Following her successful seven-city world tour across four countries including a show at Primavera Sound, one of Europe’s largest music festivals, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has once again taken the stage in her native Japan. On July 15, the artist performed a stunning solo show, Celebrating 100 Years: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Special Live 2023 ~Midnight Sun~, at the Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall in Tokyo.

 

The performance itself was part of a larger project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Hibiya venue. Fittingly, the theme of this one-night-only show was ‘the biggest celebration of your life,’ inspired by the ‘both joyful and terrifying festival held beneath the Midnight Sun.’ Kyary Pamyu Pamyu directed the performance herself, and the final product felt like it was pulling the audience into a movie world rather than a live performance.

 

The costumes, made exclusively for this performance, were created by fashion stylist Yudai Ichinosawa. Stunning special effects makeup was provided by Kaiho, who has worked with Kyary in the past. In addition, the floral stage decorations for the live performance, made to be sustainable, were created in collaboration with Hibiya Kadan, whose headquarters are located inside Hibiya Park. Fresh flowers and greenery along with colorful artificial flowers were used to create a unique space for the special occasion.

To begin the show, the curtain was raised as joyful Celtic music was played by a band of elves. The ‘Kyary Family’ marched onto the stage, their faces hidden by veils. The daughter, Kyary, appeared with dancers dressed as her father, mother, and twin sister, and as the characters removed their veils, the artist began with a performance of Easta, an Easter-themed song.

During the MC portion of the show, Kyary shared her heartfelt congratulations to Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall for its 100-year history. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a colorful outdoor stage before,” she continued, inviting the audience to take in the gorgeous scenery.

 

Kyary also shyly addressed her marriage in front of an audience for the first time. The artist also announced that she had invited the person who found her lost shoe sole in Harajuku months ago to the show, causing plenty of excitement in the audience.

It was a night of celebration at the Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall, between the 100th anniversary of the space, Kyary’s marriage, and the recovery of her beloved shoe sole. The setlist included 22 songs along with an encore, blending both classic and new tracks, including songs not often performed live. The performance was punctuated with Celtic flare, giving the entire show an odd yet welcoming air as the audience celebrated the Midnight Sun with Kyary’s unique family.

The official Midnight Sun playlist, which includes some special content, is available on major music streaming sites now. During certain portions of the concert, fans were allowed to film, so you can also expect to find some video footage scattered around social media.

 

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is scheduled to perform at LuckyFes on July 17 and FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL on July 30. As she continues to take the stage at festivals around Japan, fans are invited to come and see this internationally-acclaimed pop star as she continues to wow audiences.

 

Photo: Aki Ishii

  ■Playlist Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Special Live 2023 - Midnight Sun - https://lnk.to/KPP_Midnight_Sun  

Harajuku-based artist Kyary Pamyu Pamyu charmed overseas fans during her first world tour in five years. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu WORLD TOUR 2023 -POPPP- took the artist to seven cities in four countries around the world.

 

In May, Kyary began the U.S. leg of her tour, stopping in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago with French DJ/trackmaker Moe Shop as her opening act.

 

The artist performed in Paris and London in June, along with Barcelona and Madrid for Primavera Sound 2023, one of the biggest music festivals in Europe.

NATHAN GEY – NATHAN GEY

NATHAN GEY – NATHAN GEY

 

The Cabaret Sauvage in Paris and the London Earth Hall in London were filled to the brim with local fans, eager to see Kyary Pamyu Pamyu live for the first time in years. The audience sang the popular track Cherry Bon Bon in unison, dancing along with the legendary choreography.

 

The London show featured Hannah Diamond as Kyary’s opening act. Signed to the UK label PC Music, Diamond is a leader in the HyperPop scene.

KPOP CONCERT – FANNY LE MONNIER

JAME WORLD – VANESSA LE PENNEC

 

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, who continues to be active around the world, wowed the packed London venue with her expert dance moves and musicianship.

 

At Primavera Sound, a festival taking place over two weeks in Barcelona and Madrid, Spain, a large crowd gathered in front of the stage, instantly captivated by Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's unique style and Yasutaka Nakata’s addictive electro sound.

 

Clips of the world tour have been posted on Kyary Pamyu Pamyu's Twitter and Instagram. Also, check out the Primavera Sound playlist on Spotify.

