SM Town Concert Celebrates 30 Years of K-Pop Legacy

The SM Town concert held on January 11-12 at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul showcased a unique atmosphere, drawing around 40,000 attendees, many of whom were mothers and daughters enjoying the event together. This reflects the enduring influence of SM Entertainment, which has solidified its status as the leading K-pop agency since its establishment in 1995.

Over the past 30 years, SM has been at the forefront of the K-pop industry, creating the idol system and global strategies that have shaped the genre. The concert, titled 'SM Town Live 2025 [The Culture, The Future] in Seoul,' served as a retrospective of SM's rich history, featuring artists from H.O.T., S.E.S., BoA, Shinhwa, Fly to the Sky, TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, SHINee, f(x), EXO, Red Velvet, NCT, aespa, and more.

The event celebrated SM's legacy with a diverse lineup, including performances from trot idol Maito, Marvista, Raiden, Hyoyeon, Minjiwoon, and the SM Jazz Trio, showcasing the company's wide-ranging musical spectrum despite the chilly weather.

The main concert featured a spectacular display of K-pop, with 98 artists performing for over five hours, marking the longest running time in SM Town history. Fans, affectionately known as Pink Blood, remained engaged throughout the lengthy event.

The opening acts included senior artists like TVXQ, Super Junior, and BoA, who performed their iconic hits, demonstrating the prowess of the 'original SM family.' The concert also highlighted the talents of newer groups, with performances from aespa, Rise, EXO, NCT 127, NCT Dream, WayV, and more, creating an exhilarating atmosphere.

Notably, the concert introduced new stages, including unreleased songs from SM's first virtual artist, Naibis, and the first UK boy group, Dear Alice. The energetic performance by SMTR25, a group of 25 trainees, hinted at the future of SM.

Collaborative performances between senior and junior artists captivated the audience, with beautiful renditions of 'Polaris' and 'Show Me Your Love' featuring a total of 20 artists. The nostalgic moments were highlighted by former SM artists H.O.T.'s Tony An, S.E.S.'s Bada, and Fly to the Sky's Hwanhee, who reunited with their juniors on stage.

The concert concluded with a powerful rendition of 'Light,' performed by all SM artists, symbolizing the culmination of a six-hour and thirty-minute celebration of music and legacy. The pride of SM staff and fans was palpable, as this event not only marked SM's 30th anniversary but also represented a significant moment in K-pop history, intertwining the past, present, and future of the genre. As K-pop continues to thrive globally, the deep-rooted history of SM remains its most valuable legacy, promising an exciting future for the next generation of artists.