FIVE O ONE canceled concerts in Tokyo, Kobe and Osaka: HENECIA cites organizer problems
All four concerts of the FIVE O ONE project in Japan, announced for September 2026 in Tokyo, Kobe and Osaka, were canceled after the HENECIA agency announced that the local organizer's preparations had not reached the level required for the performances to be held properly. The decision was officially announced on September 3, only eight days before the first scheduled concert in Tokyo. HENECIA named baebae Entertainment as the organizer and stated that during preparations there had been problems with insufficient readiness, communication and the operational system. According to the agency's statement, several elements necessary for carrying out the concerts had not progressed satisfactorily, despite repeated checks, discussions and requests for the necessary measures to be taken. The agency therefore concluded that the performances could not be held under normal conditions and canceled the entire Japanese series titled "2026 FIVE O ONE in JAPAN : ζγεΎ
γ€", or "Waiting for Stars".
The cancellation covers two performances in Tokyo and one each in Kobe and Osaka. The first concert was scheduled to be held on September 11 at SGC Hall Ariake in Tokyo, and the second at the same venue on September 13. The next date was scheduled for September 26 at Kobe Culture Hall, while the final concert was to be held on September 27 at Orix Theater in Osaka. The official SGC Hall Ariake website also subsequently marked both Tokyo dates as canceled and published HENECIA's notice. The decision therefore does not concern a single isolated date or a schedule change, but all four announced performances from this Japanese concert series.
HENECIA directly cited problems with preparation and communication
In its official announcement, HENECIA did not cite health circumstances, a change in the performers' schedules or force majeure as the reason, but problems in the production and organization process. The agency announced that during preparations it had observed shortcomings on the part of baebae Entertainment, including difficulties in communication and operational organization, because of which matters necessary for holding the concerts were not being resolved efficiently enough. HENECIA claims that it tried to enable the program to be held as planned by regularly checking the situation, discussing matters with the organizer and requesting the necessary corrective measures. After assessing that the conditions for the normal realization of the performances had nevertheless not been secured, the decision was made to completely cancel the Japanese concerts. The available official notice does not specify detailed technical or financial causes, nor does it publish a list of specific obligations that, according to HENECIA's assessment, had not been fulfilled.
Such wording is important because it limits what can reliably be claimed at this point about the background of the case. HENECIA publicly presented its assessment of responsibility and announced an additional review of the facts, but the September 3 announcement did not present an independent report on the organization of the concerts or detailed documentation concerning the relationship with the promoter. The agency said that it takes the case seriously, that it will carefully establish the relevant facts and take the necessary measures. At present, it has therefore not been officially confirmed whether the dispute will have a contractual, financial or legal continuation. For the audience, the most important immediate consequence is clear: all four concerts have been canceled, and ticket buyers have been promised refunds.
Refunds will be handled through the place where the ticket was purchased
According to HENECIA, tickets purchased in advance will be refunded through the sales channels where they were originally purchased. The agency stated that the specific procedure and deadlines should be announced separately by the individual ticket sales platforms. This means that the process does not necessarily have to be the same for every buyer, especially because there were different presale and general sale stages for the Japanese performances. HENECIA JAPAN had previously announced fan-club presales through the Lawson Ticket system, while sales information for the Kobe and Osaka performances also appeared on major Japanese services such as Ticket Pia and ePlus. The Kobe and Osaka dates are now marked as canceled on ticket sales services.
Buyers are therefore advised to follow the channel through which they made their purchase, because the official notice does not specify one universal deadline or a single form for all refunds. Previous rules for these concerts stated that in the event of cancellation or postponement, related travel and transportation costs would not be reimbursed. This is particularly relevant for audience members who booked intercity or international transportation and accommodation because of the performances. In its apology, HENECIA focused on refunding the ticket price and does not mention additional forms of compensation. For all other costs, travelers should therefore separately check the conditions of the carriers, hotels, insurance providers and other booking platforms they used.
Four concerts were conceived as different experiences
The canceled program was considerably more elaborate than a standard series of identical concert evenings. In August, HENECIA JAPAN announced that a different structure and special stage elements were planned for each of the four performances. Different combinations of songs and stage arrangements were announced for the two Tokyo concerts, while Kobe and Osaka were to receive separate content, including band and dance segments. A special surprise preparation for the audience had been announced for Kim Kyu-jong, while Heo Young-saeng's segment was intended to connect music with elements of musical theater. In this way, the entire series was designed as a program in which part of the audience would have had a reason to attend more than one date.
An additional system of collectible benefits connected with all four concerts was also designed. The audience was supposed to receive different "puzzle" photo cards, one for each performance, which together would form a complete image and the design of the official poster. A "Lucky Marimo" project was also announced, conceived as content that would connect the preparation period with the concerts. These activities show that the cancellation affected not only the basic concert production but also a broader package of fan content that had been prepared during the summer. At the time the cancellation was announced, HENECIA did not present a replacement format for those activities or new dates on which the "Waiting for Stars" concept might be performed.
