P1Harmony Performs Surprise Concert At Universal CityWalk Hollywood

P1Harmony ‘SSTW Surprise Concert’ at Universal CityWalk Hollywood

MBC AMERICA

Yesterday afternoon, over 400 people gathered around the Universal CityWalk Hollywood stage waiting for popular K-pop artists, P1Harmony, to perform on stage. The giant screens displayed a photo of the six-member team (Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul, and Jongseob) with the time (2 p.m.) they would be performing on that stage.

Though it was surprising to see so many P1Harmony fans – known as P1ece – at the venue, as the event was only officially announced 1.5 hours before on MBC America, LINE FRIENDS, and University CityWalk’s social media pages. Several fans, who were there as early as 9 a.m., revealed that MBC AMERICA’s veteran news reporter, Sara Lee, and LINE FRIENDS dropped hints for them to piece together less than a week ago.

The event was MBC America’s SSTW Surprise Concert, a collaboration with LINE FRIENDS SQUARE to hold surprise K-pop concerts at Universal CityWalk Hollywood. These types of surprise events are common in South Korea, but this marks the first-ever guerrilla K-pop concert in the heart of Hollywood.

Hosted by Lee, P1Harmony walked on stage blindfolded, holding several LINE FRIENDS products, so they couldn’t see how many fans had shown up as the members entered and lined up, keeping their LINE FRIENDS masks over their eyes. Leader Keeho points out, “Ah, this is a lot.” When asked to guess how many fans showed up, Keeho joked, “5000.” Jiung guessed “150.” Keeho, ever the jokester, yelled out, “THREE.”

After seeing the large crowd, P1Harmony performed three songs, “EX,” “DUH!,” and “Dancing Queen.” The surprise performance reminded the members of their first time performing in LA, thanking fans for coming on such short notice and braving LA traffic and heat.

“Our first ever shows in LA, I wouldn’t say it was busking, but on-the-spot, a free concert that we did very [well],” Keeho recalls. “That was one of our first nights performing in front of a really big audience, and this kind of brings us back.”

Some fans came near and far for P1Harmony’s [MOST WANTED] Los Angeles tour stop, and immediately rushed to see them at Universal CityWalk. The furthest ones came from Brazil and Singapore. As more began shouting where they traveled from, Keeho tells them, “We love all countries.”

The concert title derives from MBC America’s ongoing interview program, The SSTW Show, which officially stands for SASIM in Korean, reflecting a personal passion for bringing K-pop and Korean artists to audiences worldwide. SSTW Surprise Concert had been a long-held dream and goal of MBC America, as one of the prominent Korean voices in the U.S.

Sara Lee later revealed how P1Harmony was chosen as the artists for the event. With the success of their most recent EP, “EX,” which debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, P1Harmony have proven themselves time and time again as forces to be reckoned with, solidifying their global presence through captivating, energetic sets.

“P1Harmony appeared on the SSTW Show earlier this year in May,” she shares. “We interviewed them virtually from Korea, and I remember thinking at that time how incredible their journey was. I hoped that someday we could meet in person for an interview or a special project — and that moment finally came true. With their recent Billboard achievements and undeniable energy, P1Harmony felt like the perfect artist to launch this event. We’re confident that their powerful performances and charisma will help lead the way in spreading K-pop even further.”

LINE FRIENDS has a longstanding relationship with MBC America, having worked on their past SSTW program. When the opportunity to work together came up again on a larger scale, the brand company saw an opportunity to use its space at CityWalk Hollywood.

“With our newest LINE FRIENDS SQUARE store at CityWalk Hollywood, we wanted to find ways to create exciting experiences that embody the brand and fandom,” says Rebekah Lee, LINE FRIENDS Senior Manager of E-Commerce & Marketing. “Today was such a great time and a clear result of the partnership, seeing the local community come together and have fun with an artist as a surprise event. We hope to continue to do more fun events together and create lifelong memories with our LINE FRIENDS fans.”

As for whether there would be any more surprise concerts, Sara Lee couldn’t reveal much but says this concert at Universal CityWalk Hollywood was “a significant first step.”

For those who missed P1Harmony’s performance, the content will be exclusively uploaded to MBC AMERICA and the SSTW Show YouTube channel.