"Never seen it in Europe": Thousands celebrate K-Pop stars at the festival in Frankfurt

Created: 05/16/2022, 11:41 am

By: Kathrin Rosendorff

70,000 people celebrate Europe's largest K-Pop festival in Frankfurt's Waldstadion.

Before the brightly colored stage show, fans made the pilgrimage to the airport to meet their idols.

Frankfurt – As a K-Pop fan, you have to decide early, says Svea (20) from Cologne: either spend the night on Friday evening (May 13) in front of the Waldstadion like Svea on an air mattress in order to be as far forward as possible and to celebrate South Korean superstars like boy band NCT Dream or girl band (G)I-DLE at the first European K-pop festival on Saturday (May 14) and Sunday (May 15).

Or to greet the idols with flowers as soon as they land at Frankfurt Airport early Friday evening, as reported by fr.de.

Videos at the airport of screaming fans and newly landed K-pop stars like NCT Dream politely saying "An-nyeong-ha-se-yo!" (Hello) were shared by fans on Twitter on Friday night.

A day before the festival.

"I would have liked to have been at the airport, but it was more important to me to be as far up the front as possible.

My friends and I have booked a campsite nearby, we take turns queuing.

I'll take a shower in the morning because when I see Kai I want to look good and smell good," says Svea and laughs.

Kai is a member of EXO, one of the most successful bands in South Korea.

He is the only musician who has a solo artist performance in Frankfurt.

Because the focus of K-Pop is on boy and girl groups.

K-pop is short for Korean pop with elements of rap, R&B and electro as well as rock.

In the meantime, people often sing in English or mix Korean and English.

K-Pop Festival in Frankfurt: Kai from EXO knew Waldstadion from soccer games

"I only knew the Waldstadion from football games that I saw on TV.

It's great to be able to be on stage here," says 28-year-old Kai at the end of the concert.

On Saturday alone, 44,000 fans traveled to Frankfurt for “KPop.Flex”.

There are 26,000 on Sunday.

On Saturday night it is announced that there will be a repeat of Europe's biggest K-Pop festival on June 17th and 18th, 2023.

Despite the crowds, the atmosphere was relaxed.

The fans celebrated their idols with lots of love and positive energy.

© Rolf Oeser

Already on Friday evening, fans in front of the stadium are listening to Kai's rehearsal for his songs like "Peaches" or "Vanilla".

So does Mandy (30), who came all the way from Rome.

"Because there has never been a festival like this in Europe with so many K-Pop stars," she says.

The next day she also admires Kai's extraordinary dance moves, he is considered one of the best dancers in the K-Pop scene.

K-Pop Festival in Frankfurt: Outfits and stage design are brightly colored

On both days of the festival, the boy bands Enhypen, AB6IX, NCT Dream and the girl bands (G)I-DLE, Mamamoo and IVE will perform alongside Kai.

Only the boy band Monsta X is only there on Sundays.

The outfits and the stage design are brightly colored, the choreos perfectly styled, the songs rousing.

But even when they tell you on the Frankfurt stage how excited they are to be performing in Germany for the first time, they read it off maps.

The English translation runs parallel on the screen.

Nothing is left to chance when it comes to K-pop, of which the world's most successful export is the band BTS.

But these are not here.

But the boy band NCT Dream: 9.5 million people follow them on Instagram alone.

In the interview before the show, they say that hours of training and hardly any free time is part of the everyday life of K-pop stars.

K-pop is highly competitive and if you can't take the pressure, you have to leave.

Contracts are now being reviewed by the Korean Fair Trade Commission.

Again and again there have been negative headlines in recent years: sexual exploitation to suicide of some K-Pop stars, among other things after extreme shitstorms.

9.5 million people follow NCT Dream on Instagram.

DKphotos © DKphotos

K-Pop Festival in Frankfurt: Premium seats cost 200 euros each

There are confetti and fire elements on the stage.

The duo appearance of singer Daewhi from the boy band AB6IX and Solar from the girl band Mamamoo is particularly celebrated on the first day of the festival in Frankfurt: They cover “Let it Go” from the Disney film “Frozen”.

Some of the few moments where you can hear the live voices.

But it is also one of the few moments where there is no dancing.

