Summer Sonic is an annual music festival in Japan that has been captivating audiences since 2000 with stellar showcases from both domestic and international artists. Numerous South Korean artists have graced its stages, delivering magical performances. Among them, YG artists have consistently stood out, renowned for their electrifying stage presence and iconic live performances.

This year, BABYMONSTER and AKMU will represent YG Entertainment at the Summer Sonic. As anticipation builds for them to command the festival, let’s look back at former and current YG artists' iconic performances throughout Summer Sonic history.

BIGBANG [2010]

BIGBANG heated up the Summer Sonic’s Tokyo Marine stage in 2010 with a bang, delivering iconic performances of their popular tracks “Tell Me Goodbye,” “Gara Gara Go!!,” “Beautiful Hangover," and “Hands Up,” among other hits. Following Seo Taiji in 2001 and NELL in 2008, BIGBANG was the third Korean artist to be invited to the festival.

EPIK HIGH [2015]

Epik High graced the Summer Sonic Stage in Tokyo, Japan, in 2015, while they were under YG Entertainment. They lit up the crowd with spirited performances of eight songs, including “Born Hater,” “Don't Hate Me,” and “Fly,” leaving the audience hyped and happy.

CL [2017]

CL attended Summer Sonic 2022, but she first appeared at the festival in 2017. She stole the show with her fashion and strong stage presence, presenting unforgettable performances, including a collaboration performance with Black Eyed Peas for the track “Where Is The Love?”

LEE HI [2018]

Lee Hi performed at Summer Sonic 2018 in Tokyo as YG Entertainment’s representative artist. She made her Japanese debut in March of that year and showcased her musical talent at the festival by performing Japanese versions of “Rose” and "BREATHE,” among other tracks.

BLACKPINK [2019]

BLACKPINK killed the Marine Stage at 2019’s Summer Sonic festival, commemorating its 20th anniversary. They presented iconic performances of their hits “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du,” “Kill This Love,” “WHISTLE,” “STAY,” and the Japanese versions of “BOOMBAYAH” and “As If It’s Your Last,” reminding the audiences of YG artists magnetic stage presence.

TREASURE [2023]

TREASURE, known for their incredible live performances, has a strong presence in the Japanese music market. The YG boy group rocked the Summer Sonic 2023 stages for both days, August 19 in Osaka and Tokyo the next day, August 20, with fun and energetic performances of their tracks “BONA BONA,” “JIKJIN,” “Here I Stand,” “HELLO,” “GOING CRAZY,” "BLT,” etc.

Let us know about your favourite performance at Summer Sonic by YG artists.