Jin live in London review: BTS star offers solo stardom and silliness

These days, when attending a K-pop concert, fans usually know what to expect—the VCRs, the stages, and the carefully timed endments. But this isn’t just any K-pop concert—this is Kim Seokjin’s world, and he is far from ordinary. Venturing into his first solo tour, RUNSEOKJIN_EP. TOUR, Jin truly brought something spectacular to the London O2. After kicking off in Goyang Stadium in Seoul, it made its way across the US and has now reached Europe for its final stops. With two nights at the O2, these shows marked Jin’s solo UK debut and the first time a BTS member has returned to a UK stage since their legendary Wembley concerts in 2019.

For those who are perhaps new to BTS, Jin is one of seven members from one of the most recognisable and successful groups to come out of South Korea. Breaking Billboard records, the members had created their own beloved variety show, RUN BTS. While the other six were still fulfilling their military service, the eldest, Jin, made a solo return and revived the format as RUN JIN. True to nature, the show was chaotic, unpredictable and endlessly entertaining – the embodiment of Jin himself. Episodes featured everything from collaborating with karate instructors, stuntmen, and even A-lister Tom Cruise.

Jin has always been someone who aims to showcase his playful personality, consistently making sure to emphasise the importance of being happy. His debut solo album, Happy, celebrated embracing the little things – a message he made sure to bring to the stage Tuesday night. Opening with his debut solo single, the joyful ‘Running Wild’, it kickstarted a high-energy opener which flowed nicely into ‘I’ll Be There’.

Greeting the audience, Jin explained we’d be partaking in our own 달려라 석진 (RUN JIN), with the first task to make as much noise as possible. The louder we screamed, the better the show would get—easy enough, right? It felt less like a concert and more like a giant birthday party with 20,000 friends in attendance. With a dramatic press of the button, Jin shouted, Dojeon! (Korean for bring it on.) This was to be the signal for the audience to get ready for a new challenge. 

Telepathy games have been a recurring theme throughout the tour to varying levels of success. Tuesday was London’s turn to leave their mark. Much like his variety show, the concert went on to follow a similar format, with this time the fans (known as ARMY) becoming his collaborators (or victims.) Connect ARMY was the first challenge, with 30-seconds the crowd had to silently act out a designated word for Jin to guess using only gestures. The audience nailed the first two rounds, which meant Jin had to face the next song in the chosen outfit. A blow-up alien suit.

Jin isn’t afraid to be silly, and that’s exactly what makes ‘Super Tuna’ so loved. To outsiders it might seem odd, but for fans, it’s a serotonin-packed anthem complete with the silliest dance routine everyone knew by heart. When it was first released, Jin said, “This is really embarrassing, so please don’t show it to anyone.” Naturally, fans respectfully did the opposite, showing it much love, with the music video receiving over 25 million views. In June 2024, fresh from his military service, Jin returned that love with an extended version. Seeing him perform it live in an alien costume amongst thousands of fans wiggling along as he sang his love for tuna. Magical. 

With his second album Echo released back in May, a selection of songs made their way to the stage and boy did they deliver. An album that produced a variety of genres, going on to show his versatility as an artist branching out from ballads. That was showcased tonight after previous slower tracks, ‘With The Clouds’ and his latest single, ‘Don’t Say You Love Me’.

Dojeon! The next challenge was Sing Along ARMY; the crowd had to sing a song displayed onscreen while Jin guessed the track. Sounds simple enough, but of course his lyrics are in Korean. Still, to Jin’s surprise London smashed the first one, 2020’s ‘Moon’, singing in perfect harmony. Clearly impressed, he joked about how shocked he was that London did so well. The next rounds were more of a challenge, as the audience’s Korean wavered, but Jin reassured everyone, explaining not to worry as his English was just as shaky as our Korean. 

That karaoke session transitioned nicely into the next song as rockstar Jin appeared playing the pop punk ‘Loser’, which had the backing of a fantastic live band throughout the show. From there he went into ‘Rope It’; the country rock number saw him in a glorious, embellished cowboy outfit, complete with light-hearted choreography. He balanced his talent with warmth, connecting with the crowd in a way that was genuine, not scripted. His radiating smile could light up a stadium, and his playful, gentle energy and attitude made you want to get involved and join the fun.

It’s no secret that the news of BTS’s 2026 spring comeback is highly anticipated. And the next segment felt like a warm-up to that. It came packaged in a short but sweet medley, beginning with the feel-good energy of ‘Dynamite’ and ‘Butter’, followed by two beloved fan favourites, ‘Mikrokosmos’ and the emotional ‘Spring Day’. Using those four tracks was the perfect mega mix of making everyone nostalgic but also buzzing for that long-awaited reunion. 

The other notable feature of Jin besides his talent is how perfectly he lives up to his self-titled nickname, Worldwide Handsome. He embraces his self-declared ‘princess energy’ with pride, unafraid to tap into a softer side. Known for his love for the colour pink and complete with a sparkly pink microphone. He confidently challenges toxic masculinity and redefines outdated stereotypes. Perhaps that’s why there were so many men in attendance, something he too noticed and warmly acknowledged onstage.

With an encore remaining, he truly showed that he is undoubtedly the ultimate idol – polished and enticing, and that voice is just unbelievable. That was showcased earlier with his piano playing on ‘I Will Come to You’ and the heartbreakingly gorgeous ‘Abyss’. With 18 songs and nonstop games, it was impressive to see that his energy never dipped. The highlight came from watching him simply standing in the spotlight singing ‘Epiphany’, a song about the importance of self-love. Hitting all the high notes felt like a new challenge to make an already emotional crowd cry some more. 

The encore was in full swing as he began the final interaction. ‘Moon’ is a staple in the catalogue of Jin and ARMY. This is also where Jin’s famously loved humour comes in as he went down to the front row, picking fans to sing the high-pitched intro, “oooh oooh” (If you haven’t heard it, please do- truly chef’s kiss.) It’s his way of having fun (and bullying) the fans’ chance to interact with their idol. And just like that, the night closed with ‘To Me, Today’. An empowering track about finding your own light, whatever that may look like for you. 

Jin is truly a one-of-a-kind entertainer; he took the traditional concert structure and turned it on its head and in doing so created something entirely his own. A vibrant, colourful playground that reflected both who he is as a person and as an artist. It wasn’t just about showcasing his top-tier talent – although he did so effortlessly. It was more about doing what he genuinely loved to do and having fun with it. Before BTS make their grand return, it’s a more than satisfactory alternative.