Concert Diaries: Experiencing Music Bank 2025 in Lisbon
It’s almost time for Music Bank 2026 but we’re still stuck in 2025… So we’re here to share with you our concert diaries with the most wholesome memories of the night.
Arriving at MEO Arena
The day of the festival was gloomy. We arrived at the arena by subway and we immediately met up with our friends at the shopping mall nearby. The space around the venue was buzzing with energy from the gathered fans.
I took some time to give away the freebies I had made and carried all the way to Portugal to share with other k-pop stans. Luckily, the rain that had been pouring earlier had completely stopped and we were able to take photos and have fun as we waited in line.
We found our seats – located in the upper zones, but still with an amazing view – and blended in with the enthusiastic energy of the fans.
izna
Back in September 2025, it had been less than a year since Izna’s debut. I hadn’t kept up with the group but let me tell you that they exceeded my expectations by far. Along with ‘SIGN’, ‘Izna’ and ‘Beep’, they presented ‘Mamma mia’, prior to its release, and warmed up the entire arena for the next groups with their exciting vibes.
RIIZE
This was the second time for RIIZE on the stage of Music Bank, after Music Bank 2024 in Madrid. I wasn’t a huge fan back then, but after listening to ‘Bag Bad Back’ live and witnessing Anton’s and Wonbin’s bass and guitar performance at the intro of ‘Get a Guitar’? I was hooked. They completed their setlist with ‘Boom Boom Bass’, ‘Fly Up’ and ‘Love 119’. I only wish they had also included ‘Impossible’ since its M/V has been filmed in Lisbon – spoiler: we made sure to visit the filming spots.
ZEROBASEONE
My friend with whom I was attending the concert is a huge Zerose, so the commentary I got to hear before and after the performance was simply golden. Knowing ZEROBASEONE members would split and go on separate ways, as it eventually happened with half the group staying together and the rest debuting as AND2BLE, their performance brought a flood of mixed emotions. They opened their show with ‘ICONIK’ and surprised the audience with a performance of ‘Lovesick Game’ with its iconic chair choreography as well as an unexpected performance of ‘Kill the Romeo’. What literally threw me out of my seat screaming, however, was ‘Crush’. It has been my favourite ZB1 song for years and I was shocked (in the best way possible) to hear it live.
‘In Bloom’, being their debut song, eventually brought tears to our eyes.
IVE
IVE brought their most well-known tracks to the stage, with ‘I AM’ and ‘After Like’ stealing the show and showcasing their heavenly vocals. Newly-released ‘XOXZ’ shouldn’t have surprised me that much, but hearing it live was a unique experience. I was surprised to also hear ‘Rebel Heart’ and ‘Kitsch’ – my personal favourite.
I fell in love with their outfits once again and the detailed stylistic choices they bore. It is fair to say that their energy had the entire audience enchanted.
ATEEZ
This is the second time I see ATEEZ performing live, after TOWARDS THE LIGHT in Barcelona six months earlier. What I’ve come to known is that their stage presence, is, indeed, unforgettable. They kicked off their part with an intro and ‘In Your Fantasy’ and quickly switched to the summer vibes of ‘Lemon Drop’. It wasn’t long before the famous lyrics ‘Hakuna Matata’ of ‘WAVE’ echoed around the arena, followed by ‘BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILLI PEPPERS)’. They concluded with ‘Guerilla’, which brought the epic ‘Break the wall’ fanchant.
TAEMIN
There are no words to describe our feelings when Taemin took over the stage. If I have to try and define them, I’d probably use… “awe”. Even though he’s a soloist, Taemin never fails to fill the entire stage with his presence. He started with one of his most celebrated tracks, ‘Guilty’, and continued on to ‘Sexy in the air’, known for its striking dance break choreography. ‘Advice’ left us completely breathless and ‘IDEA’ was a genious addition to the setlist since it’s such an amazing yet underrated song.
His entire presence was remarkably filled with gratefulness towards the audience and it was nothing but respect what we felt in return. This concert honestly made me regret that I had missed Taemin’s latest tour in Europe.
Special Performances
Genuinely? ATEEZ performing ‘Money’ by Lisa is something I wouldn’t be able to imagine in my craziest dreams. And don’t get me started on the collaboration stage between Taemin and ZEROBASEONE’s Yujin with ‘MOVE’.
RIIZE went for a more relaxed vibe, covering ‘Hug’ by TVXQ!. Same goes for IVE’s Yujin, who teamed up with Park Bo-gum to deliver an emotional performance of Lady Gaga’s ‘I’ll Never Love Again’.
ZEROBASEONE and izna, on the other hand, performed two of the most iconic k-pop songs that have gone down in the history of the industry: ‘Loveshot’ by EXO and ‘What is love?’ by TWICE.
The most emotional moment of the night came when all artists gathered on stage to sing together to the melody of ‘Viva La Vida’. A moment we will all definitely cherish forever.
Overall experience
I made a decision then and there to attend Music Bank again. The opportunity came earlier than I thought: Korean Power this year brings my dream line-up to the stage. Want to join us on our journey there?
Check out our article on this year’s lineup for Music Bank 2026 in Bercelona!
Below you can find our photo gallery from the festival:
What is “Concert Diaries”?
Unlike the concert reviews you’ll usually find on our page, “Concert diaries” features independent coverage of events. Less professional, less polished, a more personal and straightforward fan experience with phone-quality visuals and fun stories. Stay tuned for more diary entries! <3
