{"id":377891,"date":"2026-10-20T13:30:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T13:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/377891\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T13:30:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T13:30:13","slug":"how-can-we-heal-monsta-x-lights-up-nyc-with-epic-return-and-joohoneys-birthday-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/377891\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018How can we heal?:\u2019 MONSTA X lights up NYC with epic return and Joohoney\u2019s birthday celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"

K-pop veterans MONSTA X brought nostalgia, celebration, and electrifying performances to the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 6 as part of their 2026 MONSTA X WORLD TOUR [THE X : NEXUS].<\/p>\n

A sea of Monbebe, the group\u2019s devoted fandom, packed the theater, waving glowing light sticks that cast neon hues across the room, with some fans wearing birthday hats to honor Joohoney, whose birthday fell on the group\u2019s return to the Big Apple.<\/p>\n

It was a night to remember, with palpable excitement as fans screamed lyrics, celebrated the group\u2019s music, and the cherished memories they have built together over the years. Formed through Mnet\u2019s survival reality program No.Mercy, MONSTA X officially debuted on May 14, 2015, with their first extended play, Trespass, under Starship Entertainment.<\/p>\n

MONSTA X\u2019s last New York City appearance came on April 6, when members Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon and Joohoney performed their song \u201cheal\u201d on Good Morning America. With I.M currently fulfilling his mandatory military service, the five members brought that same healing spirit to the stage, reconnecting with fans through a night of electrifying dance, witty humor, and some of their greatest hits.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"MONSTA<\/a>MONSTA X performs at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden.Photo by Amanda Moses \"Joohoney\"<\/a>JoohoneyPhoto by Amanda Moses \"Hyungwon\"<\/a>HyungwonPhoto by Amanda Moses<\/p>\n

Joohoney\u2019s birthday made the evening even more memorable, turning the group\u2019s New York return into a double celebration. Greeted by screaming fans, the rapper and vocalist wore an emotional smile as he reflected on spending his special day with Monbebe.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy birthday in New York is really, really such an honor to be here. The first time I met our U.S. Monbebe was at K-CON. I still can\u2019t forget that day. And ever since then, we\u2019ve come here all the way to the States together to be able to release our album,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Minhyuk shared his affection for the city, saying he enjoys wandering its streets and imagining himself as a true New Yorker.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I walk New York City streets, [I feel] like a New Yorker,\u201d Minhyuk said. \u201cEver since I was young, it was the city that I\u2019ve always watched, and to be able to walk the streets of that exact city and to be able to even perform in that city, it\u2019s all thanks to you guys. And to be able to celebrate this very, very special day for Joohoney\u2019s birthday, it makes it even more special today.\u201d<\/p>\n

The show continued with a repertoire of more than 30 songs, including \u201cMagic,\u201d \u201cDRAMARAMA,\u201d \u201cBaby Blue,\u201d and \u201cAlligator,\u201d alongside solo and unit performances that showcased the members\u2019 individual artistry.<\/p>\n

\"Minhyuk\"<\/a>MinhyukPhoto by Amanda Moses \"Kihyun\"<\/a>KihyunPhoto by Amanda Moses \"Shownu\"<\/a>ShownuPhoto by Amanda Moses<\/p>\n

After more than a decade in the industry, MONSTA X\u2019s New York City performance underscored that they remain a formidable onstage force amid the deluge of K-pop acts clamoring for the spotlight. They are among the veteran innovators and trailblazers who have helped popularize this genre with the masses.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For the adoring Monebe who attended the concert, the group\u2019s commanding presence, synchronized choreography, live-performance energy, and ability to connect with audiences showcased a group that has helped set the standard for modern K-pop touring.\u00a0<\/p>\n

MONSTA X will continue its world tour at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, on Oct. 20, followed by the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco on Oct. 22 and WAMU Theater in Seattle on Oct. 24.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"K-pop veterans MONSTA X brought nostalgia, celebration, and electrifying performances to the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":377892,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[6037,138866,2538,9,56,63,65,64],"class_list":["post-377891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-city","tag-k-pop","tag-monsta-x","tag-music","tag-new-york","tag-ny","tag-nyc","tag-nyc-headlines","tag-nyc-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=377891"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377891\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/377892"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=377891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=377891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=377891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}