Kakao Entertainment said on the 29th that the Kakao Creative Foundation and the music platform Melon will support indie artists in performing on major music festival stages this year to revitalize Korea's indie music ecosystem.
Through the indie music revitalization project "Track Zero," the Kakao Creative Foundation and Melon will select a total of 15 indie artist teams and support them so they can perform on the stages of the Asian Pop Festival 2026 and the DMZ Peace Train Music Festival 2026, to be held in May–June.
At the Asian Pop Festival 2026, to be held for two days starting on the 30th of this month at Paradise City in Incheon, a total of nine teams will take the stage with support from the Kakao Creative Foundation and Melon. Sim Island, Animal Divers, Racoonerama, Broccoli, You Too?, Woo Hee-jun, Chuda Hye Charges, Leenalchi, Confined White, and Peach Truck Hijackers are scheduled to perform.
A total of eight indie artist teams will also take part in the DMZ Peace Train Music Festival 2026, to be held June 12–14 in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province. Cha Seung-woo & Cousins, New Humanity, Sailor Honeymoon, Galaxy Express, Electron Sheep, and Wa Wa Wa will receive support from the Kakao Creative Foundation and Melon. Animal Divers and Peach Truck Hijackers, which are performing at the Asian Pop Festival 2026, will also take the stage at the DMZ Peace Train Music Festival 2026.
A Kakao Creative Foundation official said, "Through this collaboration, we will support the sustained activities of indie musicians and contribute to diversification in the domestic music industry and the growth of a healthy ecosystem," adding, "Going forward, the Kakao Creative Foundation and Melon will continue to expand stages where high-caliber indie artists can meet the public."