HallyuPopFest 2018 promises to be a treat for K-pop fans

If you thought 2012's SM Town Live World Tour III, the biggest K-pop concert to hit our shores so far, was ambitious, the upcoming HallyuPopFest 2018 is set to blow it out of the water.

Organised by Singapore-based H.A.H. Entertainment and produced by Flax & Co, the event is said to be the largest K-pop music festival in South-east Asia.

Hosted by Korean-American singer Eric Nam, it will be held from Sept 7 to 9 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

More than 100 K-pop idols from 21 acts and various K-entertainment companies in Korea such as SM, Cube, Starship and Jellyfish, will be taking part.

One of the highlights is boy band Wanna One, which is set to disband by the end of the year, according to media reports.

H.A.H. marketing manager Tracy Heah told The New Paper: "This will likely be their last performing engagement in Singapore as we understand their calendars are filled to the brim for the rest of the year. So if you want to see them perform in the flesh, this is the time to do it.

"We managed to invite them to perform for two nights, so hopefully more fans will get to give their favourite boys a good send-off."

Also in the line-up are artists who have not performed in Singapore before, such as Heize, Momoland, UNB, Dreamcatcher, MyTeen and NCT 127.

And singer Taeyeon from girl group Girls' Generation will be making her first solo appearance in Singapore at HallyuPopFest 2018.

Headlining acts Wanna One and Taeyeon will be performing 30- to 45-minute long sets.

The festival, which took "many months of preparation", saw the organisers making "countless trips" to Seoul and even taking Korean lessons.

Said Ms Heah: "Apart from the fact that the founders of H.A.H. are K-crazy, we wanted to make an effort to understand Korean culture better."

RED CARPET

The event will have about 200 crew members, along with the stars and their entourages, and an almost 80m-long red carpet, which will be open to members of the public.

Besides the three-hour evening concerts, for the first time in Singapore, K-pop fans will be treated to three full days of Hallyu (Korean Wave) fun.

Each ticket includes access to the daily afternoon showcase performances, which will run for at least 90 minutes and offer fans more interactive opportunities with the artists via games or photos.

Fans can also purchase a Daebak! Pass for $498, a premium ticket that guarantees a Hi-Touch (where fans can high-five the group members) and a group photo session.

There will also be VIP access to the red carpet and the evening concert, among others.

In addition, Cube, Starship and Jellyfish will be holding individual global auditions on different days, and their recruitment heads will be in town to search for budding talents in the region.

Ticket-holders aged between 12 and 26 qualify to submit their audition videos.

Ms Heah said: "HallyuPopFest 2018 is a new way of experiencing K-pop, a full day of activities, seven artists a day, and all of that on the price of just a regular concert - or less."

H.A.H. chief executive Selena Ho added: "It is our honour and privilege to collaborate with a multitude of outstanding musicians, professionals and companies from South Korea to bring this ground-breaking event to Singapore.

"This region has an ever-expanding fan base of Korean pop culture in line with the Korean Wave, and it continues to be a part of our everyday lives."

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FYI

WHAT: HallyuPopFest 2018

WHERE: Singapore Indoor Stadium

WHEN: Sept 7 to 9

TICKETS: $148 to $298 (Daebak! Pass $498) from www.sportshubtix.sg (3158-7888), Singapore Indoor Stadium box office, Scotts Square Concierge, The Star Performing Arts Centre box office and all SingPost outlets