Taking in some of the largest arenas and theatres in the UK & Ireland - with more to be announced, this is one spectacular you do not want to miss!". Taylor Entertainment. 26 November 2025. Retrieved 6 March 2026 – via Facebook.
- ^ a b c "🟪🟪🟪Worldwide Domination…Loading!🟪🟪🟪". Taylor Entertainment. 28 January 2026. Retrieved 3 March 2026 – via Facebook.
- ^ ARENA - Les Sables d’Olonne [@lso_arena]; (13 February 2026). "✨ K-POP FOREVER aux Sables d'Olonne ✨" [K-POP FOREVER in Les Sables d'Olonne]. Retrieved 18 March 2026 – via Instagram.
- ^ a b c @kpopforevertour; (18 March 2026). "*World Tour 2026 - UPDATED*". Retrieved 18 March 2026 – via Instagram.
- ^ a b Indigo Productions [@indigoproductionsofficiel]; (18 March 2026). "💥 Succès 🤩 K-Pop Forever ! poursuit sa tournée en mars 2027 ! 💥" [Success. K-Pop Forever! continues its tour in March 2027!]. Retrieved 24 March 2026 – via Instagram.
- ^ Pring, Joe (21 February 2026). "K-pop tribute show goes viral after setlist causes mass confusion for parents". Dexerto. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ a b Flynn, Valerie (20 February 2026). "Promoter defends K-pop concert touring Ireland after parents complain about last night's show". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
- ^ Currell, Rob (20 February 2026). "'It was a cash grab': Mother speaks out after K-Pop tribute show leaves children in tears". Belfast Live. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
- ^ Patterson, Hannah (20 February 2026). "'The show was a shambles': Parents hit out at K-Pop Belfast tribute show as SSE Arena issues statement". The Irish News. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
- ^ O'Keefe, Chloe (22 February 2026). "Explainer: What is the K-Pop Forever Belfast controversy going viral on TikTok?". extra.ie. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
- ^ Nugent, Annabel (21 February 2026). "K-Pop fans defend Belfast tribute concert amid complaints over 'horrendous' show". The Independent. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ "🎶 𝑼𝑲 - 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒆'𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒂𝒕 K-Pop Forever ⬇️ Are you joining the thousands of fans that are heading to one of our upcoming United Kingdom tour dates? If so, please see below for songs to expect on the 𝐔𝐊 leg of our 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫 💜". K-Pop Forever. 12 March 2026. Retrieved 13 March 2026 – via Facebook.