On April 25, SE Group Entertainment’s boy group LUMINOUS stopped by Hungary’s capital, Budapest, as a part of their first-ever Europe tour. Brought to the continent by Torpedo Powered by Overlook, the quartet made up of Young Bin, Suil, Steven, and Woo Bin met their Hungarian LUMINIs, the official name of their fans, for the first time at Barba Negra.
After weeks of waiting and counting down the days, fans were finally greeted by the four members at 8PM sharp with a dynamic performance of their debut single “RUN” from their album YOUTH. Dressed in different versions of black and white outfits, the four members confidently took over the stage with powerful moves and flawless vocals featuring Woo Bin, the main vocalist and maknae, showcasing his high notes. “Want It More?” and “MATRYOSHKA” introduced the darker concept that the group possesses according to their name’s origin. LUMINOUS says that there is no light without darkness and the addicting, hard-hitting melodies with the high-energy performance definitely showed their ability to tap into that darkness with their acting and perfectly immersed facial expressions. Without taking a break, the members continued portraying their passionate acts with sharp moves and effortless rap parts from Young Bin and Suil during “All Eyes Down (advance).”
The members took a well-deserved breather and took turns introducing themselves and welcoming LUMINIs. Young Bin, Suil, Steven, and Woo Bin expressed their gratitude for those who came and talked a bit about what they had been up to. A highlight according to Steven was the crew cooking them paprikás krumpli, a typical Hungarian dish similar to a potato stew with sausage and red paprika. Being on a tight touring schedule, the members did not have time to really explore but they talked about how pretty the sights that they passed were and said they wanted to come back as soon as possible.
The quartet got closer to fans with “Scintillation” and “Home alone,” two mellow tracks expressing their worries about what it is like to be a young adult and feeling lost. The song highlighted each of their unique vocals while the members walked around freely, taking gifts, completing hearts, and taking time to read signs concertgoers had prepared to show their love to LUMINOUS. After the end of the song, Suil playfully tried to make the crowd cheer harder than ever by continuously gesturing that he could not hear the crowd before he cheekily said they had to leave and change into other clothes to have even more fun on stage.
After a brief interlude where the music videos to the already performed songs were played on the big screen, the four members got back on stage for a lively rendition of “Marionette” and “Engine.” While the former showed a more mature, sexier side of the group with sharp moves that portrayed the members as marionettes controlled by a puppeteer; the latter had a more playful vibe with well-executed, more relaxed choreography. The members slowed the show down with “Far” and directed fans to sway their hands in the air to the music as they belted the emotional lyrics. “Your Ocean,” a personal favorite of Woo Bin, brightened up the atmosphere with a faster beat that the four of them could groove to. Similarly, “Creature” followed the playful atmosphere as the whole venue joined in and vibed to the irresistible melodies.
The group then took a break and spread out to interact with fans. Steven even took someone’s BeReal while Young Bin engaged the crowd in a screaming competition to test how much fun they were having. Members later noted that the deafening cheers throughout their set actually made them unable to hear the music from their in-ears. The light-hearted energy of “Crazy” led to another impactful song, “Legend,” which featured confident and punchy lyrics like “I’m LUMINOUS for us, I’m a legend, no one doubt, the only treasure, all around.” Earworms like “Talking Myself,” “Upside Down,” and “Wish You Were Here” were performed with a perfect balance of well-executed dance moves that also allowed the members to cruise around and engage with fans. Young Bin read out a sign in between songs that asked for someone in the group to marry them, which then turned into a guessing game as to which member they could have meant. Woo Bin also tried to test his Hungarian knowledge by attempting to say “Szeretlek” which is “I love you” in Hungarian but ultimately resorted to asking the crowd for help with pronunciation.
Unfortunately, however, it was time to say goodbye. LUMINOUS made sure to document their concert by taking group photos with fans while holding the fanmade banners. They also held up the LUMINI-signed Hungarian flag, which Suil proudly wrapped around himself. After ensuring their audience that they would come back as soon as possible, they closed out the concert with “Dreaming LUMINOUS.” Young Bin, Suil, Steven, and Woo Bin left the stage waving and sending hearts to fans while the stage slowly darkened and signaled the end of the show. The lights came back on and people took their own photos in front of the sign before filtering out the venue while discussing the night’s events. It is safe to say that this show left its mark on Hungarian K-Pop fans and the group quickly cemented a solid base for future trips around the continent.
LUMINOUS’ first Europe tour stopped in Bucharest, Milano, Geneva, Toulon, Budapest, Warsaw, Prague, and Nantes and ultimately finished on April 30 in London. It can be said without a doubt that the quartet gave their all to their Hungarian fans. They captured the hearts of many on their tour run so it would not be a surprise if fans wanted the group to tour the continent again soon. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the rising group’s future activities!