Born Pink World Tour

On July 6, 2022, YG Entertainment confirmed that Blackpink would release new music and embark on the largest world tour by a K-pop girl group in history later in the year.[2] On July 31, it was revealed that the group's second Korean studio album Born Pink would be released in September, followed by the world tour starting in October.[3] On August 8, Blackpink announced 36 shows from October 2022 to June 2023 spanning Asia, North America, Europe, and Oceania, with additional dates to be added in the future.[4] On September 6, the group unveiled the dates and venues for the North American and European legs of the tour.[5] On October 6, Blackpink released two teaser images of the tour's visual setup, one featuring a black space with clouds of white smoke, and the other featuring a garden-like setting.[6] The tour kicked off with two concerts on October 15 and 16, 2022, at the KSPO Dome in Seoul, South Korea, which was attended by over 20,000 people.[7] On October 28, the group revealed the dates and venues for the Asian leg of the tour.[8] They announced four dome concerts in two cities in Japan, Tokyo and Osaka, on December 7.[9] On January 9, 2023, Blackpink announced four additional shows for the Asian leg of the tour in Singapore, Macau and Kaohsiung.[10] On January 31, Blackpink announced ticketing details for the concerts in Australia and that the originally announced Auckland concert was no longer feasible due to "unforeseen logistical challenges."[11] It was also announced that Blackpink would tour for the first time in Mexico City.[12] As part of the encore leg of the tour, Blackpink announced a stadium concert in Paris on March 23,[13] and several stadium concerts in United States on April 16.[14]

According to the tour's creative director Amy Bowerman, the show was conceived as a celebration of Blackpink's dual identity, as well as the individuality of the members.[15] Split into four acts, the first act takes place in an enchanted garden and showcases Blackpink's "pink" side. Bowerman described it as a "woodland, nymph-esque world where it’s very flirty and feminine." However, certain scenes hint at the group's darker side, with grotesque floral imagery such as a lily leaking metallic liquid and higher-energy music. The second act leans more into the mature aspect of Blackpink, featuring a "heavy monochrome that’s very harsh and powerful." The lead single of Born Pink, "Pink Venom", was intended to be the focal point of the show; at the end of the second act, it serves as the turning point at which the color pink first appears in the production and is used heavily thereafter. The third act highlights each members as individuals with solo performances and a "weird trippy mix" of colors. The fourth and final act celebrates Blackpink's concept of duality as a whole, with imagery of dichotomies such as water and earth or fire and ice featured prominently.[16][17][18]

To produce the Born Pink World Tour show, YG Entertainment approached Ceremony London—a visual production company that previously worked with artists such as Post Malone, Rina Sawayama, Holly Humberstone and Dua Lipa—providing the music and choreography of Born Pink in order to do so.[19] The production was ultimately a multilateral, collaborative effort between YG Entertainment's fully-female production team,[16] the group's American band and music director, and Ceremony London. Bowerman described the evolution of the show's concept as an "organic" process. Blackpink themselves were heavily involved in the show and provided their input, especially regarding the set list. As they rehearsed for the tour, they determined which songs fit together and when, resulting in changes to the visuals, movements, and stage; however, "Pink Venom" remained the show's focal point. Fan interactions were also considered during the development of the show, with time allotted for Blackpink to spend engage with their fans, known as Blinks.[17]

The show begins with a video segment on the main stage's screen of Blackpink in an enchanted garden, after which the group rises from below the stage. For the first act, the backdrop alludes to the garden with shades of green and blue as Blackpink performs "How You Like That", "Pretty Savage", and "Whistle". The members introduce themselves and interact with the audience. The next portion of the set list showcases the group's "softer" side with the songs "Don't Know What to Do" and "Lovesick Girls". The members then depart the stage for a costume change.

The second act of the concert begins with a black-and-white video segment of Blackpink in shimmery dresses in a dystopian setting. They return to the stage with "Kill This Love", followed by "Crazy Over You", "Playing with Fire", and "Tally" in front of a stark monochromatic backdrop. Blackpink then begin the song "Pink Venom", during which the stage explodes in color from monochrome to pink. Afterwards, the members depart for a costume change. A remix of "Pink Venom" plays as dancers participate in a dance battle onstage and the touring band performs guitar, bass, drum, and keyboard solos.

The third act of the concert features solo performances by the members of Blackpink, each preceded by backdrops with their names on the main stage screen. Jisoo commences with a cover of Camila Cabello's "Liar", which is replaced by her song "Flower" from the Tokyo shows onwards. Jennie is next, performing her unreleased song "You & Me" as a partnered dance with dimmed lighting and a backdrop of their projected silhouettes. The third solo performance is by Rosé, who sings "Hard to Love" and "On the Ground". Finally, Lisa dances to a shortened version of "Lalisa", pole dance routine, and "Money" with an extended dance break.

The fourth act of the concert is preceded by a video segment of Blackpink in vibrant settings such as outer space and tundra, after which they return to the stage to perform "Shut Down" and "Typa Girl". The members interact with the audience and teach the key choreography for the next song, "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du", whose performance features an extended dance break. The last song of the act is "Forever Young", after which Blackpink bids their goodbyes and departs the stage.

For the encore, Blackpink returns in casual shirts and sweatshirts from their tour’s merchandise line. They perform "Yeah Yeah Yeah" and ask the audience to pick their next song. Depending on the show, Blackpink performs "Stay" or "Boombayah". The members take different sides of the stage to dance with the audience and play with the cameras. Blackpink ends with "As If It's Your Last" and say a final goodbye before exiting on a lift that lowers them offstage.

The tour was met with positive reception from critics. Writing for Evening Standard, Ali Shutler gave the O₂ Arena concerts five out of five stars, calling it "cherry-picked from a range of familiar genres to create something fresh and throughout the show, it felt like the four performers continued pop’s long-standing legacy of girl power".[20] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian gave the same concerts four out of five stars, regarding it as "exceptionally well made and high-impact."[21]

The first set list is from the show at KSPO Dome in Seoul, South Korea, on October 16, 2022; the second set list is from the show at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, on April 8, 2023. They are not intended to represent all shows throughout the tour.