KOR
The committee held a press conference on the afternoon of July 27 at the Seoul Education Center of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Jongno-gu, Seoul, to unveil detailed blueprints for the K-pop festival aimed at surpassing America's Coachella. The event was attended by Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Committee Chairperson Choi Hwi-young, along with JYP Entertainment Chief Creative Officer (CCO) and Co-Chairperson J.Y. Park.
The initiative consists of three main pillars: the "Fanomenon Awards" (domestic awards ceremony), the "Fanomenon Festival" (held overseas), and the establishment of K-culture centers in key cities worldwide. The name "Fanomenon" is a portmanteau replacing the first part of the English word "phenomenon" with "fan," signifying a cultural phenomenon driven by fans.
The domestic Fanomenon Awards will begin with a prelude event on December 2 next year, followed by the main event running from December 3 to 12. The stages will be split between Seoul Arena, a 20,000-seat venue in Dobong-gu, Seoul scheduled for completion next May, and Exhibition Hall 2 at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province.
Seoul Arena will host two weeks of headlining performances by K-pop groups combined with the awards ceremony, while the adjacent exhibition hall will feature exhibits highlighting the top 10 fandoms. KINTEX Exhibition Hall 2 will host music festivals alongside artist and actor fan meetings, production presentations, video content screenings, esports tournaments, film and drama OST performances, and a K-culture business forum. The event aims to encompass all facets of Korean culture, spanning not only popular music, but also film, video, gaming, animation, webtoons, food, fashion, and beauty.
The awards ceremony differentiates itself from existing ones by honoring fandoms rather than the artists themselves. J.Y. Park explained, "The fans of the artists are the winners, and the artists accept the awards on their behalf. We research and analyze which fandoms burned the brightest in each category to select the top 10. Rather than voting, the process of building a matrix based on meticulously detailed data is now in its final stages."
The overseas festival modeled after the Korean Coachella has been confirmed to hold its inaugural event in Los Angeles, United States, in May 2028. Explaining the selection of the location, Park said, "Right now, the place that can generate the greatest impact and economic effect is LA. Isn't it the entertainment capital of the world?" He added that the four agencies are currently pursuing the establishment of a joint venture (JV) to host the global K-pop festival, with a corporate combination review currently underway.
The committee estimates that the 11-day domestic event will attract a total of 520,000 visitors, including 200,000 foreign tourists, generating an economic impact of over 1 trillion won.
Refuting claims that K-pop was planned by the government, Park stated, "The rumor that K-pop was designed by the government is not true. It started with them asking us, who are running on the front lines, for the methods." He added, "Once it establishes itself on a Coachella level, top stars will all want to participate. Since it is an event where artists accept awards on behalf of their fandoms, it will be a difficult decision for singers to skip."
Ticket prices, specific domestic venues, and participating artists for the event have not yet been finalized.
The Presidential Committee on Pop Culture Exchange is a newly established presidential body under the administration of Lee Jae-myung, aimed at formulating a national vision for pan-governmental pop culture exchange policies and strengthening public-private cooperation to boost the competitiveness of the cultural industry.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)
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