Tickets were sold in three price categories
According to details published in July, tickets were divided into three categories. SS seats cost 33,000 yen including tax, S seats 24,000 yen, and A seats 17,000 yen, with the possibility of additional sales-system fees. The most expensive category included a range of benefits, among them access to the pre-concert soundcheck, special entry, participation in the send-off for the performers after the show, a group photo session, special gifts and a "high touch" event. The S category also included access to the soundcheck and some additional benefits, while the A category was a more basic option with an accompanying photo card. The rules also specified a limit on the number of tickets per person for each concert.
Such a sales model further explains why a cancellation immediately before the first date is sensitive for organizers and the audience. Some buyers were paying not only for a seat in the venue but for a package that included special interactions and content connected with the group members. On August 10, HENECIA even announced an additional second fan-club presale, including additional SS seats, which shows that promotional and sales activities continued less than a month before the cancellation decision. Several weeks before the first performance, official concert merchandise sales at all venues had also been announced. Eight days before the first Tokyo date, however, the entire project in Japan was halted.
FIVE O ONE emerged from the reunion of three SS501 members
FIVE O ONE consists of Kim Hyun-joong, Heo Young-saeng and Kim Kyu-jong, three members of the South Korean group SS501. According to HENECIA's official profile, the project was launched in 2025 to mark the 20th anniversary of their debut, after a long period during which the members built separate careers in music, acting and musicals. The name FIVE O ONE directly references the identity of SS501, but it is a three-member lineup rather than a full reunion of all five members of the original group. HENECIA described the reunion as the continuation of a promise to fans that the members would appear together on stage again. From the beginning, the project was positioned internationally, with concerts and fan activities outside South Korea.
Their comeback phase began with the concerts "2025 FIVE O ONE : 20th Anniversary World Tour In Seoul" on July 12 and 13, 2025, at Olympic Hall in Seoul. The Japanese segment of the anniversary tour was then held on September 5 and 6, 2025, at NHK Hall in Tokyo, organized by the Japanese company Pia, and additional concerts in Japan were held in January 2026 at NHK Osaka Hall. That continuity makes the current cancellation particularly important in the context of the Japanese market: "Waiting for Stars" was not supposed to be FIVE O ONE's first encounter with audiences in Japan, but a new series of performances following anniversary concerts that had already taken place. For decades, the Japanese market has also been one of the key overseas destinations for the Korean pop industry, and SS501 had a strong audience base there even during the earlier phase of its career.
The project also received new studio material in 2026
The reunion was not limited to performing older repertoire. On March 7, 2026, FIVE O ONE released the album "Set It Off", which according to Apple Music data contains seven songs and runs for slightly more than 21 minutes. The release was issued under HENECIA with a license from Kakao Entertainment. This gave the project its own current catalog alongside the legacy of songs associated with SS501 and the solo work of the three performers. The new material further increased expectations for later performances during 2026, including the Japanese program scheduled for September.
After the cancellation, HENECIA said that it would proceed with greater care and responsibility in FIVE O ONE's future activities and that it wanted to present the group to the audience again "in better form" in the near future. This wording suggests an intention to continue activities, but it does not constitute confirmation of new dates in Tokyo, Kobe or Osaka. As of September 13, 2026, no replacement dates for the four canceled "Waiting for Stars" concerts had been announced on the official websites used to verify this event. Any possible new concerts would therefore have to be confirmed in a separate announcement by HENECIA, the Japanese fan club or the relevant ticketing and concert partners.
Cancellation ten days before the second Tokyo date
The time frame further amplifies the consequences of the decision. The notice was published on September 3, the first Tokyo concert was scheduled for September 11, and the second for September 13. On September 13, 2026, when the second performance at SGC Hall Ariake was supposed to take place, both Tokyo dates had already officially been marked as canceled. The concerts in Kobe and Osaka were somewhat further away, scheduled for the end of the month, but were covered by the same decision. There is no indication that holding either of those two cities' events separately under a different organizational model was being considered.
For fans following the project, the question remains open as to whether the concept prepared for September will be preserved for a future date. HENECIA's official statement does not promise rescheduling and does not use the wording "postponement", but explicitly refers to cancellation. This is an important distinction for ticket buyers: the current process is not one of waiting for new dates with an existing ticket, but receiving a refund through the original sales channel. If FIVE O ONE later announces new performances in Japan, according to the information currently available they would be new events with new sales conditions. Until then, the only officially confirmed obligation toward ticket buyers is a refund, while HENECIA continues to examine the circumstances that led to the termination of the project.
Sources:
- HENECIA JAPAN - official notice dated September 3, 2026, on the cancellation of the concerts, the reasons and ticket refunds (link)
- HENECIA JAPAN - official schedule, ticket prices, benefits and sales conditions for "2026 FIVE O ONE in JAPAN : ζγεΎ
γ€" (link)
- HENECIA JAPAN - description of special content planned for individual concerts and the second presale (link)
- HENECIA - official FIVE O ONE profile with information about the members and the 2025 reunion (link)
- Pia / PR TIMES - information about the start of the world tour and the Japanese concerts in Tokyo in 2025 (link)
- HENECIA - official announcement of the Japanese concerts in Osaka in January 2026 (link)
- SGC Hall Ariake - official event page showing the Tokyo dates as canceled (link)
- SBS Entertainment News - context on the reunion of three SS501 members and the importance of the Japanese audience for the project (link)
- Apple Music - information about the album "Set It Off", released on March 7, 2026 (link)