And it happened again! Wonho returned to London, performing at Shepherd’s Bush Empire as part of his STAY AWAKE world tour, to his most loyal fans. Armed with four dancers and a simple VCR screen as his backdrop, he once again favoured minimal staging over the elaborate productions embraced by many K-pop soloists. While some might crave more visual spectacle – myself included – the stripped-down approach didn’t detract from the energy. If anything, it placed the focus squarely on his charisma and ability to engage a crowd; Wonho knows exactly how to rock an audience.

Split into 4 acts – Awakening, Between Dreams, All For You, and Encore – Wonho began the show with Better Than Me, his newest single released on June 27, 2025. The choice was perfect as an opener: the track, with its early 2000s pop feel, really plays to his strengths as a vocalist and performer. It was followed by With You, a track from his first 2020 solo mini-album, Love Syndrome #1: Right for Me. With synchronised choreography, a funky background, and live camera feed on the big screen, it was fun to tap your feet along with the rhythm.

Seated tickets meant following etiquette to avoid disturbing others, but with Wonho, jumping and dancing are practically guaranteed. About ten minutes in, the pace picked up with Eye on You, accompanied by green lights, confetti, and a real party atmosphere. During the typical K-pop fan chat moments, Wonho said, “I was in London with the FACADE tour before, and I am so glad to be back with this tour as well,” and added, “The first song tells a story that no one loves me better than me and no one treats me better than me.” I say: preach, Wonho!

After the traditional VCR break, the Between Dreams act began with Stranger from his second mini-album, Blue Letter. With a change of outfit, the song was stripped to basics: just his vocals and an acoustic guitar. Slower tracks followed, including Losing You and Close, the latter being my personal favorite. Wonho expertly balanced the show with a mix of slow and fast-paced songs, creating a musical “sandwich” of fast-slow-fast that allowed the audience to take a breather in between high-energy performances.

As the show moved on, Wonho brought the energy back with songs like Ain’t About You and 24/7, accompanied by dancers and that good old R&B rhythms (24/7). When the Afrobeat-driven Crazy came on, there was no chance to rest; the lighting perfectly accentuated the rhythm, making it a truly great moment. Later, as part of the Encore, tracks like Somebody, DOWN, and Open Mind combined upbeat choreography and cheeky fan interactions, proving that Wonho not only performs to his fans but with them. Fans cheered, chanted, and danced along, while he fired back with equal parts love, energy, and mischief, turning the whole venue into something special.

The show closed with Flash, a superb finale that left everyone quite emotional. It was visible how touched Wonho was – after being away from Europe, he realised he still had devoted fans here. Overall, the night ended with laughter, screams, and dancing, leaving everyone with memories of a great performance.

Rating:

Written by Maggie Gogler

Featured image courtesy of Highline Entertainment

_{View of the Arts is an online publication dedicated to films, music, and the arts, with a strong focus on the Asian entertainment industry. With rich content already available to our readers, we aim to expand our reach and grow alongside our audience by delving deeper into emerging platforms such as K-pop and Asian music more broadly. At the same time, we remain committed to exploring the vibrant and ever-evolving global landscape of film, music, and the arts, celebrating the immense talent and creativity that define these industries worldwide.}