Two arenas, three days
The Australian leg is short. BABYMONSTER, the seven-member girl group from YG Entertainment, bring the CHOOM World Tour to Australia for two shows only.
- Melbourne: Rod Laver Arena, Friday, December 11, 2026
- Sydney: Afterpay Arena, Sunday, December 13, 2026
That leaves one free day between the cities. Some fans who go to both shows spend Saturday travelling, since Melbourne to Sydney is one of the busiest domestic air routes in the world. Others take the overnight drive along the Hume Highway.
Why CHOOM matters to Monstiez
Choom (춤) is simply the Korean word for dance. That tells you what the group wants this tour to be about.
BABYMONSTER debuted with “Batter Up” in late 2023. “Sheesh” from their first mini album followed, then the full-length Drip. Their first arena run, the Hello Monsters tour, made their name as a group that sings live over hard choreography. The members are Ruka, Pharita, Asa, Ahyeon, Rami, Rora and Chiquita. Fans call themselves Monstiez.
For Australian fans the dates come at a good moment. December is early summer, school is winding down, and Sunday night is a natural finale for anyone who flies in for the weekend.
Inside Afterpay Arena on show night
This is an indoor arena, so the heat outside stays outside. It runs on the usual Australian arena layout:
- a general admission floor in front of the stage
- reserved seating on tiered levels around it
Floor fans stand for the whole set. In the tiers, people stand for the singles and sit down during ballads and the talking segments, the ments.
The seat map, bag rules and entry conditions sit on the tour’s ticketing page. Those rules cover the size of signs and banners and whether lightstick batteries are allowed. Afterpay Arena’s own website lists the venue-wide policies, including re-entry and accessible seating.
Getting to Afterpay Arena
Sydney runs on tap-on, tap-off public transport. The same Opal card works across trains, buses, ferries and light rail. So does a contactless bank card or phone wallet, and most visitors just use that.
After a big arena show the platforms fill up fast as the crowd leaves at once. Concertgoers usually expect a queue at the station and use the wait to trade photos. Rideshare pickups near arenas tend to surge at the same moment. Plenty of people walk a few blocks away from the venue before ordering a car.
Interstate and international fans usually stay in the CBD. It has the widest choice of hotels and the most direct transport links, and Sunday-night flights home are limited, so a Monday departure is common.
Lightsticks, freebies and the merch line
K-pop concert culture in Australia follows its own rules. Here is what Sydney’s Monstiez usually do.
- Merch queues start hours before doors. Official merchandise sells at stands at the venue, and popular sizes and lightstick stock go first. Fans who mainly want merch often come in the afternoon, then leave and return for the show.
- Freebies get swapped outside. Fans hand out fan-made photocards, stickers and bracelets near the entrances, usually for free. It is polite to offer one back if you brought any.
- The official lightstick syncs to the show. In most YG tours it pairs with your seat through the official app, so the arena changes colour together. Fans pair it at their seat before the lights go down.
- Fan chants are learned in advance. Monstiez shout the members’ names in a fixed order during the intros. Fan accounts share the chant guides for the main singles.
- Card is normal everywhere. Australian venues are mostly tap-to-pay for food, drinks and merch. Tipping is not expected at the counters.
Making a weekend of December 13
A Sunday-night show leaves the daytime free. Sydney in mid-December means long, light evenings and beach weather.
Out-of-town fans often fill the day with:
- the harbour walk from Circular Quay to the Sydney Opera House and the Royal Botanic Garden
- the Bondi to Coogee coastal walk
- the ferry to Manly
- a K-pop warm-up in the Korean restaurants and cafés of Haymarket and around Pitt Street, near Town Hall station, where tour-day fan meetups often happen
Fans following the group from Melbourne get a different weekend. They see the Friday show at Rod Laver Arena in the Melbourne Park precinct beside the Yarra, then go north for the finale.
Frequently asked questions
When and where does BABYMONSTER play Sydney on the CHOOM World Tour?
BABYMONSTER play Afterpay Arena in Sydney on Sunday, December 13, 2026. It is the second of two Australian shows.
Is there another Australian date?
Yes. The tour plays Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Friday, December 11, 2026, two days before the Sydney show.
Where are tickets and seat maps listed?
Ticket links, the seat map and entry rules are on the tour's official ticketing page. Venue-wide policies such as bag rules and accessibility are on Afterpay Arena's website. Neither price nor set times are given here.
How do people get to the arena?
Most fans use Sydney's public transport. You tap on and off with an Opal card or a contactless bank card or phone. After the show, expect a queue at the station.
Do fans bring lightsticks and freebies?
Yes. The official BABYMONSTER lightstick is widely used and syncs during the show. Fans also hand out and swap free fan-made photocards and stickers outside the venue.
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