Students line up to enter the concert venue for guest performers at the festival at Chosun University in the southwestern city of Gwangju, Tuesday. Competition to book singers turns into misguided competitiveness, sparking concerns over excessive budget spending By KTimes The season of university festivals, often referred to as the peak of college life in Korea, is in full swing. As universities across the country are abuzz with spring festivities, the intense competition to book popular singers for celebratory performances has drawn criticism.
At Kyung Hee University's festival on May 22, a star-studded lineup, including Day6, Silica Gel, aespa, Jannabi, RIIZE and Psy, performed, resembling the atmosphere of a major concert. Sejong University's festival, starting on Wednesday, will feature NewJeans, Psy, Roy Kim and YB, while Sungkyunkwan University's festival will host aespa, ATEEZ, Day6 and BIBI. The presence of such high-profile artists at university festivals is not limited to a few schools.
Recently, most universities hosting festivals have filled their celebratory stages with popular K-pop idol groups and singers. As a result, social media has been flooded with posts summarizing the festival lineups of various universities, with accompanying evaluations. The lineup of performers at a festival has come to symbolize the competitiveness of the school itself, compelling student councils in charge of planning these events to intensify their booking efforts.
Girl group aespa.