The '2025 Weverse Con Festival' (hereinafter referred to as WICONPE), now entering its third year, has established a new milestone for music festivals. This year's WICONPE, held over two days starting May 31, featured a total of 27 teams and was conducted on a scale described as 'the largest ever,' attracting more than 26,000 audience members. In particular, this year's WICONPE has evolved beyond a 'K-pop festival' into a 'melting pot of Korean popular music,' offering diverse genres like ballads, rock, and musicals.
■ The vast grass field reflects the wide spectrum of Korean popular music, all gathered at Weverse Park.
At the Weverse Park performance, where various genres of music were enjoyed alongside a live band on the expansive grass field, the wide spectrum of Korean popular music captivated global fans.
The daytime performance at Weverse Park showcased the genre expansion of WICONPE. On the first day, headliner AKMU cleverly introduced themselves with a witty remark: 'We are AKMU visiting for a concert,' displaying their unique sibling chemistry and putting smiles on the audience's faces with their cheerful stage presence. On the second day, headliner Kyuhyun lightened the mood by saying, 'My songs are often sad, but I didn't expect to be singing them in bright daylight,' while showcasing his distinctive ballad sensibility.
Musical numbers and band music also added diversity to the musical color of Weverse Park. On the first day, Min Kyung Ah, who took the stage, expressed, 'Musicals are happy, but the open hearts at this festival make me feel even more open,' and shared, 'I hope to have more opportunities like this in the future,' reflecting her deep immersion in the outdoor festival stage. On the second day, Jung Seon Ah appeared with the choir group Harmonize, delivering a stage reminiscent of an actual musical, while the band QWER presented songs like 'Addicted to Worries,' enriching WICONPE. The 'festival powerhouse' 10CM also drew a massive sing-along with popular selections like 'I Hope to Reach You,' which sparked a recent challenge craze.
The newly established nighttime performance at Weverse Park elevated the festival atmosphere to its highest under the sunset. The 'WICONPE Choice' stage, which introduced globally beloved artists from non-Weverse affiliated artists to fans, featured NELL and Lee Mujin, presenting a different acoustic vibe distinct from K-pop.
Rounding off the two nights of performances, BOYNEXTDOOR and &TEAM offered a fresh appeal by presenting K-pop songs arranged for live band performances. BOYNEXTDOOR remarked, 'We performed at WICONPE when we debuted, and now, two years later, we are adorning the (Weverse Park) closing stage,' and said, 'This year's WICONPE slogan is "GO WILD," so are you ready to have fun?' showcasing the growth of 'the hottest team these days,' which has evolved alongside WICONPE. &TEAM also ignited an enthusiastic response by delivering live band rearrangements of songs like 'Go in Blind' and 'Aoarashi' in a grass field filled with cheering glow sticks.
■ 'K-pop mixed gift set' Weverse Con... from BoA to TXT, ENHYPEN, and ILLIT all participated.
The indoor performance Weverse Con, held at Inspire Arena, vividly demonstrated the power of K-pop, armed with solid skills, performances, and stage productions. Giant LED screens, lifts, and various stage devices showcasing the dynamic energy of K-pop harmonized with the artists' performances, proving the reasons why K-pop is loved by global fans.
The 'Tribute Stage,' featuring the star of 'Asia,' BoA, was the highlight of this year's Weverse Con. In the opening speech where junior artists directly expressed respect for their senior, LE SSERAFIM paid tribute by stating, 'The name of the girl has become a legend, and the title "No. 1" created by her was a declaration that opened an era.' ENHYPEN praised her, stating, 'This star, who continues to shine in the same position after 25 years, still inspires many junior artists and shows the direction K-pop can take in the global arena.'
BoA captivated fans with her unwavering performance of representative songs like 'Atlantis Princess,' 'Only One,' and 'No. 1.' Watching the tribute cover stages from juniors featuring ILLIT's 'ID; Peace B,' FIFTY FIFTY's 'Valenti,' UAU's 'Better,' and TWS's 'Amazing Kiss,' BoA expressed her gratitude, stating, 'Please give a round of applause to those who brought such wonderful performances,' adding, 'I will respond with better music.'
The stages of artists elevating the global status of K-pop also attracted attention. TREASURE, who greeted by saying, 'Finally, we've come to WICONPE,' presented an overwhelming performance. 'This year's WICONPE slogan "GO WILD" seems to match us really well,' TREASURE said, striking fans' hearts with hit songs like 'KING KONG' and 'YELLOW' alongside impeccable synchronized choreography. On the first day, headliner ENHYPEN filled the arena with their cheering fans, performing a total of 15 songs live. ENHYPEN also debuted the live stage of 'Far Away,' specifically for WICONPE, and added dance breaks to 'Blockbuster' and 'ParadoXXX Invasion.'
On the second day, LUN8, P1Harmony, UAU, TWS, and LE SSERAFIM showcased the essence of K-pop. Headliner TOMORROW X TOGETHER presented not only their latest songs, such as 'Love Language,' but also Yeonjun's solo stage 'GGUM' and Beomgyu's solo stage 'Panic,' creating a setlist that felt like a solo concert, exciting fans. They also featured unit stages with Soobin and Yeonjun's 'The Killa' and Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Hueningkai's 'Quarter Life' alongside an acoustic medley, finishing with a spectacular performance prepared just for WICONPE, in collaboration with the house band.
■ 140,000 accumulated in the stamp tour, 47,000 participated in the listening party... WICONPE catches the attention of the global community.
This year, the global superfan platform Weverse partnered as a festival mate, enhancing fans' convenience and satisfaction. New activities before and after the festival, such as the online and offline event 'Stamp Tour' and Weverse's new service 'Listening Party,' expanded fans' festival experiences.
The fan participation event 'Stamp Tour,' in which participants completed missions to earn rewards, saw an impressive 140,000 participants, garnering enthusiastic response. Particularly, in the 'Message Wall' mission, where participants could send messages directly to the artists they love, more than 10,000 participants joined online.
'Listening Party,' where fans shared music while connecting through Weverse, also drew significant interest. The listening party organized by Weverse on the 27th attracted more than 27,000 participants, while the listening party hosted by Weverse using a playlist from the global audio and music streaming service Spotify on the 29th had about 20,000 participants, totaling over 47,000 and heating up the festival atmosphere.
The Weverse Queues service, which allows users to conveniently sign up to wait for their desired booths via mobile, significantly improved convenience this year by expanding its capacity to about five times compared to last year. Approximately 4,000 people enjoyed a relaxed festival experience at the Weverse Park daytime performances, roughly double compared to last year.
Foreign media visits continued this year as well. The American online radio station iHeartRadio returned to WICONPE for the second consecutive year, conducting interview sessions with artists. iHeartRadio's executive producer Vita Murphy stated, 'Just like last year, this year's WICONPE confirmed the global popularity of K-pop, and this year's iHeartRadio Weverse special met not only K-pop artists but also others like Lee Mujin and QWER from different genres of Korean popular music.' She added, 'It's exciting to see K-pop and K-culture grow globally. I have no doubt WICONPE will serve as a bridge to the globalization of Korean popular music.' Japanese media also sent a press corps to convey the excitement on site, as they did last year.
HYBE stated, 'Through this WICONPE, we confirmed the festival's solid status as a hub for Korean popular music and an irreplaceable global music festival,' adding, 'WICONPE will continue to enhance audience convenience through Weverse and simultaneously evolve into a global festival by providing stages that can embrace a wider range of generations and genres of music.'
[Photo] HYBE
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