2024 SBS Gayo Daejeon Lights Up Christmas with Star-Studded Performances

The 2024 SBS Gayo Daejeon brought together generations of K-pop fans on December 25 at the Incheon Inspire Arena. Hosted by IVE's An Yujin, NCT's Doyoung, and TXT's Yeonjun, the event kicked off with Lee Young-ji dressed as Santa, performing Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You'. After shedding her Santa outfit, she encouraged the audience to embrace the new year without regrets and performed her new song 'NOT SORRY', receiving enthusiastic applause.

The show featured a dazzling array of performances from various artists. izna delivered a Christmas remix of 'IZNA', while NEXZ presented a festive version of 'NALLINA'. BABYMONSTER wowed the crowd with their powerful vocals in 'DRIP', and ILLIT showcased their charming side with 'IYKYK' and 'Magnetic' in a pajama party-themed intro.

The atmosphere shifted dramatically as CRAVITY took the stage with a horror-themed performance of 'Now or Never', followed by WayV's charismatic rendition of 'FREQUENCY'. RIIZE added a seasonal touch with a remix of 'Love119', and NMIXX showcased their girl crush appeal with 'DASH' and '별별별 (See that?)'. BOYNEXTDOOR made a memorable entrance singing Bing Crosby's 'It's Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas' before performing 'Nice Guy' in a musical style. ZEROBASEONE followed with 'Road Movie' and 'GOOD SO BAD', while Yeonjun from Tomorrow X Together closed the first half with his solo track 'GGUM'.

The second half began with Doyoung's enchanting performance, leading to NewJeans' appearance in rabbit hats, performing 'Ditto (250 Remix)'. After a recent contract dispute with their agency, they captivated the audience as 'NewJeans' and smoothly transitioned into 'Cookie+Hype Boy'. LE SSERAFIM then delivered a powerful live performance of 'CRAZY' with flawless choreography.

Special stages continued with NMIXX's Seolyoon performing a special version of Red Velvet's 'Feel My Rhythm', followed by ILLIT's Iroha showcasing intense choreography to RIIZE's 'Siren'. ENHYPEN's Heeseung presented a beautiful dance piece inspired by 'Swan Lake', and ATEEZ's Yunho concluded this segment with 'Steps to OZ' in red shoes.

A collaboration featuring the youngest members of various fourth-generation boy groups was next, with Han Yujin from ZEROBASEONE, TWS's Kyungmin and Jihoon, NCT WISH's Ryo and Sakuya, and BOYNEXTDOOR's Unhak forming a new unit called 'Makgangz', performing EXO's 'LOVE ME RIGHT'.

IVE then performed a medley of hits including 'ELEVEN', 'LOVE DIVE', 'AFTER LIKE', 'Kitsch', 'I AM', 'Baddie', and 'I Have to', teasing their upcoming album with a short preview of a new track featuring the lyrics, "Love me, Hate me, You will never be me". aespa followed with performances of 'Pink Hoodie' and 'Supernova'.

The highlight of the night was the long-awaited return of K-pop legends 2NE1, who performed after a decade since their last appearance at the Gayo Daejeon in 2014. They delivered a powerful set including 'Fire', 'I Don’t Care', 'UGLY', and 'I Am the Best', showcasing their enduring talent and charisma.

A special collaboration between Karina from aespa and An Yujin from IVE also took place, building on their previous interactions during the 'Drama' challenge last year. Their joint stage was preceded by a humorous VCR segment where they playfully described each other.

As the show concluded, G-Dragon made a highly anticipated appearance, his first since 2016. He performed his new song 'POWER' along with '맨정신' and '삐딱하게', closing the event with a spectacular finale. A total of 29 artists graced the stage, leaving a warm and festive atmosphere to end the year.