IU has officially concluded her 100th solo concert and final stage of her world tour with a breathtaking large-scale performance.
On September 22, IU held the ‘2024 IU HEREH WORLD TOUR CONCERT ENCORE: The Winning’ at Seoul World Cup Stadium, delivering an unforgettable evening to a crowd of 50,000 fans.
The concert began with IU rising on a lift, performing her hit song “Holssi” while dressed in a pink one-piece dress reminiscent of a Disney princess.
The visually stunning performance was accompanied by media art created with fans’ cheering sticks, which lit up the stadium in synchronized colors and patterns for each song, adding to the magical atmosphere.
After finishing the opening stage, IU greeted the audience warmly: “I sincerely welcome everyone who came to the encore concert.”
For the special occasion, IU had prepared cushions and telescopes for the audience. She announced, “The cushions are all yours, so please don’t forget to take them,” before explaining the significance of the telescope. “The telescope is an object that was used conceptually and importantly in ‘The Winning’, so I hope you will use it well as a gift to help those watching from afar look a little closer.”
With a smile, she bowed and reminded everyone to discard their telescope cases in the large trash cans provided, drawing attention with her thoughtful touch.
The first half of the concert closed with a stunning drone display, where star-shaped lights descended, leading a child on stage holding a lantern on a mysterious journey.
The air of whimsy continued as IU performed “Celebrity,” rising on a lift above the stage and gliding through the air to perform fan-favorite tracks like “Blueming,” “Lilac,” and “I Will Be the Audience.”
One of the evening’s standout moments came when IU performed her self-composed song “Bye Summer” with a blue electric guitar, marking a bittersweet farewell to the season.
As fireworks lit up the sky, IU’s voice echoed the melancholic lyrics, “Goodbye, my long summer, don’t look back…”
This heartfelt moment was followed by performances of “Havana” and “The Meaning of You,” where IU reflected on her world tour, describing it as “the longest summer of her life.”
Fans were further treated to a mesmerizing drone display during “Last Fantasy,” where patterns like clocks, the setting sun, the sea, and dandelions were formed in the sky, symbolizing IU’s journey with her fandom, Uaenas, over the course of her tour.
She wrapped up the final encore with the song “Love Wins All,” leaving the stage amid a storm of fireworks.
There was another reason why the last day of ‘The Winning‘ was so special — it marked IU’s 100th solo concert. The singer confessed,
“Today is the 100th solo concert in my career as a singer,” to the roaring cheers of the audience. In her typical humble fashion, IU admitted, “It sounds like a lie, so I didn’t think it would happen,” and added, “I wondered how it could be the 100th time while holding such a large-scale concert in Sangam with so many people, but they said it really was the 100th time. I’m grateful to the person who counted.”
Since her debut, IU has steadily grown, reaching this significant milestone with the support of her loyal fans. “It’s like a 100-day celebration,” she said with a smile. “I think I conveyed everything I wanted to say because I sang hard.”
In a heartfelt moment, IU credited her success to her audience, saying, “It feels like someone is praying for me. Without those prayers and support, I wouldn’t have been able to do it. It’s all thanks to the people here who grabbed me by the collar and dragged me along.“
She concluded by reflecting on her journey, saying, “These days, my mindset is like ‘Holes.’ I don’t have a grand dream, but my goal is to survive for a long time by going here and there.” She then promised her fans, “I will bring the gratitude I felt during this tour, or whatever it may be, and we will meet again next time.”
IU’s The Winning not only showcased her musical and performance abilities but also celebrated her milestone of becoming the first Korean female soloist to perform 100 solo concerts.
It was a fitting end to her world tour, leaving both IU and her fans eagerly looking forward to what she will accomplish next.
IU’s world tour, which began on March 2 at KSPO Dome in Seoul, took her to 18 cities across multiple continents, culminating in the encore concerts on September 21 and 22.
