HallyuPopFest In London Prepares For K-Pop Festival & Korean Business Exhibitor Market

Hollywood & Entertainment HallyuPopFest In London Prepares For K-Pop Festival & Korean Business Exhibitor Market Jeff Benjamin Senior Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I write about music from around the world—Latin to K-pop and beyond. New! Follow this author to improve your content experience.

Got it! Jul 6, 2022, 02:30am EDT | New! Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – DECEMBER 02: Kai of boy band EXO perform on stage during the world premiere of . . .

[+] ‘6 Underground’ at Dongdaemun Design Plaza on December 02, 2019 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage) WireImage London will soon welcome some of the biggest K-pop stars and open itself up for big business from Korea. HallyuPopFest 2022 is coming to the OVO Arena Wembley on July 9 and 10 for a two-day festival to honor all aspects of the K-pop industry.

Fans will get over a dozen artists led by headliners Kai and Chen of long-running boy band EXO. As well, HallyuPopFest London will welcome six boy bands (SF9, ASTRO, CIX, ONEUS, CRAVITY and P1Harmony), three girl groups (EVERGLOW, Weeekly and Ke1per), as well as soloists Paul Kim, Sam Kim and Hwa Sa of girl group MAMAMOO). In addition to the performances, UK fans will be treated to a “hi-wave meet and greet sessions” (that will coincide with COVID guidelines) and a red carpet to get closer to the stars.

MORE FROM FORBES Meet Kep1er: The Multinational ‘Girls Planet 999’ Act Talks Leaning On & Learning From Each Other By Jeff Benjamin For the more business-minded who may be looking to network or connect with the booming industries coming out of South Korea, the festival will also hold a marketplace called “HallyuTown” open to the public to support Korean businesses finding their way into the global market. Leading Korean TV and radio broadcaster Munhwa Broadcasting Company (MBC) hosts the HallyuTown during HallyuPopFest. In an effort and opportunity to promote small-to-midsize enterprises (SMEs) from Korea, MBC and HallyuTown share that they will have approximately 60 businesses presenting on the grounds.

HallyuPopFest also hopes local businesses in town for the festival can also network to find ways to connect their brands to the influential world of K-pop stars whose excitable fanbases can reach millions in impressions and activations. Attendees will see that influence firsthand with the promise of artist visits to HallyuTown to “serve as ambassadors to introduce and promote the exhibited products to the audience,” as shared in a statement from MBC. MORE FOR YOU ‘Dune’ Tops Foreign Box Office With Promising $77M Cume ‘Shang-Chi’ Box Office: Marvel Movie Tops $360M Worldwide 4 Series Coming To Netflix In October That Are Worth The Binge The HallyuTown can act as a full display of one of the unique ways globally adored K-pop stars interact and work alongside local businesses to help boost not only its music but also other various industries.

More casual visitors can come to sample Korean cuisine, learn more about the country’s culture, and participate in activities with books promoting beauty, lifestyle, food and more. MBC has joined hands with the Korea Foundation for Cooperation of Large & Small Business, Rural Affairs (KOFCA) and the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) to help make HallyuTown a reality. After HallyuPopFest first took place in Singapore in 2018, this first stop in London in July will mark a unique chance for local K-pop fans and those interested in Korean industries and culture at large.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn . Check out my website . Jeff Benjamin Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.