The a-nation 2025 showcased vibrant performances from various artists, including PG, Novelbright, and XG, captivating the audience.

The performers at 'a-nation' showed a stage full of passion that did not lose to the midsummer heat. On August 30, the vocal and dance company PG, consisting of 14 elementary and middle school students, appeared as the opening act. Last year, they went viral on TikTok as a group of elementary and middle school students wanting to make their summer vacation research buzz, and this year they made their first appearance at a-nation as PG. They showcased a lively performance, highlighting their freshness, and their soaring high tones resonated throughout the stadium. The new song 'BANABANA', presented at the end, is a powerful support song. PG, showing a bold performance with smiles, excited the audience before the opening of 'a-nation 2025'. Next up was the female solo artist Kika, who debuted last July. In her debut song 'ICY', she showcased her ability to sing and dance with a well-coordinated performance with dancers, while in the ballad 'For Love', she expressed the song's world with a sorrowful expression and vocals. The last song she performed was her 4th digital single 'no games, no lies', a chill R&B number that energized the venue with a relaxed dance. Following her was the five-member rock band Novelbright from Osaka, making their second appearance at 'a-nation'. As the members appeared on stage with solemn SE, vocalist Yudai Takenaka's powerful voice resonated in the clear blue sky, starting the live with 'Sunny drop'. Takenaka's shout 'Can you make some noise!' drew smiles and cheers from the audience, who waved their hands enthusiastically. Starting with a quiet melody from an acoustic guitar, 'seeker' showcased Takenaka's astonishing long tones, while in 'Love and Romance', he walked from one end of the wide stage to the other, singing as if addressing the audience. Following their latest song 'Canopus' released in April, the last song 'Walking with you' resonated with a dynamic melody, demonstrating their presence as the opening act of 'a-nation 2025'. MAX, who debuted from avex in 1995, celebrated their 30th anniversary this year. They started the live with 'BOOM BOOM BOMB-BA-YEA', energizing the venue with claps overhead. 'We have prepared a special medley just for today,' they said, starting a summer special medley that included MAX's hit songs 'GET MY LOVE!' and 'TORA TORA TORA', creating a perfect summer hit medley that raised the heat of Ajinomoto Stadium to its peak. In 'Lovin' me', they fully showcased the charm of adults with relaxed performances. Although they have been active solo recently, they demonstrated their performance skills as a group of four. Spanish diva Ana Mena also made her first appearance at 'a-nation'. Dressed in a pure white bikini-style outfit and white long boots, she appeared on stage, her long blonde hair flowing in the wind blowing through the stadium, captivating the audience with her transparent vocals from the first song 'Me he pillado'. After greeting in Japanese, 'Hello, TOKYO! I'm Ana Mena', she surprised the audience with her performance in 'Música ligera', where she sat on a male dancer or was held high while singing, showing her delight at the audience's reaction. In 'Carita', she danced while entrusting the microphone to her dancers, and at the end of the song, a dancer lifted Ana Mena high while she lay down, creating a beautifully picturesque scene. In the final song 'Las 12', she shouted, 'Jump together!' and captivated the audience with an entertaining stage that included acrobatic performances with her dancers. MAZZEL started their live with the summer tune 'Seaside Story'. In their debut song 'Vivid', they showcased their unique charm, despite their different personalities, with a harmonious performance. In 'CAME TO DANCE', the members smiled at each other while swinging towels, and in 'King Kila Game', with its downer melody repeating 'Who is the king?', they overwhelmed the venue with a passionate performance. Continuing with a mashup, 'J.O.K.E.R.' featured powerful street dance combined with a torrent of rap, creating a visually stunning stage. The jazzy melody in 'Parade' showcased MAZZEL's world and expressive power. TREASURE, known for their live-focused performances, made their first appearance at 'a-nation' after drawing 300,000 fans on their second Japan tour last year. Like their usual tours, they performed with a band set at the festival. Starting with 'KING KONG', they showcased overwhelming performances, encouraging the audience to join in. They followed with 'JIK JIN' and hit songs, raising the stadium's heat to its peak. During the MC, they revealed their comeback with the 3rd mini-album 'LOVE PULSE' on September 1, performing 'EVERYTHING' for the first time in the world as a surprise. In 'HELLO', the audience jumped along with the members, and in 'HERE I STAND', they had a blast on stage. Until the last refreshing rock number 'RUN', they ran around the wide stage, enjoying the summer festival with the audience. Girls², a girl performance group composed of the historical heroines from the first three works of the TV Tokyo special effects live-action drama 'Girls x Warriors', made their first appearance at 'a-nation'. They appeared in outfits reminiscent of Heisei-era gals and performed the classic song '♡Momoiro Kataomoi♡' covered with Gorie. Following the cute performance, they showcased a different charm with cool expressions and dance in 'LET ME DANCE'. They ended their stage with a lively smile while performing 'C'mon Neo Zipang!!!' while swinging towels. Daichi Miura, making his 10th appearance at 'a-nation', celebrated his 20th anniversary as a solo artist this year. As soon as he appeared on stage, he energized the venue with loud claps, starting with the dynamic dance and resonant singing of 'Blizzard', instantly coloring the stadium with Daichi Miura's essence. In 'As much as you like', he began with unique steps, sometimes being tossed around by dancers and sometimes becoming the center of attention, creating