SBS Gayo Daejeon, the annual Christmas Day festival, featured a formidable lineup of performers this year, with MCs Yeonjun (TXT), An Yujin (Ive), and Doyoung (NCT). Essentially, K-pop’s major 4th or 5th generation acts were all part of this show, as well as 2nd generation icons like 2NE1, G-Dragon, and Key.

To accommodate the 29 acts in the lineup, the pacing was rather brisk. Most performers delivered 1 or 2 songs, then the show quickly moved on to the next act. This prevented an overly long running time, but the immediate transitions may have prevented the setup of more elaborate stages. It possibly also contributed to the numerous sound issues that many artists endured throughout the evening.

Performers faced the challenge of differentiating their stages from those on music shows, while fitting in with the theme of “Merry Music.” Too many acts, unfortunately, chose to wear white and throw in some bells in their instrumental tracks, leading to some monotony. Still, many stages brought memorable moments; here are some of the standouts of the evening.

Embrace of the Winter Holidays Theme

One way to approach this festival would be to go all-in on the theme. Boynextdoor, for example, was one of the few groups to cover a Christmas song, (“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”). The performance grew quirkier with “Nice Guy”, set up as the members encountering Santa Claus in their house. Dancing with Santa, they brought humor and playful exuberance that was delightful to watch.

(G)I-dle went even quirkier, popping out of a giant gift box to perform “Wife” (featuring live rap from Miyeon for the first time). It felt almost subversive—but great fun—to see them perform a song banned for broadcast in cute reindeer-inspired outfits of brown overalls and antler headbands. A holiday version of “Klaxon” was also surprising in how well it worked. 

NewJeans began their set with a stripped back version of “Ditto.” Seated in canvas chairs around a campfire, the members focused on delivering their vocals. With the members’ plush hats and the brown-hued background, “Ditto” felt warm and comforting.

TXT often aims for magic In their concepts, made literal in the transition between “Forty One Winks” and “Over the Moon,” with Taehyun gliding through two lines of toy soldiers while doing card tricks. Their introductory sequence, however, stood out most for the members moving like puppets. In a particularly beautiful moment, Hueningkai resembled the center of a snow globe, as he stood on a spinning platform with snow falling around him.

Creative Introductions and Medleys

Like TXT, other groups chose to incorporate a creative introduction. My favorite intro sequence was Le Sserafim’s, which began with Huh Yunjin descending from a hanging platform. Multiple formations of members and dancers converged in the center stage, where they showed their voguing skills. Le Sserafim did not attempt to Christmas up their song “Crazy”, opting instead to add even more beats and spotlight their dance.

While most groups chose to perform an introduction and 1-2 songs, Ive went with a medley. Each member sang a portion of a single, with Liz’s “I Am” and Rei’s “Baddie” as particularly fitting choices. The entire group performed some of “Heya,” and at the end they dramatically posed with the reveal of a snippet from their next title track. Their timing felt a bit rushed, but it reminded viewers of their strong discography and built anticipation for the comeback.

Unexpected Covers and Collaborations

End-of-year shows typically include stages with members from different groups. Perhaps the most creative was a series of solo stages called “Fairy Tale of Shoes.” NMixx’s Sullyoon covered Red Velvet’s “Feel My Rhythm” with a beautifully rendered Cinderella theme, while Enhypen’s Heeseung elegantly performed contemporary dance inspired by Swan Lake. Ateez’s Yunho donned red shoes in a Wizard of Oz themed stage, acting out interactions with the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion without losing a beat. 

The most memorable performance of that set, however, was the one least connected to the fairy tale theme (aside from red shoes). Illit’s Iroha covered Riize’s “Siren” with high energy and skill. The cover allowed Iroha to show off her considerable hip hop dance abilities in a way she cannot within Illit’s dreamy gamer concept.

An Yujin and Karina from Aespa delivered the most attention-grabbing collaboration, covering Valerie Broussard’s “Killer.” Karina and Yujin do not typically do sexy concepts in their respective groups, but they more than pulled off the sultry expressions, body waves, and hairography. The stage was pre-recorded, but that allowed for close-ups that highlighted their star quality.

Pure Stage Presence and Charisma

In the end, the most unforgettable performances relied on stage presence rather than creative staging. For instance, Key’s “Pleasure Shop” benefited from the deep bass of its remix, but mostly stood out due to Key’s command of the stage. NCT 127 ramped up their energy as they performed “Fire Truck” and “Walk,” with Yuta’s intensity particularly shining when he took center stage. 

Current and former YG artists brought the charisma. Despite being rookies, Babymonster performed with the expressiveness and confidence of a more seasoned group. With a pre-recorded performance of “Power” and some shaky audio during “Sober” and “Crooked,” G-Dragon did not match the greatness of his recent MAMA stage. Still,he only needed a microphone and his charisma to carry the performance.

The festival truly belonged to 2NE1, who brought the house down with a performance of “Fire,” “I Don’t Care,” “Ugly,” and “I Am the Best.” From the moment CL said her name, 2NE1 had viewers enthralled. There are some showy elements, like Dara’s iconic high hair and Minzy’s splits (while stably singing). The members moved dynamically through all stages, as well as levels with stairs and raised platforms. What impressed the most, though, was the members’ ability to engage with both the cameras and the live audience. During a show that seemed to utilize artificial crowd sounds, the fanchant for “I Am the Best” was very loud and very real. 2NE1 proved that there is nothing as compelling as good old-fashioned showmanship.

From pacing to sound, SBS Gayo Daejeon had its fair share of issues. Nevertheless, SBS delivered in giving audiences some inspired stages and powerhouse performances, especially from legends in K-pop.

(YouTube [1][2]. Images via SBS).