K-pop's living legend, the group Big Bang(BIGBANG) opened the curtain on a large-scale world tour held for the first time in nine years in spectacular fashion, announcing to the world the return of the 'Live Up to Your Name' emperor.
Big Bang held 'BIGBANG 2026-2027 World Tour 'XX : COSMOS' in Goyang, presented by Coupang Play' at the main stadium of Goyang Sports Complex for three days starting on the 21st, and passionately engaged with domestic and international fans who had long waited.
On the final day, the 23rd, the area around the venue transformed into a festival ground from early morning. Crowds of global fans who had gathered to see the return of the king with their own eyes created extreme congestion, and the faces of fans who arrived at the site from early morning were full of excitement.
This tour is significant as it is a world tour staged about nine years later and marks Big Bang's debut 20th anniversary, a stage that opens another new chapter in K-pop history. The tour title 'XX : COSMOS' combines Big Bang's time ('XX'), marking their 20th anniversary, and the cosmic concept 'COSMOS', which embraces connection·consolidation·continuity beyond mere space. Like the grand meaning of "that which existed in the past and present and will exist in the future," it symbolically contains Big Bang's singular musical narrative written over the past 20 years and the strong bonds they have formed with fans.
That day Big Bang dominated the stage with perfect live vocals and performances that made even the moniker 'Live Up to Your Name' seem insufficient. The members heated up the atmosphere from the start with 'FANTASTIC BABY' and signaled the official start of the concert with 'HANDS UP' and 'TONIGHT'.
Opening with "Big Bang is back," G-Dragon said, "Big Bang's 20th anniversary world tour started in 2006 and is now in 2026. Once again, I sincerely welcome you." Daesung also raised expectations by saying, "Today I will serve you a full COSMOS concert."
Taeyang said, "To mark the 20th anniversary, I am glad to meet you in a new form on a new stage. Today is the last concert, right? I will use all the energy I have. I cannot leave anything behind," expressing his determination.
Then Big Bang poured out numerous mega hits that dominated the global charts over the past 20 years in succession, including 'BLUE' 'LOSER' 'IF YOU' 'BAD BOY' 'BAE BAE' 'Haru Haru' 'Lies' 'BANG BANG BANG' and 'WE LIKE 2 PARTY', providing the audience with an exhilarating catharsis.
G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung also showcased their abilities as solo artists with individual solo stages. Daesung dominated the audience with energetic performances of 'Universe', 'Nalgae', 'Handochoa', and 'Look at me, defect' (literal title), Taeyang filled his set of 'BAD', 'Ringa Ringa (RINGA LINGA)' and 'LIVE FAST DIE SLOW' with stylish vocals and performance and came down into the crowd to interact with fans, and finally G-Dragon led singalongs with swagger-filled performances of 'PO￦ER', 'Crayon' and 'Crooked'.
Especially, the highlight of that day's concert was the stage for the newly unveiled song 'BiiiG' for the first time. The members drove the crowd into a frenzy with energetic performances and relaxed stage manners.
The concert that day also showed sincere appreciation toward the fandom V.I.P, which had stood by them for a long time. The members participated directly in the overall production of the concert—from setlist composition to stage design and overall direction—engraving Big Bang's deep artistic color throughout the stage.
In addition, the accumulated know-how of the 'performance powerhouse' YG Entertainment and the collaboration with world-class staff helped complete an unprecedented scale.
A top live band led by Wow Jones, who has worked with global pop stars such as Usher, Post Malone and Rihanna, performed all the songs and delivered a solid, explosive sound that filled the outdoor main stadium.
Here, Mike Carson, who directed the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show, and Es Devlin, who designed the 2012 London Olympic closing ceremony stage, joined forces to create astonishing visual art. They used a movable LED weighing an impressive 23 tons that incorporated multi-motor torque synchronization technology to realize the vast 'COSMOS' world before the audience's eyes, boasting a scale that transcended limits.
Finally, Big Bang defined this performance as "It feels like the 20 years have passed so quickly" and "the culmination of our 20 years of history."
Mentioning the promotion of the new song 'BiiiG', Daesung expressed regret, saying, "While doing this activity, I feel slightly regretful that finishing our 20th anniversary activities with this song alone is a bit disappointing." Taeyang also added, "It's too much to end with just one song called 'BiiiG.' This actually isn't big. If you end with this, it's extra small," and G-Dragon raised expectations for future activities by saying, "As you know, if we decide to do it, we do it right away. It's all in my head."
Announcing the return of the king with an overwhelming first show in Goyang, Big Bang will carry the momentum of this concert into a large-scale world tour of 33 shows across 19 cities worldwide, including North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia. Additional hosting regions will be announced sequentially, and Big Bang's huge syndrome that will sweep the world is expected to expand further.
[Photo] YG Entertainment
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