 

On July 15, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will perform a solo concert at the Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall, which will also mark her triumphant return to Japan following her successful world tour. The artist will also perform at several summer festivals. Audiences around the world are enthralled with the Kawaii performer, and it’s only a matter of time before she performs for global audiences yet again.

Last year, one of the largest car festivals in America was held in Japan for the first time. FUELFEST JAPAN was a massive success, bringing in an audience of over 33,000 people to Fuji Speedway and transforming the space into what felt like the world of Fast & Furious. The event is returning to Fuji Speedway on August 11, 2023, and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will be taking the stage for a live performance.

 

The 2023 event will be on an even larger scale. Actor Cody Walker, the brother of the late Paul Walker, will be in attendance, along with over 2,000 show cars, including many used in the Fast & Furious films. Guests can also enjoy drifting and supercar ride-alongs, a 0-200m drag race, and many other car-centric events, as well as a merchandise and food area. It’ll be difficult to see everything in a single day!

 

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is slated to perform at the event. The artist, now hugely popular in the United States, performed at the world-renowned music festival Coachella in 2022, as well as the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles soon after.

 

Whether you’re a fan of cars or just a fan of good music, FUELFEST JAPAN is sure to impress. This one-day event will be packed with content, so don’t miss this blend of Hollywood supercars and Kyary’s kawaii performance!

Heading towards the concert venue inside the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, it was no surprise to see the line for Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s show snaking through the halls to wrap around the building. Anime Central–the largest anime and manga convention in the midwest United States–played host to the concert, and fittingly, plenty of fans were clad in over-the-top cosplay, while many others proudly wore past Kyary concert tees, touting their steadfast devotion to Japan’s most kawaii pop princess.   This would be the third stop on Kyary’s first world tour in five years, following successful shows in New York and Los Angeles.   Since her debut over a decade ago, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu has steadily amassed a global following, bringing new fans into the fold with every catchy tune and feast for the eyes she releases. Her name conjures thoughts of oversized bows and danceable earworms, and just last year, the artist performed for a hyped crowd at Coachella, a music festival that needs no introduction.   In October 2022, Kyary wrapped up her lengthy 10th Anniversary Tour around Japan, performing the majority of her 105 songs at the legendary Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. During this tour, the artist made global headlines by announcing the Local Japan Project, a way to revitalize towns and cities around Japan suffering from the pandemic’s aftermath through collaborative releases with small businesses. From limited-edition foods to special pink KPP-inspired train cars, the impact was palpable–if not by sheer funds, by contagious cheeriness.   Named Japan’s Kawaii Harajuku Ambassador by the Mayor of Shibuya, Kyary dabbles in a little of everything, from fashion and dance to cultural endeavors. Her natural ease in front of a crowd has a way of pulling in an audience–and Chicago was no exception. She came prepared to share the deeper meaning of kawaii while challenging stereotypes, accepting individuality, and sharing thoughts of a more open and artistic future.   Prior to the start of the show, French DJ and trackmaker Moe Shop warmed up the crowd with an intense set that had the room shaking with a combination of bass and mass jumping. Although seating was provided for audience members, it was impossible to stay standing as the set began, featuring some of the electro-artist's biggest hits from Baby Pink to GHOST FOOD (feat. TOREINA). As the first few seconds of CANDY CANDY (Moe Shop Remix) began, the room seemed to burst open, with more and more pink glowsticks beginning to illuminate the crowd.   Packed with kawaii devotees from wall to wall, brief quiet fell as stagehands rushed to decorate the set with POPPP icons, cueing some guests in the front to begin chanting Kyary’s name. As the venue lights dimmed, a brief film briefly introduced Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s history as if she was a character in a storybook, a hero desperate to illuminate the darkness in the world with all things pink and cute.   With her trusty dancers in tow, she finally took the stage as De.Ba.Ya.Shi. 2021, the techno-heavy first track on Kyary’s newest album Candy Racer, set the stage for a night of addictive tunes and carefree fun.   A highlight of the concert’s first half was Dodonpa, sending the crowd into an absolute frenzy. The experimental track’s erratic energy, heavy house influence, and gibberish lyrics invite anyone to sing along, regardless of mother tongue, making it an immediate fan-favorite with international Kyary fans.   Upon its release as the fifth single from Candy Racer, Kyary encouraged anyone interested to use the song in their online videos, also opening an official contest encouraging creators to send their best interpretation. The artist navigated through the tricky lyrics with relative ease as the audience egged her on, jumping along with the chorus’s hypnotic beat.   As the song concluded, fans screamed and cheered as Kyary finally began her brief English MC clad in a completely pink princess dress, complete with crown. Asking the audience their favorite color, the correct answer was obvious, and the artist nodded enthusiastically. “This is a pink show,” she stressed.   Leaping into Ninja Re Bang Bang, the artist and dancers performed the legendary choreography with ease as diehard fans imitated the shinobi hand gestures in time with the track.   In 2011, Kyary leaped from the local scene in Harajuku to the outside world with the release of PONPONPON. The bizarre and colorful music video immediately made the rounds on YouTube, and despite being relatively unknown at the time, the artist instantly had a viral hit on her hands. During the Chicago show, a remixed intro of the song, originally produced by Yasutaka Nakata, struck fans with the promise of lethal nostalgia. As the track began in earnest, Kyary bid the fans to dance along–it seemed that the request wasn’t necessary, as the audience was already in full swing.  

