I got the very special opportunity to attend TWICE's 10th anniversary fanmeeting. This might be one of the coolest events for a TWICE fan to attend live. It was more than three hours of songs, fanservice, and mutual affirmations of love between TWICE and ONCE.

I'll tell you about what went into it—the fans, the gear, and of course the show itself. I'll be using pictures I took myself, pictures I found on social media, and some screengrabs from the livestream.

How do TWICE Fanmeetings work?

A fanmeeting is different from a concert. Instead of just playing music, the members tell stories, play games, and express to the fans how much they mean to them. TWICE excels at this fan service. They have multiple songs dedicated to their fans, like ONE IN A MILLION, which is also part of their greeting, referring to the small chance they had of becoming K-pop stars, and 21:29 referencing "To ONCE, from TWICE (9 members)," with the members writing their own lyrics expressing their love for their fans. They also have hours of content uploaded on their YouTube channel, where they play games together, solve escape rooms, or go on 'friend-dates' for their fans to enjoy.

This is of course all part of their marketing strategy to strengthen the parasocial bond fans have with the artists, but with TWICE, I find it hard to tell where kayfabe ends. Also, as a fan, it is way more fun to believe the sugary-sweet words than to be cynical about it.

You might wonder: why go to a concert when they don't even play that many songs? But it is not about the songs. It is about being together with other die-hard fans and having a special bonding moment with the artists you all admire. Seeing the members interact with each other and have fun makes one happy. I saw a Japanese fan write online:

These 9 women truly love each other, and that love overflows onto ONCE.

Even the name of the event, 10VE UNIVERSE, uses the number of years they have been together to write the word LOVE. They use these kinds of corny names often.

TWICE actually debuted on October 20th, 2015. This is close to Halloween, so in previous fanmeetings, they dressed up in Halloween costumes. But after the tragic crowd crush event in 2022, doing this openly is seen in bad taste. Ever since, they have chosen to stick to a single concept; last year it was baseball-themed. This year’s theme is Time Capsule (which you send into outer space, I guess?). Fans were encouraged to dress up tough, and they did a great job!

The Guests

Among the attendees were many mini-celebrities from inside the fandom. There were famous fan-account admins (people who collect TWICE content, translate it, and share it with fans), fan-art artists, and fan-fiction writers. Friends and family of the idols were also in attendance; there was a line forming of people wanting to take a picture with Sana's parents. I saw people from many different countries, ages, and backgrounds. I even believe I saw the person I was seated next to on the flight back from Macau, who was rewatching videos from that concert.

There were also a lot of people dressing up as their favorite TWICE moments from the past 10 years!

TWIVELY - The TWICE Mascots

You might have spotted some of the TWIVELYs already. These are the TWICE mascots. There are 10 of them: one for TWICE as a whole, and one for each member in their respective colors. The TWICE logo also has specific colors (Apricot and Pink). These colors were chosen by the company on debut, and the exact hex codes were shared so fans could create their own fan content.

They started this trend in Japan, where TWICE is most popular, but it has since spread to other regions. Fans collect the TWIVELYs of their favorite members and display them proudly.

Candy Bong - The TWICE Lightstick

Another item every fan must have is a Candy Bong. This is a lightstick you can wave around during the concert. They are around 30cm tall and have a multicolored LED at the top. Once turned on, they automatically connect to a Bluetooth central hub and can be controlled remotely to light up in sync with the concert. It is really fun to swing it around instead of just sitting in your chair. For the performers, it’s also a nice touch—the venue can be quite dark, and having all the lights in the crowd is amazing.

Of course, you can also buy accessories to dress up your Candy Bong.

The Location - The Tiger Dome

The event was hosted at the Tiger Dome, the gymnasium of Korea University. It only has a capacity of ~6,000, which many fans said was too small. The venue was decorated with big posters.

The Show

The show itself was filled with:

Fan favorite songs, some of which haven't been performed live in years
Funny stories that hadn't been shared before
Interactive games
Many heartfelt messages

Act I - The Hits

They started with TWICE SONG, which isn’t really a song as much as a mnemonic device to remember their names. It was originally created for a TV show they were part of, joking about how many members they had. Every fan in attendence knew the lyrics by heart.

After that, they performed Talk That Talk and This is For, songs that go really well with crowds. The fireworks were a nice touch!

They then did their introductions and introduced the rest of the show to come.

They performed Strategy, and then went off stage for the first costume change. In the meantime, a video package played, starting as an old-timey tape with their personal introductions from Sixteen, more than 10 years ago. It became clear it wasn’t the original tape but a short remake!

Act II - Story Time

After coming back in new outfits, they started with Like Ooh-ahh, their debut song, performing with the same energy they did so long ago.

Then some seats came out, and the more casual part of the show began. The production crew had prepared old photos and videos, which were shown to the members, and they talked about their memories. One funny story was when they barged into Nayeon’s room at midnight to celebrate her birthday, only to find her gone. They filmed themselves singing Happy Birthday to her empty bed, placed the cake there, blew out the candles, and then ate it themselves.

Fans were also allowed to submit photos of their own TWICE memories. They showed a fan’s collection of 26 concert banners, all in pristine condition. Another fan sent a picture of the TWICE stickers she made at age 12—eight years later, she was still in the audience.

