IVE are back!
IVE, the effervescent six-member Kpop girl-group composed of Jang Wonyoung, Rei, Leeseo, Gaeul, Liz and An Yu-jin, first graced our shores just 2 years ago on their ‘SHOW WHAT I HAVE’ tour. Thanks to Live Nation, we see their awaited return this year to Melbourne and Sydney on their SHOW WHAT I AM 2026 World Tour. Confidently gracing the stage, IVE performed a dynamic set to a packed and eager crowd of DIVEs (fandom name) at Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday 16th June.
Admittedly, I knew a little, bar a couple of IVE’s title tracks prior to tonight, but after hearing great things from friends and fans following their previous tour visit, I was ready to jump in with an open mind and piqued curiosity to see what all the fuss was about! I can happily say that all six members drew me right in with their charm and talents from what was an overall exceptional performance by the group.
The floor seats of Rod Laver Arena were not utilised long, as the group powerfully entered with ‘Gotcha’, it quickly had Melbourne patrons up on their feet in anticipation of the night ahead. Echoes of cheers of ‘XOXZ’ could be heard throughout the venue as IVE had Melbourne fans passionately executing their fanchants (a coordinated routine where fans shout and sing to show support in a song). These were consistent throughout the night, and remarkably loud.
The atmosphere was rich and it was so great to see the Melbourne crowd having so much fun and so united in showing love for their idols. That love was definitely reciprocated as IVE members were clearly feeling the energy from the Melbourne audience. They were often seen shooting hearts straight out in any small moment of downtime from their intricate choreography and were consistently commenting on how loud the singing and cheers were from the Melbourne audience.
Moving from ‘XOXZ’ straight into ‘Baddie’ and ‘Ice Queen’, these formidable K-Pop girls showed impeccable stamina performing the first block of songs back-to-back, before taking a break to properly introduce themselves to the Melbourne crowd. Not without some Australian accent practice from Yu-jin, who had gotten the “yeah nah” and “so” diction down pat.
‘Blackhole’ was up next, and the first of numerous songs performed to include set pieces. A simple black bench lining the length of the main stage allowed for great levels and shapes in their choreography. This really impressed me overall as the night progressed. Not only are their lines and moves clean and precise, but their use of space and shapes made for stunning visuals. Matched excellently with their facial expressions and almost distracting hairography, these girls make what they do look beautiful and effortless. IVE’s performance efforts were met well with the colourful use of the LED backdrops and the crown shaped screens hovering up above the stage.
Closing out the aptly titled ‘Devil’ section was ‘TKO’, ‘Holy Moly’ and ‘My Satisfaction’ which had an impressively long outro with mixed musical elements from The Phantom Of The Opera, which as a musical theatre fan, was a fun little easter egg.
Giving the girls a moment for a rest and costume change between acts, VCR’s were played on the large LED screens; something seen quite commonly at K-Pop concerts. IVE’s was particularly sweet, with footage of them at a sleepover, doing fun activities together. It really showed the friendly, warm nature and strong chemistry the members all have together.
The next section of the concert gave the members individual moments to shine, with each performing a shortened version of their original solo songs. Wonyoung quickly joined the stage with the back-up dancers for her solo performance of ‘Eight’, a song she explained is about having confidence in yourself. Her stage presence is no joke, Wonyoung could find every camera in the crowd and her expressions never faltered, she oozed cool and confident vibes.
Rei followed with an adorable version of her song ‘In Your Heart’, before Liz took over the stage with her strong vocal performance of ‘Unreal’ which was exactly that, unreal. Gaeul, who mentioned later in the night that she helped with some of the choreography, performed ‘Odd’, and Leeseo in her stunning bright white outfit was next with the high-energy ‘Super ICY’. Closing out the solo’s Yu-jin joined the stage for ‘Force’ where we got to see her put her excellent crowd work skills to use. She concluded with an impressive dance break which segued seamlessly into a performance by the back-up dancers, all of whom also got a moment to show off their impressive skills and technique across all corners of the stage. I truly love when artists show their appreciation to those who help make these shows happen, and IVE, clearly grateful to all in their team, ensured to thank them in their ‘ments throughout the night.
Every solo had a unique colour and character, just like the members who brought them to the stage. It was a delight to see IVE each do what they do best. But when they united together back on stage, they use these strengths to complement each other and became stronger and cohesive unit.
‘Beats’ introduced the angel themed act of the night with IVE appearing back on stage in adorable, white mini dresses with wings. This segment was softer and calmer and saw IVE interacting with the Melbourne crowd the most. Throughout ‘WOW’ and ‘Off The Record’, IVE traversed the stage interacting with the various levels of Rod Laver Arena before returning to the extended stage for a performance of ‘Flu’.
Saving their title tracks for a back-to-back crescendo towards the end of the set, IVE showed their ‘Attitude’ with a dramatic staircase and tearaway glitzy costume reveal before moving directly into the iconic ‘Love Dive’ where the packed Rod Laver Arena somehow managed to reach decibels higher than I thought a venue this size could reach.
With encouraging requests from the members to scream, the Melbourne crowd definitely delivered. ‘Rebel Heart’ and ‘I Am’ showcased the members’ vocal prowess and I was truly impressed by the cleanliness and stability of their singing throughout the entirety of their performances. Ending with a bang, IVE performed their most recent title track ‘Bang Bang’, before waving goodbye to their Melbourne DIVEs. IVE left the Melbourne crowd wanting more, and they quickly returned for a final encore featuring DJ Wonyoung! The group closed out the concert with hits ‘Supernova Love’, ‘Kitsch’ and ‘After Like’.
IVE truly showcase that that they are icons of their generation. Showing Melbourne exactly who they are on their SHOW WHAT I AM tour. IVE proves they are confident, mature, strong, versatile and I believe they will only continue to grow from strength to strength from here.
IVE’s SHOW WHAT I AM World Tour 2026 was proudly presented by Live Nation Australia, with the Melbourne concert taking place at Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday 16th June.
Cover photo and Sydney photography by Gabrielle Clement.
Auckland photography by Chontalle Musson.
