Classical is eternal.
TVXQ! held solo concerts "東神起 20th Anniversary LIVE IN NISSAN STADIUM ～RED OCEAN～" at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, on April 25 and 26.
This concert was TVXQ!'s first performance at Nissan Stadium in eight years, and across the two days it met 130,000 spectators. The concert title "RED OCEAN" refers to the spectacle created by TVXQ!'s official red lightsticks, and it also contains the symbolism that "Cassiopeia," who have walked with TVXQ! for 20 years, are another form of TVXQ!.
In particular, this Nissan Stadium performance, held as TVXQ! celebrates its 21st anniversary today (the 27th), served as the finale of their 20th anniversary and was a stage on which TVXQ!, having set the record for the most Nissan Stadium performances by an overseas artist, proved its enduring strength.
With this, TVXQ! has drawn a cumulative audience of 6.311 million people from solo tours in Japan alone, and the number of performances reaches 265. As a group that has been active for more than 20 years, they once again cemented their status as a "living legend" by etching an unprecedented new history at one of Japan's representative large venues.
On the day, Yunho and Changmin kicked off with the "Small talk" stage and built momentum with "Reboot" and "Why? (Keep Your Head Down)." Especially during the opening of "Why?" U-Know Yunho surprised the audience with a b-boying pose that drew cheers. On the "Jungle" stage TVXQ! transformed into wild animals as if in the middle of a jungle, and they communicated through stages that continued with "Champion," "Spinning," and "信じるまま."
Changmin first took the microphone and said, "It has been about exactly one year since the Tokyo Dome performance. Have you been well? I never thought I would meet so many people again at Nissan Stadium. I thought, 'I want to stand on the Nissan Stadium stage once more,' and it feels like a dream," expressing his overwhelming emotions.
Yunho also explained, "The concert title is 'RED OCEAN.' I named it 'RED OCEAN' with gratitude that we can say together, 'We are TVXQ!,' that we are here in this venue, and that we can finish the 20th anniversary with the people here. It is a really exciting title."
Fans who filled the venue were actually holding the 'T' lightsticks that symbolize TVXQ!. Yunho asked for the fans' cheers, saying, "Shall we all say 'We are T' together?" and in response to the fans he praised, "It's really beautiful. These small fan lights are coming together to create a red ocean. Everyone here is TVXQ!." Changmin said, "We are truly grateful that you always brighten us. From now on, the two of us will also do our best to keep shining so that you can shine more. And we hope our songs can give you strength."
TVXQ! said that their song released last year, "月の裏でいましょう," expressed their desire to stand at Nissan Stadium, and U-Know Yunho added, "That dream has become a reality. If you wish, it comes true! We achieved this together with the people here! I'm really proud that we have so many colleagues."
The most striking sight was that fans stood up from their seats after the concert began. They remained standing to cheer and applaud until the members left the stage. From the concert's start at 5 p.m. through the encore ending, whenever TVXQ! appeared the audience rose to deliver passionate support.
As one of Japan's premier mega venues, fans used binoculars and other devices to take a closer look at TVXQ!. Everyone became one with TVXQ! to enjoy the stage and gave enthusiastic cheers. When TVXQ! performed sharp choreography, fans were even seen matching the beats with their lightsticks.
The highlight, as expected, was when TVXQ!'s signature songs came out. Following TVXQ!'s representative dance tracks "Rising Sun" and ""O"-正反合," they continued with "Share The World" and "ウィア！ (We Are!)," completing special moments by riding moving floats shaped like the Going Merry and the Sunny from the popular Japanese animation "One Piece," communicating a bit more closely with the audience.
Regarding this, Changmin honestly said, "Did you enjoy Nissan Stadium's 'RED OCEAN'? Personally, I wanted to stand on the Nissan Stadium stage again, and I'm happy I could be here once more; it feels like a dream come true. If our songs can give you strength and make you happy, we will keep singing with all our strength." Yunho hoped for another meeting, saying, "It was the best time of 2026. It was a really great first-day performance, I was happy to be together, and I gained strength. See you again in good health."
As a joyful yet poignant farewell lingered, Yunho told reporters about performing at Nissan again after eight years, "Standing here feels overwhelming. There were a few moments today. Fans in front of me cried and also smiled brightly, and I kept wanting to cry. I think it's not only because of the stadium's large scale but also because our fans are warm-hearted."
On the encore stage with "Somebody To Love," the members ran around the stage in all directions as if forgetting their age to try to communicate with more fans, and fans waving their lightsticks with abandon was a breathtaking sight.
Asked the secret to running with fans with all their might, Yunho said, "When the directors told me, 'You have to run again this time,' I thought to myself, 'Really?' (laughs). There are fans far away, too. I felt it was right to greet everyone with a full lap. Once adrenaline is released, it becomes, 'Let's go!'"
When asked whether they could sing while walking, Yunho said, "We ran a lot in the 'Somebody To Love' performance. It seems people liked that look," and added, "TVXQ!'s strength is that we do our best on any stage. It's a different feeling from doing what you're good at." Yunho said, "Because 'Somebody To Love' is symbolic, many people come to see that. Whether we do well or not, I thought we should give them an answer about that."
Finally, TVXQ! expressed deep gratitude to their fans, saying, "Relationships are like ping-pong. Fans are really warm. Those scenes move us, so we would be very grateful if you think of this as a warm venue. Today the weather was a bit cold, but the stage was warm. (laughs)"
[Photo] Provided by SM Entertainment
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