The deep connection the Persona community has with the music first struck me back in 2015 at my very first Taiyou Con. That year featured a special Persona 3 and 4 concert with singers Yumi Kawamuri, Shihoko Hirata, and the tallanted rapper Lotus Juice. Now, fast forward to 2026, we're celebrating the first-ever Persona Live show in the US—an absolute milestone and a wild ride for every Persona fan.

Persona music saw a significant shift with the releases of Persona 3 in 2006 and Persona 4 in 2008. The success of these two games led to the now-famous Persona Live Velvet Room Akasaka Blitz concert in 2008, an event known for its strong focus on vocal J-pop and hip-hop musical styles. The Dolby Theatre in Hollywood proved to be an excellent venue. Its design ensured a fantastic view of the performers from any seat, and the combination of the swelling music and the crowd's cheers created a truly great experience.

The concert launched with powerful energy, beginning with a hype-inducing countdown. Lyn Inaizumi immediately took center stage, kicking off the performance with "Colors Fly High," the opening theme from Persona 5. The audience, holding red glow sticks, illuminated the venue as they cheered and sang along with the artist. 

The concert was a high-energy experience, with the battle theme "Take Over" igniting the audience. The live dancers, dressed as the beloved Persona 5 characters, performed incredibly well-choreographed routines that significantly enhanced the songs' overall effect. The spectacular show benefited from the stage's surprisingly functional two-tier design, which provided ample space for both the dancers and the singer. My personal favorite, "Blooming Villain," was absolutely surreal to witness live. Composer Toshiki Konishi's stellar guitar work was so immersive it felt like being transported directly into the game world.

The concert's second half was electrifying, centering on Lotus Juice and Azumi Takahashi, whose appearance prompted the audience to switch their glow sticks to blue, matching the theme of Persona 3 Reload. This shift in the concert's mood was met with a surge of energy, characterized by loud cheers, screams of joy, and the audience enthusiastically waving their arms along with the two singers. A live rendition of "Full Moon Full Life" from Persona 3 Reload was a highlight, maintaining the audience's high energy. The performance seamlessly transitioned into "When The Moon’s Reaching Out Stars," featuring the return of the live dancers to the upper portion of the stage with impressive, well-choreographed routines. A special shout-out goes to the dancer portraying Makoto Yuki, who perfectly captured the character's signature look by keeping his hands in his pockets throughout the performance, a detail that was definitely appreciated by the crowd.

During a pause in the concert, Lotus Juice returned to the stage to deliver a heartfelt speech. He expressed his profound joy at performing in the US again, noting that the experience "hits different" and praising the audience's high energy before offering them his sincere thanks. Lotus Juice's performance of his most streamed Japanese song in the US, "Iwatai Dorm," immediately evoked memories of playing Persona 3 on the PlayStation 2. The energy remained high as the concert segued into the battle theme "Mass Destruction," with the audience enthusiastically singing along. A spectacular segment followed, transitioning into "Battle Hymn of the Soul," which featured a digital version of the character Aigis—likely utilizing technology similar to Hatsune Miku—dancing alongside the live performers.

Although the latter half of the concert concentrated primarily on songs from Persona 3 Reload, Lyn Inaizumi still managed to surprise the audience. She performed two live tracks from the Persona 5 Phantom X mobile game: "Ambitions and Visions" and "Wake Up Your Hero." Tokishi Konishi, known by the nickname Konita, gave a brief speech. He thanked everyone for attending and shared his excitement about performing for such a fantastic audience. The concert concluded its final encore song with the high-energy song "Deep Breath Deep Breath." For this grand finale, all the live dancers and singers joined the stage, leading the audience in waving their arms back and forth. The performance maintained its vibrant energy, with the dancers and singers delighting the crowd with a series of charming, collaborative skits.

Persona Live Awakenings was an absolute treat. Many Persona fans were delighted by the incredible live performance of music from Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5. The energetic choreography of the live dancers and the audience's palpable enthusiasm were definitely  highlights of the show for me. I am eagerly anticipating the return of Persona Live to the US, hopefully once we have experienced Persona 4 Revival and the much-anticipated Persona 6.

Setlist: 

 Persona 5 / Persona 5: The Phantom X 

 Colors Flying High

 Take Over

 Last Surprise

 Beneath The Mask

 Blooming Villain

 Searching for the Key

 Ambitions and Visions

 Rivers in the Desert

 I believe

 Life Will Change

 Hoshi to Bokura To (Piano Rendition)

 Persona 3 Reload 

 Color Your Night (Piano Rendition)

 Don’t (Piano Rendition)

 Full Moon Full Life

 When The Moon’s Reaching Out Stars

 Iwatodai Dorm

 Mass Destruction

 It’s Going Down Now

 Deep Breath Deep Breath

 Battle Hymn of the Soul

 Burn my Dread -Last Battle-

 Memories of You

 Encore:

 Want to Be Close ~ Changing Seasons

 Wake Up Your Hero

 Deep Breath Deep Breath -Reincarnation-