IU took a 10-hour car trip overnight from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. for her concert after a canceled flight

“My flight was canceled. So, for the first time in my life, I had to take a car. We drove for 10 hours overnight on the highway.”

IU, currently on her world tour, held her third U.S. concert on July 22 at the ‘Capital One Arena’ in downtown Washington, D.C. This venue is not only the home of the NBA’s Washington Wizards but also hosts performances by world-renowned stars. The concert attracted significant attention from U.S. media and fans as soon as tickets went on sale. What particularly moved the fans was IU’s dedication—after her flight was canceled, she took a 10-hour car ride to reach the concert venue.

The cancellation was due to disruptions in Microsoft (MS) cloud services on July 19, which led to several days of flight cancellations at U.S. airports. After completing her Atlanta concert, IU found her flight from Atlanta to Washington, D.C. was canceled, so it was decided to drive approximately 1,000 km (622 miles) overnight.

During the concert in D.C., IU shared this experience in English, saying, “It was very difficult, but hearing your cheers during the opening made it all worthwhile.” This comment received a loud cheer from the audience. Following the concert, fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their gratitude, with comments like “Thank you for your kindness” and “It was a beautiful night; tonight, she was a princess.”

Meanwhile, this concert marks the first U.S. tour for IU, who debuted at the age of fifteen in 2008, after 16 years of her singing career. Known as a singer-songwriter and an actress in dramas and films, IU has primarily been active in Korea.