From pop princesses bringing their prowess to loyal fanbases to alt-rock bands ditching the stage for neighborhood house parties, music’s boldest acts are giving the world one last encore before the year is up—with tours that are electrifying audiences around the globe.

TATE MCRAE: THE MISS POSSESSIVE TOUR

V: What’s your favorite part about being on tour?


Tate McRae: There’s nothing more satisfying than hearing the music come to life in live arrangements. It’s my favorite time to experiment and adlib on preexisting melodies and songs I’ve written. Then obviously getting to see the fans in person and watch them process the music in real time is so rewarding and special. 


V: What’s been the craziest tour moment thus far?


TM: We performed at the VMAs in between our concerts at Madison Square Garden in New York City! Our schedule was absolutely crazy, but we somehow made it work. I am so grateful, as both of those stages are dreams come true for me!


V: What’s been your favorite city to perform in and why?


TM: Chicago and Montreal this year. The crowds were absolutely insane. They gave me so much energy and love. It was magical.

Katy Perry: THE lifetimes tour

V: What’s your favorite part about being on tour?

Katy Perry: My favorite part of the tour is creating a family unit with my band and dancers, and making memories together with them, forming a strong bond of love that we get to give out to the world through our shows. I also love seeing all the longtime fans grow and having a really fun dialogue with them on stage.

V: What’s been the craziest tour moment thus far?

KP: NGL, feeling that butterfly flap in San Francisco.

V: What’s been your favorite city to perform in and why? 

KP: I’ve re-fallen in love with every city that I’ve gone to, but I really enjoyed Miami, and all of South America was incredible. It was an amazing feeling to have 82k singing back to me in São Paulo.

ZARA LARSSON: THE MIDNIGHT SUN TOUR

V: What’s your favorite part about being on tour?

Zara Larsson: Being on stage!

V: What’s been your favorite city to perform in and why?

ZL: Rio de Janeiro, because of the crowd, or Stockholm, because then I get to go home after the show.

KATSEYE: THE BEAUTIFUL CHAOS TOUR

V: What are you most looking forward to when going on tour?

Katseye: We are most excited to travel to new cities and connect with new EYEKONS along the way! Every stage is a new chance to share our music and energy, and we can’t wait to create unforgettable memories together. We’re also looking forward to experiencing new cities and different cultures, trying new things, and growing even closer as a group throughout the journey.

V: What do you think will be your favorite city to perform in and why?

K: We’re especially excited to perform in Mexico City because none of us has ever performed there before! We can’t wait to experience the culture, food, and spend time with the EYEKONS in Mexico.

LE SSERAFIM : THE EASY CRAZY HOT TOUR

V: What’s your favorite part about being on tour?

Hong Eunchae: My favorite part about being on tour is when I look out into the crowd and see our fans enjoying every moment. Their joy is infectious and makes performing even more exciting for me.

V: What’s been the craziest tour moment thus far?

Sakura: The crowd reaction during “CRAZY” was truly crazy! I always got a thrill when everyone shouted my part—“I’m an Otaku bestie”—at the top of their lungs.

V: What’s been your favorite city to perform in and why?

Huh Yunjin: All the stops of this world tour were incredible, but a memorable city in particular was definitely Newark. So many of my school and family friends came out to support me, and being able to share that moment with all of my loved ones and FEARNOT is something I’ll never forget.

CONAN GRAY: THE WISHBONE PAJAMA TOUR

V: What’s your favorite part about being on tour?

Conan Gray: I love the unpredictable routines. I love that I get to wake up in a completely new city, but do the exact same things every day. Wake up, walk to get a coffee. Play cards with my band. Eat some good food. Then sing songs at the end of the night with thousands of happy people. I feel very lucky.

V: What’s been the craziest tour moment thus far?

CG: People have orchestrated some incredible light surprises for me during the shows of the Wishbone Tour. It’s always so heartwarming. I’ll be singing, let’s say, “Eleven Eleven,” then all of a sudden an entire rainbow of lights shows up in front of me. Thousands of people holding little colored pieces of paper above their phone flashes. It’s always so special.

V: What’s been your favorite city to perform in and why?

CG: I’m playing Red Rocks tonight, which is a dream come true. I’m so excited to look out into the mountain for the first time. I’ve always known this venue is special, but sitting here in the green room right now with actual stone as the walls just makes me feel like this is a night I’ll remember forever.

ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS: THE HOUSE PARTY TOUR

V: What’s your favorite part about being on tour?

All-American Rejects: Doing these house parties, it’s about being close again to the audience, and I feel like it gives us more energy and gives them more energy, just an overflow of energy. It’s been wild seeing people react to our new song ’Easy Come, Easy Go’ and scream it back at us sometimes louder than the songs you’d expect them to scream back at us. So that’s a good feeling.
—Mike Kennerty, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist

What he said.
—Chris Gaylor, drummer 

My favorite part about being on tour is playing our new song ‘Search Party!’ from our forthcoming record “Sandbox”. It’s amazing watching people liven up to new music, especially when we’ve been so hesitant to play new music as a band. It’s taken a lot of navigation out of imperialistic record contracts and exploitative collaboration to find ourselves on our own steam. Pushing our own art without some gatekeeper telling us to go write another “Move Along.”
—Tyson Ritter, lead vocalist & bass player

V: What’s been the craziest tour moment thus far?

