Korean university festivals are highly anticipated during the springtime in South Korea. It's a festive time where students enjoy an array of activities. One of the highlights of such events is the lineup of performances by several K-Pop artists.

Interestingly, even though K-Pop stars don’t earn extravagant fees for these performances, they still show up, often with just as much energy and excitement as they bring to large-scale concerts. It makes you wonder: what keeps them coming back to university festivals year after year? Is it the atmosphere, the crowd, or something else entirely? This article will delve into the underlying reasons behind their continued appearances.

 

What are Korean University Festivals?

University festivals in South Korea are called ‘daedongje,’ which means ‘a festival for unity.’ They commonly take place in spring and feature numerous food stalls called ‘pochas,’ activities, games, booths, student performances, and brand collaborations. Universities hold such lively events for two to three consecutive days.

Korean University Festivals Don’t Pay Much—So Why Do K-Pop Artists Keep Showing Up?

Yonsei University Official Instagram

Celebrity stages are the most awaited part of the festival. They often involve K-Pop singers and rising indie bands. Performances usually happen at the end of the day.

 

2025 Korean University Festivals Where K-Pop Acts Performed

This year, several universities in South Korea held exciting spring festivals. As expected, popular and rising singers were present, despite their busy schedule. Below are just a few of the festivals that featured K-Pop stages.

Chung-Ang University

Chung-Ang University's Seoul campus in Dongjak District conducted its daedongje festival, known as Lucaus, from May 19 to 23. It drew major attention for its star-studded list of performers, including two popular idol groups from SM Entertainment. The first day’s group of artists included aespa, Thornapple, and Jeong DongWon.

Performing acts on the second day included STAYC, singer-rapper ChangMo, rapper Hangzoo, and Band Nah. The last day saw the performances prepared by NCT DREAM, Dynamic Duo, and the rock band YB.

The student council expected large crowds throughout the festival, so they arranged an online ticket reservation slot before the shows. The tickets were limited to Chung-Ang students.

 

Hongik University

Hongik University in the bustling Hongdae neighborhood of Mapo District had a three-day spring festival, called Hwayangyeonhwa, from May 14 to 16. Rookie girl group KiiiKiii, ChangMo, and Beenzino appeared on the first day.

Female group MADEIN and singer-songwriter Lee SeungYoon were present on the second day. The last day’s performing artists included aespa, PSY, Jannabi, and YB.

 

Konkuk University

Konkuk University joined the lineup of Korean university festivals this year. The institution Its festival ran for three days from May 20 to 22. Performers scheduled for the first day were the rock band Jannabi and singers Car, the Garden, and Kim SuYoung.

Day two featured performances by aespa, Baek YeRin, and rock band wave to earth. On the final day, PSY, ITZY, and YB took the stage.

 

Hanyang University

The spring festival at Hanyang University, known as Rachios, took place from May 21 to 23. The first day featured a strong lineup with Crush, NELL, the rock band Cherry Filter, and the indie group Silica Gel taking the stage and energizing the crowd.

On the second day, Ailee, BOL4, and PSY delivered powerful and lively sets that kept the momentum going. The festival wrapped up on the third day with performances from MEOVV, i-dle, and Jannabi, closing out the event on a memorable note.

 

Yonsei University

One of the much-anticipated Korean university festivals is at Yonsei University. The institution held two kinds of festivals: Muak Daedongje and Akaraka. This year, they conducted the Muak Daedongjae under the theme “Scent of Blue” from May 27 through 30. Meanwhile, Akaraka only occurred on May 24.

Akaraka presented acts such as IVE, i-dle, PSY, Baek YeRin, Dynamic Duo, Davichi, and 10CM. Muak Daedongje brought together a diverse lineup of talented artists, including Chang KiHa, Lee Juck, 10CM, Car, the Garden, Silica Gel, and Lee SeungYoon. Other performers included Band Nah, Jeong SeWoon, Stella Jang, So SooBin, MRCH, and Redoor.

 

Korea University

Korea University also organized two Korean university festivals, such as its cheerleading festival, called Ipselenti, and Seoktap Daedongje, which was named Kudyssey this year. Ipselenti welcomed only Korea University alumni and students, while Seoktap Daedongjae was open to visitors from inside and outside the school.

Ipselenti took place on May 24, while Kudyssey spanned from May 20 to 22. The lineup of performers was announced just two hours before the event. This way, they can avoid scalpers selling entrance bracelets or identity information like I.D. Artists who performed include big names such as BIGBANG's DaeSung, IVE, MEOVV, UNIS, ILLIT, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, and BTOB.

 

How Much K-Pop Artists Earn at Korean University Festivals

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