22nd December 2024 – (Taipei) Taiwanese pop icon A-Mei captivated a crowd of 40,000 at the Taipei Arena on Saturday, as she kicked off a series of five concerts leading up to New Year’s Eve. A-Mei’s opening performance was met with thunderous applause and cheers.
Expressing her gratitude, A-Mei remarked, “Thank you, Taipei Arena, for allowing me to return to perform. You all know how much I wanted to come back, and it hasn’t been easy.” Notably, she is the first female artist to hold a concert at this iconic venue and the first to perform there during the New Year celebrations.
The energy in the arena was electric as she performed six songs in succession. A-Mei, visibly thrilled, joked with the audience, asking for the fans to cool down the venue as she prepared for the subsequent shows. Reflecting on her first performance at the arena, she shared her pride in performing at such a magnificent venue, stating, “I feel honoured and proud to have this opportunity.”
This concert coincided with the winter solstice, and A-Mei recreated elements from her 2013 “Love Is the Only” concert, surprising attendees with a special segment featuring tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) on the large screens, one of which was designed to resemble the arena itself. Before the performance, she also rallied her team, treating them to tangyuan and presenting custom outfits embroidered with their names, fostering a sense of camaraderie.
A-Mei’s allure drew a star-studded audience, including friends and colleagues such as Show Lo, Jay Chau, JJ Lin and members of the Chinese Taipei baseball team, highlighting her immense popularity.
Show Lo, dressed sharply in black, made a brief appearance to support A-Mei amidst his preparations for his own upcoming New Year concerts. When asked about performing at the Taipei Arena, he humbly stated, “I can perform anywhere smaller; this venue is too large. The pressure of 40,000 people is intense.” He later encouraged A-Mei, cheering her on as she continues her remarkable concert series.
