K-Pop Idols Treat Festivals and University Events as Essential Stages – Performing Even with Lower Pay

K-pop idols are expanding their performance venues at an accelerating pace. Moving beyond traditional formats centered on music shows and solo concerts, top-tier idols are now actively seeking out domestic and international music festivals as well as university events. This shift is driven by the need to showcase their stage presence in front of large audiences and to further grow their fanbases through social media platforms.

The lineups of major domestic festivals are undergoing significant changes. While past music festivals focused primarily on artists in genres such as rock and hip-hop, it has become common to see names of top K-pop idols featured there recently. At the “Seoul Jazz Festival” scheduled from May 22 to 24, members Dogeum and Seungkwan of SEVENTEEN, along with Taeyong and Haechan of NCT, will perform. MONSTA X will take the stage at the “Seoul Park Music Festival” held on June 20 and 21. Notably, at the “Waterbom Seoul” taking place from July 24 to 26, over half of the announced lineup consists of idols, including Taemin of SHINee, Karina of aespa, and RIIZE.

A similar trend is evident at major international festivals as well. World-renowned events like “Coachella” and “Lollapalooza” are increasingly featuring K-pop idols. At Lollapalooza Chicago in July, Jennie will serve as a headliner, with aespa, IVE, and CORTIS also joining the lineup. BIGBANG kicked off their 20th-anniversary activities by performing at Coachella last April.

University events have also become indispensable stages for idols. While solo singers with established popularity dominated such events in the past, there is now a growing trend of so-called “S-tier idols” appearing on campus stages. Just looking at the university event lineups planned for May, we see a lineup that rivals award shows, including NCT WISH at Seoul National University, RIIZE at Sogang University, CORTIS at Hongik University, and LE SSERAFIM at Soongsil University.

For idols, participating in these events provides an opportunity to connect with the general public beyond their existing fanbases. It allows them to demonstrate their stage mastery, live performance skills, and talent, helping to build an image as “performance-oriented artists.” This helps establish them as groups capable of engaging audiences in person, rather than relying solely on their fan communities.

University events also boast strong social media reach. A video of aespa’s performance at Yonsei University’s festival last year received 1.29 million views on the university’s cheering squad’s YouTube channel—43 times the number of subscribers the channel has, which is 30,000. When including regular “fan cam” videos, the impact becomes even greater. A video of aespa’s performance at Chungnam National University posted on a YouTube channel reached 4.88 million views.

From a profitability standpoint, university events are not necessarily the most advantageous venues. Top idols typically earn between 20 and 30 million won for performances at such events, with the highest-paid artists receiving up to around 50 million won. This amount is not significantly higher than what they earn at regular events. Yet agencies still choose university events because they offer the potential to promote new songs, increase visibility, expand fanbases, and enhance an artist’s image simultaneously.

In the past, NewJeans donated all the proceeds from their university performances, and some rookie idols perform without payment, valuing the experience itself more than financial compensation. An executive from an agency explained, “In many cases, there is no profit left after covering preparation costs, and sometimes it even results in a loss.” He added, “Agencies consider university events not just for potential earnings but also for promoting new music, building awareness, and expanding fanbases.”

For K-pop idols, festival and university stages are no longer merely supplementary activities—they have become strategic platforms. Demonstrating their stage power in both types of events serves as a crucial stepping stone for them to pursue a wider range of activities.