A typical K-pop concert “D-day” for fans begins hours before their favorite groups take the stage, with some camping to secure VIP soundcheck spots and others arriving early to hand out freebies or meet fellow fans.
By showtime, the venue is a coordinated spectacle. Lightsticks change colors with the music, fans wear matching outfits, banners wave from the seats and fan chants echo through the crowd.
K-pop concerts are all-encompassing productions that blend music, dance, visuals and artist-fan interactions. With sharp choreography, costume changes, video segments and fan projects, they can last for hours.
When the lights come up after the encore at these concerts, fans leave with more than tour shirts and photocards. The real souvenirs often run deeper. For many, the night is about far more than just music.
This summer, Chicago rode its own K-pop wave. Major acts like BLACKPINK packed Soldier Field, ENHYPEN performed at the United Center, and Stray Kids and ATEEZ brought their high-energy shows to Wrigley Field.
During ATEEZ’s concert in July, the group performed “Guerilla,” and the stadium shook as fans chanted “break the wall,” turning Wrigley Field into a sea of synchronized energy and creating a viral moment in the K-pop community.
That influence was also evident at this year’s Lollapalooza, where TWICE became the first Korean girl group to headline. In recent years, the Chicago festival has hosted more K-pop acts than ever before, signaling Korean music’s expanding reach.
K-pop fans and longtime friends Lydia Kasap of Elburn, Illinois, and Jenna Koeppen of Geneva, Illinois, braved the heat at Lollapalooza in August to see BOYNEXTDOOR and other Korean acts.
For Kasap, the pre-show culture sets the experience apart from other genres.
“I remember how shocked and surprised I was to receive my first concert freebie at Permission to Dance LA,” she said. Freebies are unofficial merchandise or small items fans make and share with one another at shows.
Since then, Kasap often arrives early to shop for merchandise, trade photocards and hand out the freebies she makes.
“Once the actual concert begins, it just feels like a three-hour adrenaline rush,” Kasap said. “It’s easy to make friends with the people sitting next to you, but I’m also mostly jumping around, singing and dancing the entire concert.”
Koeppen, who has been a K-pop fan for 11 years, said she enjoys arriving early to trade freebies, shop for merchandise, take outfit photos and connect with other fans.
She added that the friendships formed through K-pop can be just as meaningful as the performances themselves.
“One of my best memories is from the Chicago stop of the SEVENTEEN ‘Be the Sun’ World Tour in 2022,” she said. “Our quick conversation before the concert started turned into a lasting friendship, later bringing me halfway across the world” for a visit in Korea.
K-pop, which emerged as a South Korean musical subculture in the 1990s, has grown into a global cultural force, connecting fans across languages and continents.
“The ability this music has to bring people from totally different cultures and backgrounds together is truly exceptional,” Kasap said.
This community even reaches beyond concerts, with many fans organizing “cupsleeve events,” which are gatherings often held at boba shops or cafes featuring custom drink sleeves to celebrate an idol’s birthday, debut anniversary, comeback or pre-concert hype.
“It’s shaping fandom culture and setting the standard for how people form connections based on common interests and passion,” Koeppen said.
At Columbia, student organizations create spaces where K-pop fans can connect in person.
The Korean Student Association hosts campus events to share Korean culture, while the K-pop Club organizes activities such as crafts, watch parties and dance cover showcases.
As someone who grew up with the culture, senior music major Eunkyung Kim, president of KSA, said K-pop has always been a part of her identity. She has watched the genre evolve as it gained international attention, which she finds both exciting and bittersweet.
“Sometimes it feels like K-pop is changing too much to fit what international fans want, and I prefer the older trends that felt more familiar to me,” Kim said. “It’s amazing to see Korean culture being seen and appreciated by so many people.”
Through KSA, Kim said, she’s proud to share her culture on campus and see others take a genuine interest in it.
“I think people are more open and curious now,” Kim said, adding that even surface-level interest can spark meaningful conversations about Korean culture.
Junior film and television major Annabelle Miller, who founded Columbia’s K-pop Club in 2023 and now serves as its president, said she values the in-person connections the club creates just as much as the online spaces she enjoys.
“Most of my friends at school I’ve met through the K-pop Club or C2K,” she said. “Forming the K-pop Club and making friends there has allowed me to see so many different perspectives on life, and I think I have become a more well-rounded person because of it.”
Miller said leading the club and starting C2K, the club’s dance team, has shaped her as a leader and strengthened her appreciation for K-pop’s ability to connect people.
“I don’t think it’s just about music or dance, but also about having safe spaces for people with similar interests to connect,” Miller said.
Kim said she believes K-pop will continue to grow, but hopes it won’t lose what makes it special. She wants more variety and creativity in the genre, with the industry supporting artists simply for being true to themselves.
“As for Korean culture overall, I hope people go beyond just the trends and take time to understand the deeper stuff too,” Kim said. ”I want the impact to be meaningful, not just popular.”
Copy edited by Vanessa Orozco
