Mark Stefanos
“LA feels like a second home to us,” says ATEEZ leader Hongjoong. From their pre-debut training days at a dance studio in the valley, to their historic Coachella performance last year — the first male K-pop group to play the fest — Los Angeles has been a cornerstone of ATEEZ’s global rise.
The eight-member group will take the stage at BMO Stadium tonight and tomorrow, Aug. 8 and 9, as part of the North American leg of their IN YOUR FANTASY World Tour, which has them hitting 11 cities across the U.S. and wrapping in Mexico City later this month. If the LA shows are anything like the recent ones, expect a raucous crowd of their fans, known as ATINY (a blend of ATEEZ and “destiny”), that can recite every lyric.
ATEEZ is ready to weave their intricate backstory, which features pirates, multiverses and rebellion, with the real-life emotions captured in the narrative of their personal, recently released new EP, Golden Hour: Part.3, marking a new chapter for the group, and promising a show that LA fans won’t soon forget.
ATEEZ (Courtesy of KQ Entertainment)
The group has gradually grown to become one of the biggest names in K-pop. It’s a hell of a feat, not only due to the intense competition for any act to rise to the elite tier of the global genre, but because they’ve done it while repping, and being repped by, KQ Entertainment, which is notably not one of the “Big Four” Korean entertainment agencies that collectively hold a rigid grasp in the K-pop industry. The group has just signed a seven-year contract renewal with KQ, which means the group members, who range in age from 24 to 27, will all be in their thirties when it expires.
ATEEZ’s connection to Los Angeles runs deep. “Every time we come back to LA, I remember the days when I was still a trainee in the U.S.,” Yunho tells LA Weekly as we sat down with the whole group for a boisterous interview. “We’d go to Millennium and do training and classes every single day.”
In 2018, as KQ Fellaz, they honed their craft at the famed Millennium Dance Complex in Studio City, where they filmed their pre-debut series KQ Fellaz American Training. Their first U.S. show at the Globe Theatre in March 2019 sold out, proving their early draw. They’ve since returned for KCON LA (2019, 2023), a sold-out Forum show (2022), and their first BMO Stadium performances in 2024. Their 2024 Coachella set in the nearby desert cemented their Southern California legacy.
“Whenever we go on stage, specifically in LA, especially because we have such deep history here from back in our days, there’s a feeling that we’re even closer to the audience,” Hongjoong says. The city has hugged them back, with the GRAMMY Museum hosting their 2022 Global Spin Live series and a 2024 pop-up exhibit featuring their “Crazy Form” outfits. For ATEEZ, Los Angeles is a creative haven and a “second hometown,” and this weekend’s BMO Stadium will be a celebration of that bond.
KQ debuted ATEEZ — named “A TEEnager Z” for their boundless passion, from A to Z — on October 24, 2018, with Treasure EP.1: All To Zero, introducing their pirate concept via “Pirate King.” The group, fronted by composer-rapper Hongjoong, includes Seonghwa (vocalist, eldest), Yunho (vocalist, dancer), Yeosang (vocalist, visual), San (vocalist, dancer), Mingi (rapper, dancer), Wooyoung (vocalist, dancer), and Jongho (main vocalist, also famed for breaking apples open with his hands). Their slogan, “8 Makes 1 Team,” is a statement of their unity.
ATEEZ’s cinematic lore spans the Treasure (2018–2020), Zero: Fever (2020–2021), The World (2022–2023), and Golden Hour (2024–2025) series. Albums like The World EP.Fin: Will (No. 1 on Billboard 200) have rocketed their reach, with over 7 million albums sold in total. They’ve been named “4th Generation Leaders” by South Korea’s Ministry of Culture.
They renewed their contracts with KQ Entertainment just last month. “We’re really proud of it. Things work best when all eight of us are together,” San says, emphasizing their bond. Adds Hongjoong — “It gives us a motivation too, because it’s very long term.” The renewal comes after in-depth discussions, with KQ pledging to support their “infinite potential.”
The Golden Hour series transitions the boys to a new era, with Golden Hour: Part.3 shifting from fantastical lore to personal stories. “The title Golden Hour era is literally about the golden age, our prime time,” Hongjoong says. “It’s more based in our everyday life, showing who we are as people.”
The five-track EP, led by Hongjoong and Mingi’s songwriting, includes “Lemon Drop,” an R&B hip-hop hit that debuted at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100. The repackaged In Your Fantasy Edition, adds “In Your Fantasy” and solo tracks like Hongjoong’s EDM-driven “NO1” and Seonghwa’s sensual “Skin,” reflecting individual personalities. Wooyoung calls “Lemon Drop” their bid to claim “Summer is ATEEZ,” building on their 2019 hit “Wave.”
