YOASOBI brought its “NORTH AMERICA TOUR 2026 ‘NEVER ENDING STORIES'” to a close on August 16 (local time) with a sold-out show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, marking the first time a J-Pop act has headlined the historic venue on its own.
The tour took the duo through six North American cities, including Boston, Brooklyn, Hamilton, Seattle, and Oakland, drawing a combined audience of roughly 70,000. Setlists across the run featured “Orion,” the group’s new collaboration track with the video game Overwatch, along with international favorites “Tabun,” “Idol,” and “Undead.” The Hollywood Bowl, which has hosted The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Prince, Madonna, and Lady Gaga over its century-plus history, has never before featured a solo J-Pop concert.
The Los Angeles show opened with “Idol” as composer Ayase and vocalist ikura took the stage on either side of a giant book-shaped LED set piece, a nod to YOASOBI’s concept of turning novels into songs. During the show, the duo acknowledged the significance of the venue and thanked fans for closing out the tour there, leading a Japanese-language call-and-response before launching into “PLAYERS.” Later in the set, ikura addressed the crowd in English, reflecting on childhood years spent in Chicago and the American artists and Disney Channel shows that shaped her musical roots, calling the chance to bring J-Pop to the country a kind of homecoming.
The main set closed with “Gunjou,” which had the crowd singing along and clapping in unison, while the encore brought “Adrenaline” and debut single “Yoru ni Kakeru.” Before the encore, the pair told the audience, “We will definitely come back even bigger. Will you come see us again?” drawing a roaring response from the crowd.
Who is YOASOBI?
YOASOBI is a Japanese duo consisting of composer Ayase and vocalist ikura, known for its concept of “turning novels into music.” The group debuted in November 2019 with “Yoru ni Kakeru,” which surpassed 200 million streams and topped Billboard Japan’s year-end Hot 100 for 2020. Its 2023 single “Idol,” the opening theme for the anime “Oshi no Ko,” topped Billboard’s Global Excl. U.S. chart, Apple Music’s global top 100, and YouTube’s global music chart, marking a series of firsts for J-Pop. The duo has since played arena and dome tours across Japan, including Kyocera Dome Osaka and Tokyo Dome in 2024.
YOASOBI will next head to Asia for the “YOASOBI ASIA 10-CITY DOME & STADIUM TOUR 2026-2027 ‘Chogakusei'” (Super Planet), kicking off in October with dates across Osaka, Nagoya, Hokkaido, Fukuoka, and Tokyo.
Author’s Comment
A J-Pop act headlining the Hollywood Bowl solo, on a stage that’s hosted The Beatles and Prince — I’ll admit, that gave me chills, and I don’t chill easily. What gets me is ikura going off-script to talk about growing up on Disney Channel in Chicago; that’s not a marketing beat, that’s a genuinely full-circle moment for her. Japanese fans online are already calling this validation that YOASOBI’s global run isn’t a fluke built on anime tie-ins alone. And of course they’re already teasing "even bigger" next time — because in this industry, you’re contractually obligated to promise the sequel before the credits roll.
