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Waterbomb splashes into Oz on festival’s world tour

K-pop festival Waterbomb will stage an Australian edition for the first time as it relaunches its international expansion.

The touring series plans to stop in Sydney later this year, picking up on the Waterbomb World Tour that faltered in 2024. Dates and performers will be announced in the coming months.

Waterbomb’s expansion comes after organisers failed to deliver its rapid global expansion last year, after it announced editions in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan, the UAE, Singapore, the US, the Philippines and Indonesia.

The only new editions to go ahead were Hong Kong, the UAE, and Singapore, while the event continued its tour of multiple South Korean and Japanese cities.

The Los Angeles edition was postponed due to “operational challenges” with less than three weeks to go to the event, while the Indonesian debut in Jakarta was delayed in October. Extreme weather and flooding forced the cancellation of the Taipei and Ho Chi Minh events. No new dates have been announced for these editions.

“We’ll return stronger and better prepared to deliver the Waterbomb experience you’ve been waiting for,” said organisers at the time of US cancellation.

In contrast, another Australian festival will not return his year

Four stops are already confirmed for 2025, with plans to return to China, and South Korea, where the Seoul edition has been held annually since the event launched in 2015. The festival will debut in Manila, Philippines and Bali, Indonesia next month, after pushing both countries’ inaugural editions late last year.

Artists due to perform in Manila include Kangdaniel, Dynamic Duo, Sulreggae, Chanyeol, Bambam, Viviz, and other K-pop, hip-hop and dance stars.

Though lineups vary by city, past performers have included Blackpink, aespa, TWICE’s Nayeon, American rapper Jay Park, and SHINEE’s Taemin, and South Korean singers Hwasa, Chung Ha, Bibi, Simon Dominic, and Jessi.

In contrast, the Australian festival Hello Sunshine will not be held this year. The family-friendly event was set to return to Melbourne for its third year and debut on the Gold Coast this March.

Organisers cited low ticket sales and rising production costs as reasons for the cancellation.

Stone Temple Pilots, Smash Mouth, Wolfmother, Kasey Chambers, Rogue Traders, and Drapht were on tap to headline the event.

The cancellation is the latest to hit the Australian festival sector. Last November, the debut edition of You & Me Festival was cancelled for similar reasons. They join several Oz festivals cancelled in the past year, including Splendour in the Grass, Groovin the Moo, and Return to Rio.

 


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K-pop series Waterbomb postpones US debut

The US debut of K-pop touring series Waterbomb has been postponed due to “operational challenges”.

The water-themed music festival was set to take place at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles from 28-29 September, but has now been called off with less than three weeks to go. Ticket-holders will be automatically refunded.

Acts booked to perform had included ATEEZ, Chung Ha, Hwasa, K-will, Kwon Eunbi, Loco, PH-1, Ryu Sujeong, Simon Dominic and DJ HOWMINI.

“We deeply appreciate the support and enthusiasm you‘ve shown for Waterbomb LA 2024,” says a statement on the event’s Instagram page. “However, due to various operational challenges, we regret to inform you that the event has been postponed. Your safety and delivering the best experience possible remain our top priorities, and we sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

“We’ll return stronger and better prepared to deliver the Waterbomb experience you’ve been waiting for.”

The festival was launched by Hong Kong-based streaming platform Viu and Singapore-based Evergreen Group Holdings, with local promoters helping bring it to new territories.

“Initially, we set ticket prices to cover these costs and ensure a reasonable profit. However, we recognise that this has become a burden for our fans”

Waterbomb mixes various water activities alongside local and international lineups of K-pop, hip-hop, and EDM performers. First held in 2015 in Seoul, South Korea, the series expanded to new markets last year with two editions in Japan and one in Bangkok.

This year, it was due to visit nine cities in South Korea, four in Japan, and one in Thailand, along with new editions in LA, Vietnam, Taipei and Dubai.

However, the LA spin-off had experienced a troubled build-up, with organisers receiving criticism from fans after setting admission at $135-380 per day. They later apologised in response to the backlash, lowering ticket prices and revising the seating plan.

“Unlike Waterbomb Seoul, where additional costs such as flights, accommodation, security, and transportation for more than 200 people including artists and staff are not required, hosting Waterbomb in LA incurs significant expenses in these areas,” said promoters in an online Q&A at the time.

“The extended stay due to long-distance travel has also increased artist fees, and the cost of obtaining performance visas for artists and staff in the US is significantly higher compared to other countries. Additionally, local production and operation costs in LA are much higher.

“Initially, we set ticket prices to cover these costs and ensure a reasonable profit. However, we recognise that this has become a burden for our fans. Therefore, we have decided to adjust the prices, prioritising the event over profit, in order to reduce the burden on our customers.”

