Coming back for a third year, London K-Pop Festival is ready to dance the night away on Saturday at London Music Hall.
Co-hosted by local dance teams VIVO Dance and KWNS, the London K-Pop Festival was established in 2023. It has since grown in popularity and become a highly anticipated annual event. K-Pop enthusiasts, dancers, and the broader K-Pop community across the Greater Toronto Area look forward to it each year.
The festival promises to showcase a lineup from local performers and dance teams.
Karina Tjew is the co-founder of London K-Pop Festival and KWNS Dance Team. She says the event was established because she wanted to bring the London K-Pop community together.
“We saw something was missing in London as we would always travel out of town to participate in events,” said Tjew. “We wanted to bring [those events] over for everyone to enjoy.”
K-Pop stands for Korean Pop, a genre of popular music originating from South Korea. Recognized for its infectious music, striking idols and challenging choreography, K-Pop has grown multiple fandoms.
Despite the music genre’s origins, K-Pop’s cultural influence has united fans globally and attracted listeners of all ages.
Dion Cheung is a performer from VIVO Dance team and an event organizer. She says events like these mean a lot to her. They not only bring her love for K-Pop to life, but they also unite the K-Pop community.
“Growing up, I didn’t have any kind of clubs or social activities relating to [K-Pop], said Cheung. “Seeing [the event] come to life, meeting people from the [K-Pop community] outside of London and performing on stage with my friends means a lot to me.”
This year, Radio Western—Western University’s on-campus music hub and radio station—is one of the festival’s sponsors. Elijah Rae, the station’s Marketing Director, says it is the radio’s first time being involved in the local K-Pop community.
“As Radio Western being on campus, we know there is a huge student population that loves K-Pop music and culture…we can’t deny how big of a genre K-Pop is,” said Rae. “It would make sense for us to be a part of that celebration.”
Apart from performances, the London K-Pop Festival is also hosting vendors selling K-Pop inspired products and artwork. There is also a post-celebration for all fans to dance and enjoy popular K-Pop tracks.
Doors to the festival open at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 22. Tickets to the event are still on sale for $30.