a performance rather than just a live show. In 'Heartbeat', he ran across the wide stage, impressively delivering his voice and message to all the audience in the stadium. In 'EXCITE', he actively spun towels while running around the stage, drawing loud cheers from the audience with high kicks that seemed impossible for the latter half of the live. The final song 'Horizon Dreamer' showcased a dynamic dance and deep bass vocals, capturing the audience's attention with the charm of Daichi Miura. NiziU, born from the 2020 Japan-Korea joint global audition project 'Nizi Project', made their second consecutive appearance at 'a-nation'. They energetically appeared on stage, starting the live with 'Take a picture', which features choreography that looks like they are taking selfies. In the summer song 'Super Summer', the members waved towels in sync with the audience, creating a summer festival atmosphere. NiziU, who has fond memories of last year's 'a-nation', smiled at the audience, who joined in with loud voices. Starting 'What if -Japanese ver.-' with 'I want to hear your voices', they raised their fists in unison with the energetic melody, shouting together. In 'Make you happy', they ran to the edge of the stage to appeal to fans, and they concluded with a group 'jump rope dance'. From start to finish, they delivered a cheerful performance with bright smiles. Next was the four-piece rock band I Don't Like Mondays. They showcased their overseas popularity with the anime 'ONE PIECE' theme song 'PAINT', followed by the catchy 'kiri ga nai desu wa', which features a chill melody and light lyrics. Their live was perfect for a summer evening, providing a moment of relaxation in the heated 'a-nation'. ITZY's Yeji, who debuted solo in March this year, made her first appearance at 'a-nation'. In 'Air', accompanied by dancers, she elevated her sharpness and dynamism in her performance, showcasing who YEJI is as an artist. Spotting MIDZY (ITZY's fan name) in the audience made her smile as she said, 'It really gives me strength.' In 'Crown On My Head', she overwhelmed with a powerful performance, and during the MC, she charmingly switched to a fluffy tone saying, 'I will drink some water.' Following the sexy 'Can't Slow Me, No', which featured a kiss throw during the dance, she expressed 'love that is not enough in 24 hours a day, 7 days a week' in '258', leaving a significant mark in her first festival as a solo artist. The girl vocal group Birei, produced by YOSHIKI, made their second appearance at 'a-nation'. As the sun set over the stadium, the sound of high notes like bells echoed, starting with 'Butterfly'. The 4-octave high notes interspersed with classical songs struck the audience's hearts, and in the following new song 'Your Jealousy', they proved their skills not only with delicate vocals but also with powerful rap. Zico from Block B, who has been in high demand at music festivals worldwide, made his first appearance at a Japanese festival in three years at 'a-nation'. Starting with 'Artist', where he mentioned filming a music video in Japan eight years ago, he performed legendary songs like 'Any Song', which created the culture of dancing with other artists, and 'New thing', where he walked around the stage dancing to a unique rhythm while continuously waving to the Japanese audience. From the fast-paced, shouting rap of 'Turtle Ship', which arranged traditional Korean sounds, to the versatile rap over the ominous melody of 'Okey Dokey', Zico showcased the breadth of his rap style. He began with the comment, 'I will make Ajinomoto Stadium the hottest spot in the world,' performing 'SPOT!', which gained attention last year for featuring BLACKPINK's Jennie. He fulfilled his role as a rapper and entertainer until the end of the stage. Dai Hirai appeared at the now-dark Ajinomoto Stadium. In 'Inori Hana', he gently delivered his voice while playing the ukulele, and in the medley from 'MIRROR MIRROR' to 'Under the Sea', he walked from one end of the stage to the other, facing the audience with lively songs like a musical. Starting with the audience's sing-along in 'Slow & Easy', the blue lights from the glowing fans swayed left and right in sync with the song's relaxed tempo, creating a healing moment. 'It seems like we still have some time,' he said, asking the audience, 'Is there anyone who recently got married?' Spotting a couple who got married last year, he sang his representative love song 'Stand by me, Stand by you.' Finally, he blessed the couple with 'Wishing you happiness forever' and concluded the live. XG, who debuted globally since their debut in 2022 and was invited to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival last year, made their first appearance at 'a-nation' as headliners. Following the addictive 'TGIF' with a strong beat and mysterious melody, they captivated the audience with the speedy dance and ever-changing formations in 'SOMETHING AIN'T RIGHT'. In 'NEW DANCE', they enchanted the audience with a fancy stage in white costumes that made them look like fairies. Sometimes performing with perfectly synchronized dance, and sometimes freely enjoying the music, they uplifted the audience's mood. The performance of 'GRL GVNG', where they sang and danced using chairs, was impressive, and the perfectly angled performance of 'HESONO O+X-GENE' was astonishing. In 'IYKYK', they dyed the stadium in XG colors with light vocals and crisp rap. Starting with 'XG!' shouted by both members and the audience, they rode on floats around the wide stadium during 'MASCARA', transforming the stadium into a club with strong EDM beats. In 'MILLION PLACES', they switched to sweet harmonies, creating a gentle atmosphere. While performing 'IS THIS LOVE' with each member holding a white rose, they deepened the feeling with only piano accompaniment, and the flow of letting go of the white rose and picking up a red rose felt like a theatrical story. Until the last 'SHOOTING STAR', they showcased a relaxed stage presence, concluding their first stadium performance with fireworks, closing the first day of 'a-nation 2025'.