Review: ARTMS Lights Up Vancouver With Their Lunar Theory Tour

Last weekend, K-pop girl group ARTMS, brought the North American portion of their Lunar Theory world tour to a close in Vancouver, BC. Performing at The Vogue Theatre on Sunday April 20, ARTMS transformed the iconic Vancouver venue into a galaxy, filled with their catchy music, iconic choreography, and breathtaking visuals. From beginning to end, the group played a truly memorable show to a packed audience. The moment the lights dimmed and the concert began, it was obvious that ARTMS was truly excited to perform for the first time in one of Canada’s most vibrant cities. 

ARTMS is a 5-member South Korean K-pop girl group under the entertainment agency MODHAUS. The group consists of HeeJin, HaSeul, Kim Lip, JinSoul, and Choerry, all former members of the K-pop girl group LOONA. The group’s name is pronounced as “Artemis” and is inspired by the Greek goddess of the moon, relating to LOONA’s lore. The group’s catchphrase, “we rise together, back to the moon and beyond,” reflects their celestial concept, paying homage to their beginnings in LOONA while signaling a new path forward. 

The group’s fandom name is OURII (pronounced “oo-ree”). The name was chosen from a fan vote and is a blend of the 5th letter from each member’s name. In Korean, the fandom name, "우리" translates to “we” or “us,” representing the connection between ARTMS and their fans. Furthermore, the “O” in “OURII” represents the number five in Korean ("오"), relating to the five members of the group as well as LOONA’s fandom name, “Orbits.” 

ARTMS debuted in May 2024 with their first studio album, DALL (short for “Devine All Love & Live) featuring the lead single, “Virtual Angel.” Each track on the album was produced by Jaden Jeong who is the CEO and founder of MODHAUS and LOONA’s former creative director and music producer. The group’s musical style blends pop and electronica music with lyrics that are rich in storytelling, creating an atmospheric and experimental sound. Often exploring themes of rebirth and unity, the group draws inspiration from lunar mythology, creating an overarching celestial sound experience. While grasping a futuristic sound, ARTMS’ music showcases each member’s vocal abilities and style. 

The group’s most recent music release is their long-anticipated single, “BURN,” released on April 4, 2025. The song was crafted by G-HIGH, the mind behind LOONA’s song, “Butterfly.” “BURN” pulses with 808 bass and sports a very heavy, grounded rhythm. Instead of the group’s usual synthesized sound, 'BURN' experiments with a more emotionally charged style, delivering messages of transformation, resilience, and self-discovery. Being a song that’s over three minutes in length, “BURN” is a compact, yet impactful song that echoes LOONA’s “girl crush” era while emphasizing ARTMS’ evolution as a group. 

Photo Credit: MODHAUS

ARTMS’ current 2025 Lunar Theory world tour showcased songs from the group’s past and present. With a setlist that largely consisted of LOONAs songs, the tour did an excellent job of honoring each member’s past while opening up a new chapter for the group. The show began with solo stages followed by some smaller ensemble songs and ended with large group numbers. One of the most unique aspects of the concert was the fact that the show began with solo performances. With the group’s large fanbase composed of many LOONA fans, there was no need to start with large group numbers to set the tone of the concert as an introduction. Due to each member already being well-known, there was more anticipation with revealing each member on stage one by one through each solo performance of a LOONA song. HeeJin opened the show with the song, “ViViD,” followed by HaSeul with, “Let Me In.” After a performance of “Sonatine” with the both of them, Kim Lip entered the stage to perform, “Eclipse,” followed by JinSoul with, “Singing in the Rain.” Lastly, Choerry performed the popular song, “Love Cherry Motion,” followed by an upbeat performance of the song, “Girl Front,” by Kim Lip, JinSoul, and Choerry, also known as the trio/LOONA subunit: “Odd Eye Circle.” 

After the solo numbers and small group performances, ARTMS moved into some of LOONA’s popular group songs including “WOW,” “Star,” and “PTT (Paint The Town)” to name a few. It was evident that the girls put their heart and soul into each performance, often left breathless after giving their all on stage, both vocally and through their powerful choreography. This was especially true for the song PTT (Paint The Town), which featured sharp and bold choreography resulting in an overall powerful and inspiring performance. 

In the final third of the concert, ARTMS shifted the spotlight fully onto their own music, performing their original songs with a burst of renewed energy that defied the length of the show. Some of the songs included in this portion of the concert included, “Sparkle,” “Virtual Angel,” and the group’s newly released track, “BURN.” Despite already delivering a packed set, the members showed no signs of slowing down and performed each song with unwavering passion proving just how much they had left to give. These moments were very special for the audience as it allowed ARTMS to claim their own artistic space after honoring their past with their performances of LOONA’s discography. Just when the night felt complete and the audience didn’t think it could not get any better, the group returned for an encore of LOONA’s song, “So What,” an upbeat anthem that brought their journey full circle uniting fans of both LOONA and ARTMS together with a powerful sense of continuity and pride. 

Some of the most meaningful moments of the concert came not through the choreography or vocals, but when the group took time to speak directly to the audience. Though they primarily spoke in Korean (with translations from an English translator), each member made an effort to connect directly in English as well, expressing their gratitude and excitement about performing in Canada for the first time. They warmly shared how special it felt to be in Vancouver, with HeeJin charming the crowd by playfully calling the city “Vancity” and even referencing “604 energy,” which was a nod that had the local fans cheering. Throughout the concert, the group repeatedly expressed their desire to return, asking fans to come see them again in the future,  making it clear that this first visit to Vancouver was just the beginning! 

ARTMS’ Lunar Theory tour stop in Vancouver wasn’t just a concert, but more of a celebration of the group’s past, present, and future. From solo stages to powerful group numbers, ARTMS brought their full selves to their performance in Vancouver and truly gave the audience a night to remember. The passion that they had on stage combined with their authenticity and connection with their fans made their first performance in Vancity both intimate and grand for fans old and new. As they “rise together toward the moon and beyond”, one thing is clear … ARTMS is just getting started and Vancouver will be ready to welcome them back with open arms in the future! 

ARTMS Lunar Theory North American tour dates were as followed: 

March 28 – Chicago, IL – Copernicus Center

March 31 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room

April 2 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore

April 4 – New York, NY – Town Hall 

April 6 – Richmond, VA – Dominion Energy Center 

April 8 – St Petersburg, FL – Mahaffey Theater 

April 10 – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center

April 13 – Los Angeles, CA – Wilshire Ebell Theatre

April 16 – San Francisco, CA – Palace of Fine Arts

April 18 – Tacoma, WA – Pantages Theater 

April 20 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre 

The European Lunar Theory tour dates are as followed: 

May 1 – London, UK – Troxy  

May 3 – Eindhoven, NL – Effenaar

May 5 – Paris, FR – Salle Pleyel

May 8 – Milan, IT – Fabrique

May 11 – Copenhagen, DK – Amager Bio 

May 14 – Warsaw, PL – Progresja  

ARTMS’ 2025 Lunar Theory tour started in Seoul, South Korea on March 22. The North American portion of their Lunar Theory concert tour began on March 28 in Chicago, IL, USA and ended on April 20 in Vancouver, BC, Canada. ARTMS will begin the European leg of their Lunar Theory tour on May 1 in London, UK. 

Watch the music video for ARTMS' latest single, "BURN" below: 

Top Photo Credit: Modhaus