The Persona 5 Special Big Band Concert Asia Tour 2026 took place in Malaysia back in June 18th of 2026. Featuring roughly 30 musicians from the US and Japan, as well as the lead vocalist of the Persona 5 soundtrack, Lyn, the jazzy performance was led by Charlie Rosen as the orchestrator and arranger for this concert.
The concert was over 2 hours long, featuring roughly 20 songs for its set list, with iconic hits such as “Beneath The Mask”, “Rivers In The Desert”, “Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There” and many more. The majority of the songs were rearranged to fit with the larger group of musicians, giving concertgoers a unique experience. While certain tracks had Lyn as the main vocalist, some of the songs performed that night replaced the vocals with melodies from the brass and guitar section instead, including a guest performance from world-renowned trumpeter Eric Miyashiro.
The concert honestly felt like a transcendental experience, both as a Persona 5 fan and a jazz lover. Each performance was just an escalation of energy and symphony, with the crowds constantly cheering on their favorite track. Nearly all of the songs performed that night were reimagined as a remix of sorts, with a bigger band and more of a chaotic jazzy-swing vibe compared to the original.
The solos from the brass and guitar team were also beautiful performances, and were my personal highlight of the night. After Eric Miyashiro played his first trumpeting solo, it sent shivers down my spine to see him walk to the front stage again, knowing that there would be another spectacular solo from him, and he definitely did not disappoint. The unique versions of the songs played throughout the night were a one-of-a-kind experience that had me sitting up straight and just soaking in all the beauty of each song.
Throughout the show, cutscenes and gameplay from Persona 5 were played behind the performers, and it was both hilarious and thrilling to see which cutscene or characters had the biggest cheer throughout the night. The funniest part came when you could hear all the women in the crowd cheering for a certain ship that appeared on the screen, which made Lyn (while singing, mind you) start giggling and turn around just to see what everyone was gushing over.
Even though photos and videos were not allowed during the show, it felt right for me to just sit back and enjoy the stunning back-to-back performance by the whole group. No phones, no distraction, just an orchestra of beautiful strings and brass and keys that came together as music, for a once-in-a-lifetime night to be remembered.