AAR: The show in Missouri felt like we were literally in a movie at a college party. That was pretty wild.
—Mike Kennerty, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist

V: What’s been your favorite city to perform in and why?

AAR: I think one thing that we’ve learned over the years playing in America is that music-spoiled cities bring out the least engaging crowds. Then you have cities like Ames, Iowa, or Fayetteville, Arkansas that are often overlooked for being non-profitable enough for giant touring machines to come and set up the circus. We love performing in those cities, the smaller ones that get looked over. But we don’t pick favorites!
—Tyson Ritter, lead vocalist & bass player

riize: THE RIIZE CONCERT TOUR [RIIZING LOUD]

V: What’s been your favorite city to perform in and why? 

RIIZE: My favorite city to perform in is New York, although we actually haven’t been there yet. It’s part of our upcoming North American tour, and since I’m from the East Coast, from New Jersey, I’m very much looking forward to that show and can’t wait to experience that moment.
—Anton

It’s quite coincidental, but last year my birthday fell on a concert day, and this year it happened again with our Tokyo concert at Yoyogi. BRIIZE gave me so many birthday wishes and they even prepared surprises for me. It’s a day that really stays with me, and I’ll cherish it for a very long time.
—Sungchan

Honestly, every show, every city has been incredible in its own way. But if I had to pick, our latest concert in Bangkok comes to my mind. The cheers were so intense they felt like they could break through our in-ears. I was genuinely stunned by the sheer power of it all. That energy — it will definitely be at the top for me.
—Sohee

Our very first concert was in Korea, and it’s a moment I’ll never forget. I remember feeling nervous but also filled with anticipation about showing something new to our fans for the first time. Then, during our tour in Japan, I was really moved by how fans stood up and enjoyed the show together with us – those moments truly left a lasting impression.
—Eunseok

Every city has genuinely been memorable in its own way, but I remember our RIIZING DAY fan concert tour in LA last year. The fans’ energy felt so huge, and it really reached us deeply. This time, we’ll be performing in different cities, including LA, so I’m really looking forward to it.
—Wonbin

Every city honestly holds special memories for me, and I truly mean that. Each stop has been amazing in its own way. We hope everyone is just as excited, because compared to our fan concerts last year, this tour has grown so much in scale, and we’ve also added more songs to our setlist. Through this experience, I’ve really felt myself grow as a performer, and it’s been truly the best. I’m so grateful for every single moment.
—Shotaro

V: What’s your favorite part about being on tour? 

My favorite part about being on tour is getting the opportunity to meet our fans from all over the world. Unless we’re touring, we don’t always get the chance to see them in person, so I think of this period as not only a learning experience but also a special time to truly connect with our fans.
—Anton

For me, the best part is hearing the cheers from our fans – that feeling of happiness is truly incomparable. And when I see them smiling from the stage, their happiness naturally makes me feel happy too.
—Sungchan

Every single day on tour has honestly been incredible. But what I treasure most is having the chance to meet our fans from all around the world. Especially during this tour, I could hear BRIIZE’s voices more clearly than ever before. When they sing along with us, it feels like we’re all creating this beautiful performance together – like we’re co-creating something truly special in that moment.
—Sohee

The moment that always stands out to me is when the LED screens open and the cheers from our fans fill the venue. Seeing their faces for the first time as the show begins gives me this incredible rush – that’s the moment when it truly hits me that the show has begun.
—Eunseok

My favorite moment is also when the LED screens open and I can finally see all of our fans. After spending so much time practicing without an audience, that instant when the doors open and I see the sea of orange lights – there’s no happier, more overwhelming feeling than that.
—Wonbin

What I love most about touring is being able to meet new fans everywhere we go around the world. Each city has its own energy and unique reactions, which I think is what makes touring so special. Every stop gives us a chance to feel something new, and I gain so much energy from that.
—Shotaro

V: What’s been the craziest tour moment thus far? 

One of the most interesting things about being on tour is seeing how fans in different countries each have their own personalities and ways of showing love. Every place feels unique, but our recent show in Bangkok really stuck with me. The fans there were unbelievably loud – their energy made the entire performance so much more powerful and fun.
—Anton

Last year, we had our fan concerts, and this year we’re doing our first official tour, RIIZING LOUD. This time we have songs from our first full-length album ODESSEY included in the setlist, and seeing the fans learn all the fan chants and sing along to those songs — those moments really stick with me.
—Sungchan

This might echo what I just shared (on the previous question), but when our fans join us with those powerful fan chants during our performances…  I was completely taken aback the first time I heard it. I never imagined their chants could be so unified and strong. It is so touching every time I hear it, and I could feel this incredible synergy building not just between us and BRIIZE, but among all six of us on stage.
—Sohee

Our recent show in Bangkok really stood out to me. The cheers were so loud and full of excitement – the energy from the crowd was incredible, and it completely caught me off guard in the best way.
—Eunseok

There are times during our shows when the fans’ voices are so strong they even pierce through my in-ear monitors. Every time that happens, I’m amazed all over again – it’s one of those moments that truly stays with me.
—Wonbin

The moment that really stands out to me was when we announced our upcoming performance at Tokyo Dome during our show at Yoyogi in Japan. It had always been a dream of mine, so making that announcement in front of our fans was such a surreal and unforgettable experience.
—Shotaro