With less than a year on the scene, the five-piece performed like pros at its first full concert in the States for a sold-out show at Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden.
CORTIS performs at The Theatre at Great Canadian on August 4, 2026 in Toronto.
Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC (HYBE)
In under a year since hitting the scene, CORTIS has earned a No. 3 debut on the Billboard 200, a place on Billboard‘s 21 Under 21, a Lollapalooza set, a soundtrack single for the Stephen Curry–produced animated film GOAT, a halftime performance at the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, collaborations with Juicy J and Teezo Touchdown, and are now hitting the U.S. on their first tour.
On Thursday (Aug. 6), the quintet consisting of Martin, Juhoon, James, Seonghyeon and Keonho came to the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden for its first-ever solo concert in the States. The show proved CORTIS could live up to that already-stacked résumé while pointing to greater promise of what’s to come next for such promising artists.
After kicking off the Put Your Phone Down Tour in July at the Inspire Arena in Incheon, South Korea, CORTIS’ sold-out New York concert split the night in two. The first half ran through nearly all of the group’s discography, with most songs staged with choreography and impactful visuals across tall LED screens in the background. The second half revisited most of the same tracks a second (and sometimes a third) time, looser and with the camerawork more focused on the guys themselves. The New York date is one of seven North American shows across six cities, all of which are also sold out.
From a clear comfort level on stage to shouting out New York’s NBA Finals win just feet away from the Knicks’ home arena — as well as what made us truly want to put down our phones — here are the seven best moments from CORTIS’ first-ever U.S. solo concert in New York.
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Self-Correcting Choreo During “GO!”
Image Credit: Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC (HYBE) Youngest member Keonho needed to minimize arm movement after a prior fall caused fractures in both hands and remained mostly seated as the other four CORITS guys handled the choreography. While some K-pop acts struggle to be flexible with stage formations and choreography when members are missing, the members showed their on-stage professionalism, looking seamless as a foursome for the time being. Even when there was a noticeable gap where Keonho would have danced during their first performance of “GO!,” Martin quickly self-corrected and closed the gap, while not missing a beat of the sophisticated footwork. It was a blink-and-you’d-miss-it moment, but it speaks to their top-notch technical skills.
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A Common Comfort on Stage
The moment CORTIS hit the stage for the opening number “YOUNGCREATORCREW,” it was clear the group was noticeably comfortable on stage at all times. From more stylized and choreographed moments to freestyle performances and unscripted audience chats, CORTIS made the entire show look effortless, which can be difficult after rigorous K-pop training.
Instead, CORTIS thrived in the unrehearsed (complimenting the crowd for going wild when a lighting issue paused the show with James inviting the audience to sit and catch their breath and Martin leading a quick breathing exercise) and riffing off one another (the members never forgot to involve and individually visit Keonho during songs he needed to stay seated). In fact, the ease with which CORTIS commanded the stage during their NYC debut recalled the same relaxed and natural pace of their BIGHIT MUSIC label mates BTS’ first New York show more than a decade prior. The similarity points to how BTS and CORTIS stand as strong models of the artists BIGHIT shapes, with Bang Si-Hyuk & Co. knowing that polishing and spotlighting true musicians is at the core of the company’s DNA.
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James’ Knicks Shoutout
It’s been just about two months since the New York Knicks won the 2026 NBA Finals over the San Antonio Spurs, but James made sure to give a shoutout to the champions while chatting with the NYC crowd. “Actually, I know New York recently brought back home the NBA trophy,” the 20-year-old told the crowd, eliciting proud cheers from the audience, before he added, “New York, you guys are champions!”
A savvy move for him and CORTIS to further connect to a city that’s still reeling from its first NBA championship in over 50 years.
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Crowd Connections During “Blue Lips”
CORTIS came into the Infosys Theater at MSG crowd multiple times throughout the show, but the moment that felt the most poignant was when Martin, Seonghyeon and James went into the crowd during “Blue Lips.” The low-key, keyboard-driven cut is one of the closest songs CORTIS has to a ballad, with its softer production creating a more open soundscape that allows more personal connections with the crowd. While the guys ran through the theater aisles to wave at and dance with attendees during several of their turn-up tracks, this moment in “Blue Lips” felt like a more intimate opportunity for the artist-fan bond to grow closer.
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Putting Our Phones Down During Part II of the Concert
CORITS choosing to name its first tour Put Your Phone Down makes for a bold statement — especially in 2026, when essentially everything is seen through our screens. The group technically only has 13 songs to its name, and performed nearly all of them in the first half of the show, accompanied by choreography and visuals across the tall LED screens behind them. That was for our phones.
The second part of the show included a second, and sometimes third, performance of most of their tracks — so fans didn’t need to worry about recording clips of their favorite songs to enjoy later. With the guys’ noticeably looser stage presence and more on-screen close-ups, the second half of the show really did feel like we could put our phones down and be in the moment with them.
We’ll be interested to see how CORTIS handles this concept in future shows, when the quintet’s discography is more robust, but perhaps the point is to encourage their fans to put their phones down and away now, to better enjoy concerts in the future.
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“MOTION (CORTIS Version)”
Just days after its release and live premiere with Juicy J at Lollapalooza, CORTIS’ latest track “MOTION” made its way into the second half of the show. While the Three 6 Mafia star wasn’t on hand for this performance, CORTIS added playful ad-libs to his lines and huddled together to dance as a group, even if no member was singing. The collab is another gem in CORTIS’ small-but-super-strong song collection, and shows the group can pull it off even without its guest performer.
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Ending With Mutual Love
Image Credit: Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC (HYBE) As CORTIS shared some final words with the audience, which was filled with the group’s fans — affectionately known as COER — leader Martin ensured the entire room felt the love.
After he ran into the audience to receive and wear a custom-made hat a fan created (see below), the 18-year-old told his band mates, “On the count of three, we’re going to say ‘I love you COER,’” with the band’s message eliciting a healthy roar from the crowd. But in an unexpected move, Martin followed it up, telling the theatre, “On the count of three, y’all are going to say, ‘I love you, CORTIS,’” which brought out an ear-shattering response.
Martin kept it going, telling his members to shout, “I love you, New York!” on the count of three, followed by telling the audience “On the count of three, I want y’all to say, ‘Please be back’” with the audience screaming their “Please be back!” before he even started to count — showing how much local COER already wanted CORTIS’ NYC return. But ultimately, it was a fun way for both sides to show love to one another, with Martin giving fans permission to express their enthusiasm and excitement in a healthy, controlled way.