After that, they performed BDZ, originally made for their Japanese discography but later translated into Korean because of it's popularity. They followed it up with Knock Knock, which starts with an improv section, this time used to wish ourselves a happy 10th anniversary.

Act III - Game Time

Now it was time for games! This might seem like a waste of time for a concert, but it was actually my favorite part. Seeing the members interact fills my heart with joy. Some are ambitious, others clumsy, and it’s hilarious.

They started with Shouting in Silence, where members wear noise-canceling headphones and try to lip-read each other in relay. A simple game, but never fails to make me laugh.

Sana messed up one round and messed it all up for the group. Afterwards, they asked the crowd where they went wrong, and everyone pointed at Sana, after which she got sulky.

They also did a dance relay, similar to the previous game but with choreography. Multiple rounds were completed successfully. One round featured the 귀요미송 (Cutie Song), a nursery rhyme popular for its 애교 (aegyo/ cuteness). Older artists often cringe performing it. The choreography is easy to guess, but the members asked to routine to be performed in full before the full got it, mostly to embarrass the members performing it. When Mina finally got it right, they played the intro graphic showing Jihyo performing it on a radio show nearly 10 years ago. Seeing herself perform, she fell to her knees in embarrassment.

They concluded this with a photoshoot with cute props as a fun finish. They spent about an hour on games—a third of the event. Even if it had been 90%, I would have enjoyed it just as much.

Act IV - Sentimental Ballads

After the games, they performed deep cuts: Like a Fool and Depend on You. During the latter, fans were asked to throw paper airplanes toward the stage. Each attendee received a piece of paper at entry to write a sentimental message for TWICE. Most planes didn’t reach the stage, but it was a beautiful sight.

They picked up some of the messages:

"You were part of my youth, which made it so amazingly bright"
"You made such bright memories for us, and we wish for your happiness"
"TWICE is my past, present, and future"

They then performed Someone Like Me and went backstage for the last costume change.

Act V - Fan Service

After the video package, the members came back for a fan walk, circling the gymnasium to greet fans. I was seated in the third row of the second tier, and they passed right by me!

They greeted fans, waved to friends and family in the crowd, and returned to the stage while performing Going Crazy and Truth.

After they got back on stage they highlighted some of the best consplayers there on the jumbotron.

TWICE expressed their love for ONCE. Nayeon asked the crowd, "If you are reincarnated, would you be a ONCE again?" A hysterical fan shouted: "I will live forever, and I will be a ONCE forever!" The spotlight shone on him as he poured his heart out.

Act VI - The Video Package

A highlight video chronicled TWICE’s ten-year journey—the highs, lows, and triumphs. Watching it hit me hard; I mapped their timeline to my own life as a fan for the past six years. I saw their career alongside my own past decade, placing my struggles next to theirs and recognizing the joy they brought me. Many in the audience were tearing up as well.

Seeing the video package, TWICE members were at a loss for words and also tearing up. The audience chanted “사랑해!” (“We love you!”) and “행복해!” (“We are so happy!”).

They rolled out a birthday cake and we sang Happy Birthday together.

As a final song, they performed Me+You, their fan song released just last week. This time, I could sing along with the fan chants I had practiced earlier during lunch. It was amazing to be in unison with all the other fans.

Act VII - No, you hang up!

The show had reached the three-hour mark, so it was time to wrap up. TWICE said their final goodbyes but decided to perform one more encore song. Fans voted, and they went with Knock Knock, plus a 2025 version of Jihyo performing the 귀요미송 despite her protests ("Oh no, my parents are in the audience tonight").

Fans shouted ENCORE! again, so they performed Going Crazy once more and finally closed the show, also acknowledging livestream viewers.

Act VIII - The Sweet Gift

After the show, it took some time for people to leave. Fans were still in bliss, taking pictures with the stage and chatting with cosplayers who had become mini-celebrities in the mean-time.

Upon leaving, all fans were given a cinnamon roll and a drink packet—a simple but kind gesture.

Act IX - The Aftermath

Outside, fans were crying, hugging, and singing together. Some arranged their lightsticks to form the TWICE logo. People weren’t ready to let go and wanted to continue showing support. The energy from the gymnasium carried over outside, amplified by seeing everyone’s faces and actions. Everyone was savoring the feeling.

How Did I Experience It?

A year ago, I watched the livestream of their 9th anniversary. Nearing the end, Jihyo said: "And those watching on Beyond LIVE, you should come too!" I responded, "Yes, I will!" I had dreamed of this trip for so long, but at the time of saying that I didn’t even know if I could make it happen, let alone get tickets for this very event. I had carefully planned my visit to coincide with their 10th anniversary, hoping for a chance to attend. This was the thing I actually wanted most out of the trip, but I was too scared to say it out loud because of the opportunity of missing out.

I never expected to feel so emotional. During the video package showing the last 10 years, While watching the video package chronicling their last ten years, I realized that this fanmeeting wasn’t just TWICE’s milestone—it was mine too. Their struggles, triumphs, and joy over the past decade paralleled my one life experiences. They had unknowingly guided me through hard times and filled my life with incredible joy, hope, and inspiration.

Walking back to the metro, I kept thinking of what Jihyo said a year ago: "You should come too!". I had. Finally, the dream I had quietly held in my heart had come true.

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