When you get beyond the mythical lore and storytelling of the group, you find the quirks and vibrant nature of the group that endeared them to fans. When I ask them what individual talents they each have, they’re quick to hype each other up — “San has so many,” says Mingi. “Let’s go.”
“I’m really good at whistle,” says San. He turns to the group — “What do you want to hear?”
“APT.” replies Wooyoung. San jumps into a whistling rendition of the ROSÉ & Bruno Mars hit while Yunho does the signature dance.
I prod for more action from the gang, seeing that they can easily slip into goofiness at a moment’s notice. Yeosang tells me, “I know how to do a surgery on my thumb.” He leaps up and demonstrates the ol’ pulling your thumb off trick, to the laughs of his crew.
If this new era of ATEEZ means more of this fun, I’m all for it. Getting a glimpse into the day-to-day of their personal lives reveals the range of characters — and the hijinks — you’ll find in any group of buds in their mid-20s.
The IN YOUR FANTASY tour is ATEEZ’s most immersive yet. “We’ve included a variety of elements in this tour,” Yeosang says. “We have solo stages and group songs we’ve never done on stage before.”
The August 8 show sold out so fast that a second night was added, with labelmates xikers opening. “They’re our favorite group,” San says of xikers. “We’re really honored to have them with us.”
“They just dropped their new track called ‘ICONIC,’” Mingi adds. “I’m looking forward to them performing at the show. And I’m very proud of them.”
ATEEZ at San Jose’s SAP Center, Aug. 2, 2025. (Courtesy of KQ Entertainment)
Based on setlists from recent shows in Chicago, Tacoma, and San Jose, expect a 20-plus song spectacle and a few surprises in the encore. “I’m pretty sure LA ATINYs already know the setlist for this tour, but the show will still be very different and special,” promises Yunho. “We’re going to give our best and match it with the best energy from LA ATINYs.”
ATEEZ at San Jose’s SAP Center, Aug. 2, 2025. (Courtesy of KQ Entertainment)
Hongjoong teases “a lot of LED” so fans can see the members as they perform on a “bigger and more immersive” stage, with enhanced visuals. “We try to give our best for the fans,” Seonghwa adds, “We always keep in mind that even if it feels like the same show to us, it’s something very special for the fans, so we do our best every time.” They also teased a special debut of Hongjoong behind the DJ decks.
ATEEZ’s preparation is intense. “We exercise almost every day,” Seonghwa says, with all of the group mentioning they fuel up on supplements and protein.
“Sometimes we miss Korean food, so we get the best Korean Restaurant in the town,” says Hongjoong. Their most recent fav is Mun Steakhouse in the heart of Koreatown, which they picked for the premium meat, great side options, and for having both the true Korean-style food and fusion dishes.
Their bond with ATINY shines through in memories like a hello82 fan event where San surprised fans in a grandpa costume. “It was a very memorable moment,” Wooyoung recalls.
(Courtesy of KQ Entertainment)
LA has watched ATEEZ grow from trainees to global icons, and the group will be bringing those memories and their boundless energy to the BMO Stadium shows.
But it won’t be the last time you’ll be seeing them around. They’ll soon be among the K-pop groups featured in Apple TV+’s new reality series “KPOPPED,” which will have Korean groups collab with western pop acts including Megan Thee Stallion, Patti LaBelle, members of the Spice Girls, Kesha, J Balvin, Kylie Minogue, TLC and Boy George.
When I asked the group what LA artists they would collaborate with in their upcoming music, they mentioned DJ Jed and Gallant, who recently collaborated with Wooyoung. “I love Bruno Mars,” Jongho adds, standing up, ready to pop into his best Bruno Mars dance.
Until then, ATEEZ just seems amped for this weekend.
“We’re planning many good musics and special things,” Hongjoong says with a grin. “We can’t say everything today. But we already prepared many next steps. So please look forward to it!”
Keep up with ATEEZ on Instagram @ateez_official_ and X @ATEEZofficial. For tickets and more information about their IN YOUR FANTASY World Tour, visit ateezlive.com.
ATEEZ on the Aug. 8, 2025 cover of LA Weekly. (Photo courtesy of KQ Entertainment; Cover design: Mark Stefanos)
Correction: an earlier version of this article listed a setlist and unit/solo stages, which were incorrect and have been removed.