by HASAN BEYAZ
PHOTO CREDIT : YG
When BLACKPINK first announced their all-stadium Deadline tour back in February, sceptics wondered how far a group with barely thirty songs could stretch. On Saturday, Aug 16 at Wembley Stadium, in front of nearly 70,000 people, they answered that question with blaring horns, pyrotechnics, and the kind of star power you simply can’t manufacture. They may not release often, but when every song is a global hit, there’s no such thing as filler.
The significance of this UK run is staggering. With these shows, BLACKPINK became the first K-pop and Asian female act to headline Wembley, joining the Spice Girls as the only girl group and BTS as the only K-pop acts ever to perform there. On top of that, it was reportedly the most attended K-pop concert in Europe, the most attended K-pop show outside Asia, and the highest-grossing K-pop and Asian concert ever at the venue — all achieved with just over thirty songs to their name.
Walking into Wembley felt less like a gig and more like a pilgrimage. Seas of black-and-pink filled the concourse, fans clasping lightsticks, merch tees and even Jennie’s Adidas campaign flashing across the walls. Some wore “NUMBER ONE GIRL” shirts in tribute to Rosé; others came dressed like the members themselves. It was a real-life version of those crowd montages in the Netflix smash Kpop Demon Hunters – communities built around music, converging in a single place.
When the lights finally dropped and the opening VCR gave way to the battle horns of Kill This Love, the eruption was deafening. BLACKPINK were officially in our area. The set was a front-loaded rush of their biggest anthems: Kill This Love, Pink Venom, How You Like That, each one matched by fireworks and pounding bass.
BLACKPINK’s catalogue is tiny by industry standards. Just over 30 songs across nearly a decade. Yet that’s precisely why the show feels so potent – every track is a weapon. Kill This Love has over 2.1 billion YouTube views, DDU-DU DDU-DU tops 2.3 billion, How You Like That sits at 1.3 billion, Pink Venom another billion. Stacked back to back, it’s almost comical how relentless the run of hits feels. There are no lulls, no deep cuts designed for bathroom breaks.
The group leaned into this all-star confidence. Shut Down featured a slick interlude, seamlessly stitching together fragments of Crazy Over You and Typa Girl. With intelligent choreography utilising gold picture frames, Pretty Savage flexed as fiercely as ever. Don’t Know What To Do gave way to one of the night’s most surprising moments: Jennie slipping late into her verse. In a genre often accused of over-polished perfection, the mistake was refreshing – and, vitally, proof that they were singing live, imperfections and all.
Jennie didn’t dwell on it. A little later she smiled into the mic: “I’m feeling great. It’s been amazing to see you guys and be back on stage with the girls.” Wembley roared back – they audibly felt the same. “What an incredible moment to be a part of,” Rosé told the crowd. “I’m really honoured to be a part of BLACKPINK on this stage.” There was a real sense of awe in her voice, as if Wembley’s sheer scale had hit her too.
If there’s a pattern to BLACKPINK’s live shows, it’s Rosé who carries the most banter, her Australian lilt softening the edges between the bombast. Saturday was no different. She talked most, and she talked warmly, her sincerity cutting through the stadium noise. Lisa embodies a different type of energy – a creature of spectacle, darting across the stage with razor-sharp precision and, during her solo stage, strutting in a Labubu-themed outfit designed especially for London; a reminder to everyone of the global craze she single-handedly ignited. Rockstar, her solo single, divided opinion when it dropped last year, but in Wembley there was no trace of hesitation. With the lights flaring and the live band tearing through the hook, the track’s snarling declaration that she’s “a rock star” rang truer than it ever had on record.
Jisoo, often the quietest member, took centre stage in her own right with Earthquake and Your Love. Her solos were delivered with elegance, poise and clarity, anchoring the show in a different register. Jennie leaned into icy charisma, her solo section (Handlebars, Like Jennie) delivered with cool detachment and larger-than-life superstardom that contrasted against Rosé’s wide-eyed earnestness.
Rosé – making her way to the stage eating fish and chips, part of a running gag across the tour – gave the most touching speech of the night.
“I feel like we’ve had so much fun on this tour that time is just flying,” she said earnestly, looking out across the stadium. “I’m so happy to be here at Wembley Stadium, what a dream come true. You guys know it’s because of you guys, right? I want to end the Europe leg on a warm note and I hope this song feels like a warm hug. After this concert ends, I hope you guys go back home and just enjoy tonight, because you guys deserve it and I hope you’re all having a very rewarding and fun night. I’m really grateful to be a part of this night, thank you so much for having us.” It mattered; Wembley listened, hushed, and then responded with thunder.
If one song defined the night, it was “Jump.” The group performed it not once but twice – once in the main set, once again in the encore. Nobody seemed to mind; in fact, it felt like it received an even bigger response the second time around. Proving that it was built for stadiums, its propulsive Eurobeat production turned Wembley into a trampoline.
The encore went further. After reprising Jump, the group launched into an unexpected cover of the Spice Girls’ Wannabe – the ultimate girl group anthem, and fittingly their first ever public performance of it. Rosé tossed a “Shout out to the Spice Girls!” into the mic. In a night dedicated to their own dominance, the nod to Britain’s most iconic girl group felt both humble and savvy. They knew exactly where they were standing.
Between the covers, the dance challenge, and the sheer diversity of the crowd – kids dancing with parents, international fans waving flags, Gen Z in glitter face-paint alongside thirty-somethings reliving teenage obsessions – Wembley felt more like a cultural summit.
As the final notes of Kick It faded, the four members gathered centre stage. They hugged each other tightly, bouncing with visible joy before disappearing under the stage floor. For all their global reach, it was a small, almost shy gesture – just four friends celebrating the moment together. It’s the image you’d want to remember them by: not just megastars, but human, happy, still loving what they do.
The last words belonged to Lisa. “Are you not entertained?” she demands during Jump. Wembley’s roar was answer enough.