Recap: 2024 Red Velvet FANCON TOUR “HAPPINESS: My Dear, ReVe1uv” in Manila

K-pop girl group Red Velvet returned to Manila last September 14, for a special fancon celebrating the group’s ten years in the industry. The 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐕𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐭 𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑 <𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 : 𝐌𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐫, 𝐑𝐞𝐕𝐞𝟏𝐮𝐯> 𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐋𝐀 was a night filled with music and laughter as the group took a trip down memory lane with Filipino Luvies—and Metro.Style got to experience it with them! 

Presented by Wilbros Live, the fancon played to a full house at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, a year after the group’s last show here in Manila, “R To V: Red Velvet Live.” The concert began with the group’s debut song, “Happiness,” with four members onstage: Irene, Wendy, Seulgi, and Joy. Yeri made her special entrance after the number, similar to how her official debut was with “Ice Cream Cake” in 2015. 

After their opening songs, they introduced themselves—“Happiness! We are Red Velvet!”—and shared their welcome messages. They were all excited to be back in the country, having enjoyed all the shows they’ve gotten to share with Filipino ReVeLuvs over the years. 

The group then sang “Parade,” even teaching the arena the choreography to the chorus. More B-sides came after: “Sunny Afternoon,” “Sunflower,” “Underwater,” “So Good,” “Bubble,” and “Knock Knock (Who’s There?)” 

With the energy in the arena high and palpable, it was time for the hits, beginning with 2018’s “Bad Boy,” 2019’s “Psycho,” “Queendom” (2021), and “Feel My Rhythm” (2022). They capped off the main portion of the show with their latest release, “Cosmic.” 

In between songs, the members engaged with the crowd, astonished at how loud the cheers always are for them. They expressed their gratitude for being welcomed back so warmly, especially Joy, who was unable to make it to last year’s “R To V.”

A special portion of the night called “Red Velvet Advice Consultation” saw the members reading notes from fans, while special surprises from Luvies—paper airplanes flying during “Sweet Dreams,” a sea of lights representing the members’ colors during an instrumental of “Remember Forever,” and a banner that read “Thank you for the happiness; loving you is the easiest thing we have ever done”—warmed the hearts of the members.

In their parting messages, the members thanked the crowd for the loud cheers and the high energy, and promised to return. “Thank you for always greeting us with so much love,” Wendy said. “We promise you guys that we’ll come back to Manila.” 

Irene expressed her happiness from the night that transpired. “Kayo ba, happy ba kayo? (How about you guys, are you happy?)” she asked the crowd in Korean, which roared in return.

“At dahil sa positibong energy na binigay niyo sa amin, naging super happy ako at masaya ako dito sa stage habang nagpe-perform (And because of the positive energy you gave us, I was super happy here on stage while performing),” Yeri said in Korean. She then echoed the fans’ sentiment: “Loving you is the easiest thing I have ever done,” she said. 

“Maraming, maraming salamat po sa unforgettable memory at ’yung magandang klaseng show na binigay ninyo (Thank you very, very much for the unforgettable memory and the beautiful kind of show that you guys gave),” Joy said in Korean. “Mahal ko kayo!” 

Seulgi talked about how she wasn’t sure whether the arena would be filled, especially at the farthest seats, so seeing the venue full was especially heartwarming to her. “Kayo talaga ang best (You guys are really the best),” she said in Korean, then gave a thumbs up. “Mahusay!” she said in Filipino. 

Throughout the show, the members and the crowd referenced the saying popularized by BINI Sheena, “Eyy ka muna eyy,” which figured prominently during the traditional photo op with the audience and the dancers.

The encores began with “My Dear,” the night closing with “Red Flavor,” “You Better Know,” “Hit That Drum,” and the show’s most requested song, “Zimzalabim,” in an electric remix that made it feel like the fans were in their own personal rave with Red Velvet. 

Even in a venue with a seating capacity of upwards of 15,000, the show was intimate, personal, and high-octane. The word “Happiness” hung above the stage, a reminder that the girls’ ultimate goal is to make their fans feel exactly that. 

Photos by Renee Nuevo