In October, Katseye offered fans a chance to see them live in London for one night only and completely for free.

This was significant as it was to be the Hybe/Geffen girl group’s first ever European performance, and we got the golden ticket.

There were 250 spots available for fans, with each person being allowed a plus one. The night promised food, drinks, and photo opportunities.

Let me take you through the night.

Arrival

Arriving at exhibition white city at 6:30pm on Tuesday 28th October, the queue was already down the street. Me and my plus one joined and immediately got chatting with fans around us, many sharing which songs they wished to hear. We were told the entry would be at 7pm, but people only started being let in around 7:15pm.

Entrance

We were in the building around 7:45pm, and we were greeted with staff handing out roses with a Katseye bow (I dried mine and now keep it in a vase), we were following a path to the main entrance, leading to a staircase up to where the event was being held.

But first, we took a selfie. Well, a photo in a photobooth. At the foot of the stairs we hopped into the photobooth, best decision as the queue was out the door after the performance had concluded. The photos had a really cute Katseye frame and turned the experience into a gif you could download as well as spitting out the photo.

Things to do

Heading up we were met with the Jollibee table, where they were handing out free tote bags and stickers. We did the rounds, as fans and influencers rushed to be as close to the stage as possible.

We headed to another photo spot, recreating a scene from the Gabriela music video. I believe there were three in total, the last one recreating the grocery tray scene in the Gnarly music video. Our time at the Gabriela photo opportunity made it to the official Katseye Europe vlog – watch here.

As we continued to explore, we nabbed some free bubble tea (gnarly) and made our way to the stage.

Prior to the show we had been told there would be a special guest at the performance and boy were we in for a treat.

The Interview with Sporty Spice

Mel C, also known as Sporty Spice, was the secret special guest. This pop icon took the stage to interview the group.  I think her unique insight into being in a major global girl group made her the perfect candidate for this, and I believe she helped organise the event. She also asked the group to teach us how to do the hand motions in the Gabriela choreography – great audience participation.

Following the interview, the girls took to the stage to do their first ever European performance.

The Performance

They sang a handful of songs, Debut, Touch, Gabriela and Gnarly, to excited cheers from fans. Whilst the setlist was sparse, it was a great taster for fans who have only been able to experience the group through their screens since the Netflix production of Dream Academy.

Overall, this night was a once in a lifetime experience for fans, being able to say you were in that limited room and were one of the few to first support them on your home terf – all for free – is something truly special.

And, on the way out Jollibee was giving all the fans a £50 voucher for free food!

It’s definitely something I’d be open to attending again if another group offered another experience like this.