KYARY ANAN pic.twitter.com/aw77siGxOL

— きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ (@pamyurin) May 20, 2023

  Cherry Bonbon and Kyary ANAN followed, the latter of which saw fans chanting the singer’s name along with the lyrics. Though some present at the concert were likely unfamiliar with the music filling the hall, the energy was unrivaled, and it was nearly impossible to escape the waves of exhilaration and feverish fondness that penetrated the air.   If you weren’t a Kyary Pamyu Pamyu fan when you walked in, you certainly were when you walked out, whether her sound was your typical poison or not.   Invader Invader and Fashion Monster, tracks used in popular GU ads in Japan during the early 2010s, have similar staying power in the U.S., and are both credited as some of Kyary’s most popular songs. Prior to the start of Fashion Monster, a brief interlude began, in which the video monitors broadcast an impressive collection of snapshots of Kyary’s fashion over the past decade. A costume change was imminent, and when the artist returned to the stage, she donned a pink mask and pink ruffled dress, both seen during her Budokan performance late last year. Holding her mic beneath the mask seemed like an annoyance, but Kyary seemed to thrive off of the challenge, not missing a beat.   In its entirety, the setlist included nearly 20 tracks, easily checking off a bucket list item for hundreds of fans in the audience. Entry to the concert was included with a pass to the popular convention, though seating wasn’t guaranteed, causing dedicated fans to line up for hours prior to the show’s 6:30 start time.   But there were no complaints to be heard–instead, there was immense gratitude towards Kyary, her management company, and Anime Central for bringing the singer to Chicago.   Considering Kyary’s upward trajectory to date, it’s impossible to imagine a future in which the singer doesn’t continue catapulting towards the zenith of bubble pop legends in a global sense. The singer will now travel to Europe for the remainder of her world tour, and reports from there are sure to reflect the same general sentiment. Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is here to stay, and kawaii culture is sure to continue its spread.   Written by Carley Garcia

A Moe Shop Remix of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s legendary song CANDY CANDY, originally released in 2012, will appear on streaming services on April 21.   Moe Shop is a DJ and trackmaker whose one-of-a-kind sound is influenced by French electronica and Japanese pop music. Having amassed a global following, the creator claims to be greatly influenced by Yasutaka Nakata, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s producer.   CANDY CANDY (Moe Shop Remix) is the second remix to be released by the Harajuku star. In 2020, Ninja Re Bang Bang (Steve Aoki Remix) was released to massive fanfare. The new pop tune has a completely different vibe than the original, and fans won’t want to miss it.   Recently, it was announced that Moe Shop would be performing as the opening act for the three U.S. dates of Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s POPPP world tour starting in May. The two artists will also be collaborating on a special YouTube Live, allowing fans from around the world to participate in the festivities. The jacket illustration for the single, created by illustrator Natsumi Yoshida, has also been unveiled.

  After the world tour concludes, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu will hold a special solo concert on July 15 at the Hibiya Open Air Concert Hall. ‘Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Special Live 2023 ~Midnight Sun~’ will be held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the venue.

The smartphone game Dark Tales ~Mirror and Mad Princess~ was officially released on April 11, and the popular singer and talent Kyary Pamyu Pamyu performed the theme song for the title.   The dark RPG tells a tale of the loss of childlike innocence and was pre-downloaded over 1 million times. The theme song, Magical Mirror, was written and composed by Yasutaka Nakata.   Fans of the genre won’t want to miss out on this mysterious mobile title!