Are you throwing a Halloween party and looking to update your YouTube playlists with the best K-pop Halloween stages? Fret not, because we've got you covered.
The holidays might be the most wonderful time of the year, but Halloween is when we have the most fun. We get to dress up, link up for parties, and eat delicious treats. Celebrities in the West are known to go all out with their Halloween costumes, but K-pop idols sometimes take it a step further with special Halloween performances.
From dance practices to special live stages and even dedicated Halloween videos, idols know how to get into the spooky spirit to give us the perfect #content to watch on the big screen or projectors at your Halloween house parties or simply to get into the mood pre-Halloween. (Halloween music-only playlists are fun, but if you have a TV, why not make the most of it with more than just Halloween movies?)
Whether you're updating your watch list or simply here for a fun ride, we have rounded up 13 of the best K-pop Halloween stages, in no particular order, below:
1. ATEEZ, “Deja Vu”
ATEEZ sure know how to put on a Halloween performance. In 2020, they put out a special performance of Turbo's “The Black Cat Nero” to celebrate Halloween with an OG member from the group, Kim Jongkook, whom you might recognize from Running Man. They followed up the chilling performance with a vampire version of their hit track “Deja Vu” in 2021, which you can watch above. This video might be a couple of years old now, but just like vampires, it never gets old.
2. EXO, “Obsession”
EXO's “Obsession” is not technically a Halloween stage, but the vibes are very much there, especially in this Music Bank live stage. The mismatched contact lenses, the devil-esque red hair on Suho, the face cuts, the smokey eye makeup…. It's all 10/10 and perfect for Halloween. (This is X-EXO, after all.) Plus, the song is a certified bop.
3. Dreamcatcher, “Boca”
Dreamcatcher's K-Zombie version of “Boca” is pure Halloween excellence. For this special performance, the girls threw it back, donning various traditional Korean garments conventionally worn by men before a Zombie outbreak shifts the vibe of the video. Netflix's Kingdom has nothing on them.
4. PURPLE KISS, “Zombie”
If you have a song named “Zombie,” it's only right to give it a special Halloween twist and PURPLE KISS did just that. The girls' Halloween version of “Zombie” spares nothing on the fake blood department and boasts major Corpse Bride vibes, all accompanied by exquisite dancing, of course.
5. TXT, “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) feat. Seori”
In 2021, TXT's “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You)” was everywhere, but did you know the quintet also put out a Halloween dance practice version of the song? While the spooky vibes are tame, the guys do sport face cuts aplenty and all-black 'fits, which will always be a W in our books.
6. Stray Kids, “Side Effects”
This Stray Kids “Side Effects” performance is also not technically a Halloween performance, but it could easily be. As we have established by now, a little face cut and an all-black 'fit go a long way, and SKZ take that in stride here with theatrics galore to boot.
7. ENHYPEN, “Bite Me”
Leave it to ENHYPEN to slay a vampiric-inspired concept — any day, not just during Halloween. The setup for this performance of “Bite Me” at M Countdown is perfect to get in the mood for Halloween.
8. Lee Suhyun, “Alien”
As one half of sibling duo AKMU, Lee Suhyun is used to performing in company, but she can also command the stage on her own. For this Halloween performance video, she tapped into her own inner Slytherin. Can we take a moment to appreciate the minty green hair, green contact lenses, and vampy lips? Draco Malfoy would want her in his crew.
9. THE BOYZ, “Whiplash”
We often associate Halloween with dark and somber looks, but you can also be bright and cheery during spooky season — just follow The Boyz's lead. A Halloween stage with mismatched costumes always hits the spot, so “Whiplash” would be no exception.
10. WayV, “Bad Alive”
Also on the bright side are Halloween dance practices. This “Bad Alive” Disney princess version one from WayV is a modern classic. Everything about it is A+, but if you are in need of some comedic relief, we highly suggest focusing on Yangyang as Ariel at least for one entire watch.
11. NCT 127, “Favorite (Vampire)”
Also in the same category, we have NCT 127's dance practice for “Favorite (Vampire).” Given such an explicit title, you'd expect some sort of cohesiveness in the costumes, but that'd be too predictable. Filmed during SMTOWN Wonderland party in 2021, we got a variety of costumes for this one, including Edward Bella Swan and Cullen (which I guess is technically appropriate?), One Piece's Shanks when he loses his arm for Luffy, Rurouni Kenshin's Kenshin Himura, a Coca-Cola polar bear, Spider-Mark, a ripped boxer…and, sure, a couple of traditional vampires.
12. EVERGLOW, “LA DI DA”
EVERGLOW also served variety on their Halloween stage of major bop “LA DI DA” at M Countdown in 2020. The girls transformed into Alita, a Jedi, Harley Quinn, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, and Catwoman. Now that is a multiverse.
13. BTS, “Go Go”
BTS's Halloween dance practice of “Go Go” has everything you'd want in a video: light-hearted competition, a great bop, one apple, six pairs of massive shoes, a cash cannon, and, above all, seven grown men dressed up as cartoon characters. Though the intro is still subtitle-less six years later, we are more than sure you'll get the gist from context only. (Plus, you'll find the actual choreography part 10x funnier if you don't skip it.)
