IVE at Spark Arena, 20 June 2026: Concert Review

Dressed head to toe in their finest fan attire buzzing with the kind of anticipation usually reserved for stadium rock legends. Parents with young children, groups of teenagers, devoted superfans who knew every single word of every single IVE song. This was not a casual night out. This was a pilgrimage.

If you needed proof that K-pop has well and truly arrived in New Zealand, you only had to take one look at the queues well ahead of when IVE took to the stage at the Spark Arena on Saturday night.

Inside, the merchandise queue was just as committed, fans lining up for what felt like an eternity, because for a K-pop Dive (that’s what IVE’s fandom call themselves), showing up is not enough. You have to represent.

The production at Spark Arena was built for intimacy as much as spectacle. A main stage at one end connected via runway to a second stage positioned in the centre of the floor putting IVE right in the heart of their audience. One large screen anchored the back of the main stage, while six smaller screens hung from the ceiling above, each one trained on a different member of the group. Nobody was getting lost in the crowd tonight.

A video montage set the scene before the show, building the tension to a near-unbearable pitch. Then came the moment: “Auckland — are you ready?”

The noise that followed nearly lifted the roof clean off Spark Arena.

All six members of IVE — An Yu-jin, Jang Won-young, Rei, Gaeul, Liz and Leeseo stormed the stage in matching black leather and studded outfits. They launched straight into Gotcha to thunderous cheers, followed immediately by XOXZ and Baddie, an opening trio that set the tone for everything that followed. Between songs, IVE goaded the crowd to get louder, to scream harder. They didn’t need to ask twice.

What followed was a whirlwind with confetti cannons firing and a relentless run of tracks including Ice Queen, Blackhole, TKO, Holy Moly and My Satisfaction that left the arena breathless. The choreography was razor-sharp, the vocals were impressive, and the energy never once dipped.

Midway through the show came the first of two costume changes and the contrast could not have been more deliberate. Gone was the black leather; in its place, crisp white outfits with jackets and subtle angel wings.

Each of the six members stepped into their own spotlight, and the audience lapped up every second. Jang Won-young, arguably the most recognisable face in the group, described her solo track 8 later in the show with a message about confidence and about owning who you are, no matter what. In a room full of young fans hanging on her every word, the moment landed with real weight. The positive influence these performers have on their audience is not something to be underestimated. Their fans don’t just listen to them. They believe in them.

Reunited and recharged, IVE promised the crowd they were about to play the songs everyone had come to hear and they delivered. Love Dive, Attitude, I Am and Bang Bang brought the arena to its feet in a euphoric wall of sound, fans singing every word at full volume, light sticks swaying in unison. For a first-time observer of K-pop live, it was a genuinely staggering sight.

IVE returned for not one but two encores, the first featuring Wild Bird, punctuated by a hilarious dance cam moment where the cameras panned the crowd for fans still bursting with enough energy to show off their moves on the big screen. Auckland, it turns out, had plenty.

By the second encore, IVE had made their third and final costume change and this one said everything about who they are. Each member appeared in their own customised piece of IVE band merchandise and interacted with the crowd. They spoke warmly about their first time in the city, about how much the energy of the crowd had meant to them, and asked their fans to hold the memories of the night close and to bring that same energy back when they return. Given the reception they received, a return visit feels less like a hope and more like a certainty.

The final set consisted of Supernova, Kitsch and the euphoric closer After Like sent thousands of devoted fans back out into the chilly Auckland winter night with smiles on their faces and songs in their heads.

I walked into Spark Arena knowing nothing about IVE. I walked out understanding exactly why K-pop has taken over the world. This is not manufactured pop product, it is a masterclass in performance, production and the extraordinary bond between artists and their audience. IVE are magnetic, technically brilliant, and genuinely joyful to watch.

Show What I Am is not just a tour title. On Saturday night in Auckland, it was a promise kept.

Kerrie Evans