May University Festival Season Sparks Trend of Low-Cost Performances by K-POP Stars

May marks the festival season at Korean universities. Despite demanding world tour schedules and music show commitments, K-POP stars still make time to perform on campus stages. At Hongik University’s Spring Festival (May 14–16), Psy, aespa, Lee Seung-yoon, Vinino, and YB took the stage. For Konkuk University’s festival (May 20–22), Psy, aespa, ITZY, Jannabi, and YB performed, while at Chung-Ang University’s Daedongje Festival (May 21–23), aespa, NCT Dream, YB, and Dynamic Duo gave concerts. The earnings from university festival performances are relatively low. Artists who typically receive performance fees in the range of 10 billion won often get paid only 50–80 million won for these events. So why do K-POP agencies accept such reduced payments? A representative from a major agency explained, “Campuses offer a rare opportunity to connect directly with not only existing fans but also general non-fans. University festivals are ideal stages for attracting young audiences, making them advantageous for gaining new fans and creating word-of-mouth promotion.” Last year, NewJeans donated the full amount of their performance fees from seven university festivals to the Korea Scholarship Foundation. The true value of university festivals lies not in financial compensation but in their marketing impact. When performing in front of thousands of fans, thousands of smartphone cameras are activated immediately. Before the show even ends, fan cams, memes, Instagram Reels, TikTok videos, and short-form content start spreading online. From an agency’s perspective, this equates to mass marketing without any cost. Idols also use university festivals as live rehearsals before world tours. Min Hee-jin, former CEO of Aidor, said last year, “Campuses feel like places like Lollapalooza or Coachella. The energy of students inspires the members and serves as a great opportunity to promote new songs, improve stage skills, and give back to fans.” This year, ITZY is busy performing at multiple campuses, including Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Konkuk University, Kyung Hee University, and Inha University, ahead of their June comeback. The emerging girl group Kiss of Life has also confirmed appearances at numerous festivals, including those at Yonsei University, Sejong University, and Korea National Sport University. Meanwhile, Stray Kids have kicked off their North American tour. The band consists of eight members led by Bang Chan (27), along with I.N, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. At their first North American show at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, Stray Kids delivered a powerful three-hour performance. They performed their hit songs such as “District 9,” “Back Door,” and “Chk Chk Boom,” captivating the crowd. In particular, “Chk Chk Boom” gained even more attention as it was used as the soundtrack for the music video of the Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman film “Deadpool & Wolverine.” The audience cheered enthusiastically by singing along to tracks like “S-Class” and “Lonely St.” This performance by Stray Kids represents a significant improvement in scale compared to their previous show at the Climate Pledge Arena in 2022. Although K-POP is still not mainstream in the U.S. music market, it is rapidly gaining popularity among Gen Z, with Stray Kids receiving praise for their dynamic performances designed to fit the short attention spans of TikTok users.