The Big Dome glowed bright red as iKON took centerstage for their Get Back: Limited Tour in Manila on April 7.

Song, Bobby, DK, Ju-ne, and Chan gave a powerful performance for their last major concert before their upcoming military enlistment later this year. Member Jay wasn’t part of the event as he has been in the middle of completing his military duties since July.

Filipino iKONICs flocked the venue dressed mostly in red and black with their KONBATs (the group’s official baseball bat-shaped lightsticks) and with a whole arsenal of surprises for the band. As devoted fans, they ensured their idols’ final stop on their tour would be memorable. Likewise, iKON did their part to make every bit of the evening special as well.

The concert felt like one massive club party as iKON performed their hype songs one after another. Starting with the hip-hop heavy “Tantara” and “SINOSIJAK”, the crowd immediately roared to life as they unanimously sang along, KONBATs swinging on perfect beat. This was followed by their killer hits “KILLING ME”, “RHYTHM TA” and “LOVE SCENARIO”.

That evening, the energy of the band and the crowd was through the roof. There was no downtime at all as iKONICs screamed and cheered as loud as they could at every song. Chan observed, “We didn’t expect your cheers would be this loud. Your passion is really awesome.” Some fans from the upper tiers were even stomping their feet in unison, causing Bobby to give a soft reminder to tone it down because he thought the venue might collapse.

iKON members got their time to shine during their respective solo stages. DK performed “LTNS” and “Groovin”. While playing the guitar, Ju-ne sang “Want You Back”. Lastly, Song brightened the stage with the trot extravaganza “It’s a Call”. After this, the members returned on stage for their more mellow tracks which included “Like a Movie”, “T.T.M.” and “Goodbye Road”

iKON, for their part, pulled a lot of surprises. They asked the audience which songs they wanted to hear live. The majority’s answers were “But You” and “Rum Pum Pum” which the members gladly sampled on stage. Moreover, iKON prepared a special VCR which played in between their sets. It showed snippets from their concerts and a casual talk session featuring the members. It ended with the message: “iKON will always be with iKONIC. We’ll get back to you shortly. Will you wait for us?”

Of course, Filipino iKONICs went all out. They prepared gifts for the members, loot bags for the staff, roll-down banners, and heart-shaped confetti. The highlight was the surprise VCR featuring greetings from fans worldwide and an original song by iKONICs titled “You Are”. All these efforts were noticed by the band and they each thanked the fans for the love.

“It has been a while since we came to Manila, but every time we come here, it feels like we’re healing because of your passionate and big love from you guys. Please wait for us,” Ju-ne said.

Bobby, whose military enlistment date was announced a day before, promised that he’ll come back. “Just wait for me. Remember these beautiful memories we have tonight.”

Song told the crowd, “iKONic, thank you so much for having a great time with us! We’ll make sure to come back as a whole with better performances. I’ll do my best in military service.”

“Thank you so much for today! I’ll try to take ample rest after this. We’ll make sure to come back next year,” Chan promised.

“We’ll surely come back as a whole and with our solo albums too so wait for us,” DK followed through.

Bobby and Chan are scheduled to fulfill their military duties starting in May. The rest of the members are expected to follow soon within the year. The earliest they can be expected to return is in the latter part of 2025.

Aside from the electrifying concert, it was heartwarming to witness the mutual respect and adoration that iKON and iKONICs have for each other. It was fortunate that the Philippines got to be part of the tour, and the final stop at that. In return, Filipino iKONICs gave them the best send-off possible.

Special thanks to CDM Entertainment!

By Sandra Mae Laureano