Music: Biggest-Ever K-Pop Festival in South Korea Planned
By Paul Singh ||
South Korea is planning its biggest K-pop festival, which will be announced by the nation’s four biggest K-pop agencies: Hybe, SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment, known as the “Big Four.”
This spectacle, called the Nol Festival, is expecting to combine K-pop, EDM, rock, and pop – all in one place. Some of the lineup for the festival includes girl groups like Nmixx and Hearts2Hearts, and artists like Lee Mujin, Woodz, and Ha Sung-woon. In addition, Nol will also feature R&B group g.o.d, alternative rock band Nell, and rappers Haon and Nowimyoung. Along with the South Korean artists, Nol will also feature Norwegian DJ, Alan Walker.
The Big Four will also participate in the music division of the Presidential Committee for Popular Culture Exchange describing this event as a joint venture that is a “model for collaboration designed to explore new possibilities for Korean culture’s expansion, including K-pop, in global markets.” According to The Korea Times, “They said procedures to establish a corporate body are currently under way but emphasized that detailed business plans and operational methods have not yet been finalized.”
The founder of JYP Entertainment said that the festival will take place on October 17–18 in Goyang, a city northeast of Seoul, at their KINTEX Exhibition Center. There is an expected 100,000 visitors over the festival weekend. JYP Entertainment is also involved in discussions with the government’s Popular Culture Exchange Committee to look for new ways to grow K-pop’s global presence through industry-wide cooperation instead of individual company projects.
The Korea Herald reports, “‘Nol has connected various leisure experiences online, including travel, performances, and aviation services,’ Nol Universe CEO Lee Cheol-woong said. ‘Now we want to expand that value into an offiine festival where customers can directly experience and enjoy the brand together.’”
Most of the festival will be free except for special tickets to guarantee an attendee’s spot for a specific artist. Ticket application and ticket details are scheduled for a June 8 release date.
The Author
Paul Singh is a British-American journalist who recently graduated from San Francisco State University with his bachelor’s in journalism. He specializes in the music scene in South Korea. In his free time, Paul loves to play the guitar and bass.
Cover Photo: Nol Festival Poster. (Nol Universe)