 


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K-pop festival Waterbomb to debut in Manila

Touring K-pop festival series Waterbomb Festival will debut in Manila, Philippines, this year.

Manila is the latest stop to be confirmed for the 2024 Waterbomb World Tour which includes dates in Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Japan, Bangkok, Taipei, Los Angeles, Ho Chi Minh, Xiamen and Bali.

The tour kicked off in May in Xiamen, China, and most recently visited Seoul, South Korea, where it was first held in 2015.

Waterbomb first expanded to new markets in 2023 with two editions in Japan and one in Bangkok. The event was launched by Hong Kong-based streaming platform Viu and Singapore-based Evergreen Group Holdings, with local promoters helping bring it to new territories.

Waterbomb intertwines various water activities alongside local and international lineups of K-pop, hip-hop, and EDM performers

As the name suggests, Waterbomb intertwines various water activities alongside local and international lineups of K-pop, hip-hop, and EDM performers.

Acts vary with territories but the most recent Seoul edition of Waterbomb featured the likes of Zico, Jay Park, Simon Dominic, Hwasa, Changmo and Taemin. Dates and acts for the Philippines edition are yet to be announced.

KCON, the world’s biggest K-pop fan and artist festival, also announced expansion recently.

The Korean pop music and culture convention, operated by Korea’s largest media conglomerate CJ ENM, will debut in Germany this September.

Karsten Jahnke, in cooperation with AEG Presents and CJ ENM, will organise the premiere at the Messe Frankfurt complex on 28–29 September.

The Waterbomb World Tour schedule is as follows:

May
18-18: Xiamen, China

June
1-2: Hong Kong

July
5-7: Seoul, South Korea
13: Jeju, South Korea
13: Fukuoka, Japan
20: Daegu, South Korea
27: Busan, South Korea
27-28: Tokyo, Japan

August
3: Incheon, South Korea
10: Daejeon, South Korea
10: Osaka, Japan
17: Sokcho, South Korea
17: Nagoya, Japan
24: Suwon, South Korea
24-25: Singapore, Singapore
31: Gwangju, South Korea

September
TBA: Bangkok

TBA
Los Angeles, United States
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Taipei, Taiwan
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Manila, Philippines

 


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K-pop festival Waterbomb splashes into new markets

Touring K-pop festival series Waterbomb Festival is expanding to several global markets this year, with new editions set for the US, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan, the UAE, Singapore, and China.

Set to kick off this May in Xiamen, China, the international series will take water-soaked stars to Hong Kong in June before touring South Korea and Japan in July and more cities across both, plus Singapore, in August. A Bangkok edition has been set for September, with stints in Los Angeles, Ho Chi Minh City, Taipei, and Dubai to be announced.

First held in 2015 in Seoul, South Korea, the festival series first expanded to new markets in 2023 with two editions in Japan and one in Bangkok. This year, the series will visit nine cities in South Korea, four in Japan, and one in Thailand, along with the new editions.

The event was launched by Hong Kong-based streaming platform Viu and Singapore-based Evergreen Group Holdings, with local promoters helping bring it to new territories.

The K-pop genre continues to soar to new hights and into new markets

As the name suggests, Waterbomb intertwines various water activities alongside local and international lineups of K-pop, hip-hop, and EDM performers. Though lineups vary by city, performers include K-pop supergroup TWICE’s Nayeon, American rapper Jay Park, and SHINEE’s Taemin, and South Korean singers Hwasa, Chung Ha, and Bibi, among a variety of others. Former performers include Blackpink, aespa, Simon Dominic, and Jessi.

The K-pop genre continues to soar to new heights and into new markets, with behemoth HYBE reporting its concert revenue skyrocketed by 40% in 2023, reaching KRW 359.1 billion (€253m) in the year. Last autumn, fellow agency SM Entertainment announced its Q3 revenue surged 40% year-on-year, partly attributed to their star’s expansive world tours.

KCON, the world’s biggest K-pop and culture convention, also expanded to a fifth region this year, adding Hong Kong to its 2024 lineup of Japan, Los Angeles, Saudia Arabia, and to-be-announced Europe.

The 2024 schedule is as follows:

May
18-18: Xiamen, China

June
1-2: Hong Kong

July
5-7: Seoul, South Korea
13: Jeju, South Korea
13: Fukuoka, Japan
20: Daegu, South Korea
27: Busan, South Korea
27-28: Tokyo, Japan

August
3: Incheon, South Korea
10: Daejeon, South Korea
10: Osaka, Japan
17: Sokcho, South Korea
17: Nagoya, Japan
24: Suwon, South Korea
24-25: Singapore, Singapore
31: Gwangju, South Korea

September
TBA: Bangkok

TBA
Los Angeles, United States
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Taipei, Taiwan
Dubai, United Arab Emirates

 


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