In between, the show is a bit reminiscent of the animation program on a club vacation, when the stars, for example, slowly show their choreo to imitate or cross their thumbs with their forefingers in a typically Korean way (the Korean heart) and the fans touch each other's hearts.

Salma (18) from Rosenheim gave her sister Ameera (16) premium seats for 200 euros each for her birthday.

“I spent my monthly salary from my mini-job on it.

It's our first concert.

My dad is worried about us.

I should keep calling him.

But I tell him, 'Dad, I can't talk to you.

We're here to see the bands,” says Salma and laughs.

K-Pop Festival in Frankfurt: Stars have long been fashion role models

Mandy from Rome says: "The choreos are perfect, the stage shows are beautiful and they all have such beautiful faces." Aesthetics is a big thing in K-Pop: The South Korean ideal of beauty: oval face, wide eyes - with a European double crease (the Basic surgery for K-Pop stars), snub nose, flawless white complexion.

The so-called bagle face is made up of the words baby and glamour.

Their faces are reminiscent of manga characters.

K-Pop stars have long been fashion role models and, like Kai, are booked by Gucci for campaigns.

Her stage outfits are also as colorful as they are stylish.

The female bands often wear outfits that range from sexy to schoolgirl-like, while at the same time an emancipated appearance is gaining acceptance among women in the K-Pop world.

The male stars have an androgynous, casual style.

K-Pop Festival in Frankfurt: Lyrics "profound and with a good sense of humor"

Sophie (17) from Dresden says of the girl band (G)I-DLE, who deliver a casual, self-confident performance with songs like "Tomboy": "They are a good example of how you should be who you are , does not have to pretend.

They are profound in their lyrics and have a good sense of humor.”

Loving posters for the idols.

© Rolf Oeser

Like some K-pop stars, fans have dyed their hair purple or blue.

Carolina (16) dyed her hair green and wears fishnet stockings with Hello Kitty sneakers.

She loves K-Pop, but she also knows how tough the business behind it is.

“I wish that the bands could decide for themselves more what they want to do.

And I wonder how exhausting her life as a K-pop star really is for her."

K-Pop Festival in Frankfurt: Girls faint

Most fans are female, some of them faint and are carried away on a couch: the heat, the long wait, the excitement.

Some fans later complained on various posts on social media that the queues for drinks and food in Frankfurt were too long.

One girl writes: “I had to stand in the sun for two and a half hours to get water.

I almost passed out.” Others complain that the organization at the entrance was chaotic.

Also, some don't like the fact that the K-pop stars only had 20-minute performances each.

Renjun from NCT Dream happy with bouquet of flowers at Frankfurt Airport

Otherwise, despite the large number of people, there is an extremely relaxed, harmonious atmosphere at the concert.

There's no shoving, just a few tears of emotion and teen screams.

But everyone smiles at each other, even if you didn't know each other before.

“K-pop connects.

I've already met so many people from all over the world today,” says one girl.

During the day, too, the Korean Festival was brightly colored.

© Rolf Oeser

The Korean Festival during the day, which is organized by the Korean Consulate General in Frankfurt in front of the stadium grounds, is also a place of “good energy”.

"Transporting good energy is what K-pop is all about," says Renjun of NCT Dream.

The program before the concert is varied: there is a traditional Korean Hanbok fashion show or dance competitions, Korean street food and game tournaments.

Chenle from NCT Dream about Frankfurt: "It's so beautiful on the Main"

But how are the K-pop stars actually backstage?

Extremely nice.

NCT Dream's Renjun (22) thrives when asked what his best fan experience has been so far.

"When I arrived in Frankfurt after a 14.5 hour flight and so many fans were waiting for us and a girl gave me a bouquet of flowers, I was so happy.

It is our first visit to Germany and then such a reception.”

His bandmate Chenle (20) says: "Unfortunately I didn't get any flowers.

I was a bit sad then.

But when I went for a walk along the Main, fans recognized me and wanted a photo.

It was amazing that we were recognized on the street here in Frankfurt." Then he adds: "It's so beautiful on the Main." Renjun confirms that. "I took a lot of photos." You can see him on his Instagram profile pose already on the banks of the Main.

(Kathrin Rosendorff)