IVE has become the most recent group to break touring records in the K-pop industry, setting a new record for the biggest-selling K-pop concert in Aotearoa New Zealand.

On 20 June, the six-member group performed to 8,000 attendees at the Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s Spark Arena, as part of their second world tour, <SHOW WHAT I AM>, the most-attended K-pop concert in New Zealand history.

The tour began with a three-night stint at Seoul’s KPSO Dome in November 2025; the group has since visited Malaysia, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, Macao, Sydney, Melbourne, and New Zealand. Its initial Asia leg will conclude on 24 June in Tokyo, Japan, before resuming in Hong Kong and Taipei in September following a series of concerts across North America throughout July and August.

The announcement of their record-breaking event came from Spark Arena and promoter Live Nation New Zealand. Data from wider branch Live Nation Australasia suggests that this has been a long time coming, and further record-breaking occurrences can be anticipated for the genre in this region; they report a roughly 600% increase in Asia Pop tours and a 275% rise in the number of touring artists between 2015 and 2024. While Australia has typically come first, K-pop has had a live touring presence in Aotearoa New Zealand since the first K-pop show held in the country by B.A.P in 2016. IVE’s successful visit suggests that an eventual expansion into New Zealand and progress towards it becoming a more consistent fixture within tour schedules is likely.

There is still a small degree of uncertainty. JYP Entertainment’s ITZY initially announced a show at the same venue amongst the scheduled dates for their third world tour <TUNNEL VISION>, but the event has since been cancelled due to undisclosed, unforeseen circumstances. They held a successful event in Auckland in 2024 for their second world tour, and a plan to return indicates that the company viewed the venture as beneficial and that the reason for the cancellation may be unrelated to the location or sales. On the other hand, for complications regarding the concert to cause a complete cancellation of the date – especially being the only date throughout the tour to be cancelled – suggests that there are difficulties that must be overcome to keep New Zealand as a stable touring venture for companies.

However, progress is already being seen, with other groups including Auckland, New Zealand in already unveiled tours; BABYMONSTER will visit the Spark Arena on 8 December 2026 as part of their World Tour (CHOOM). IVE's record-breaking concert showcases the success that is possible for K-pop events in New Zealand – and that an audience is present which the industry has been slow to serve. That is beginning to change.