Gig Review: KATSEYE At The O2 arena 2026
KATSEYE take on a packed O2 with relentless choreography, standout vocals and a crowd that knows every move.
There are very few times at a gig when your first reaction is genuinely just open mouth, oh my god. KATSEYE walking onto the stage at The O2 was one of them. The arena was absolutely packed, and somehow the screams had already reached unbearable levels before the girls had even appeared. Then the lights went down and Yoonchae, Daniela, Lara and Megan stepped out. This is a group that has been around for only a few years, yet the reaction inside The O2 felt like they had a decade of hits behind them.
And the audience? I have never felt so old at a concert. A huge chunk of the crowd seemed to be children, many of them there with their parents, and watching them dance along to every single routine was honestly adorable. Even in the seated sections, there was barely anyone sitting still. These kids knew the routines perfectly. Meanwhile, I’m 25 and trying to process the fact that some of them might have been at their first concert. Before the show even started, the giant screens played videos of the girls explaining how to use the lightsticks, which was both very sweet and very funny. By the time KATSEYE appeared, pretty much every person in the arena seemed to be holding one.
Once they started performing, it became very clear why this kind of audience has formed around them. They were incredibly tight as a unit, hitting every move of the relentless choreography while still delivering live vocals. The ad-libs and individual moments made it obvious there was more going on than a perfectly polished backing track. The stage itself was relatively simple, with the huge screens doing much of the visual work, leaving plenty of room for the girls and their choreography to remain the main event. They looked completely at home in an arena this size.
The set moved between huge dance numbers and quieter moments, giving each member a chance to step out from the group. Lara was the one who left the biggest impression. Her solo performance of ‘Unloveu’ was easily one of the best moments of the night, stripped back compared to the bigger numbers and putting her voice front and centre. She absolutely owned it. If this is only the beginning, I have no doubt Lara is on her way to becoming a massive star. And honestly, let her write more songs. Megan got her own moment too, with a dance break during ‘PINKY UP’ that had the entire arena losing it. And then there was ‘ICONIC BY MISTAKE’, which was always going to be a personal highlight because it’s currently my favourite song. I fear everyone around me had to hear about it.
‘Gabriela’ was another huge moment, particularly when one fan was chosen as ‘Gabriela of the Night’. The 16-year-old knew the choreography without hesitation and ended up crying when Daniela hugged her. Honestly, I think Daniela may have just made that girl’s entire year. That familiarity with every move extended well beyond the one fan on the screens. From ‘Internet Girl’ to ‘Touch’, ‘Debut’, ‘Mean Girls’, ‘Animal’ and ‘Gnarly’, the audience knew exactly what to do. And yes, I’m going to defend ‘Animal’ here because I genuinely love it. While some of the more straightforward pop moments didn’t hit quite as hard, ‘Animal’ absolutely worked for me live.
I don’t really see KATSEYE as a K-pop group; they’re a global pop group borrowing from the training, choreography and performance culture that made K-pop such a powerhouse. Watching thousands of kids sing every word and follow every routine, it was clear how much that approach had connected with their audience. There was, however, something slightly strange about watching a group so early in their career already operate at this level. Nothing about their performance suggested they were struggling with the size of the room, but with recent injuries and members stepping away for health reasons, it’s hard not to wonder how sustainable this pace is. The four members onstage had the songs, the choreography and the vocals to carry a completely sold-out O2, with an audience ready to scream every word back at them. I just hope the girls get the chance to actually enjoy it too.