"Zankokuna tenshi no you ni, shonen yo, shinwa ni nare! (Like a cruel angel, boy, become a legend)"
On the 16th in the afternoon at an underground venue in Hongdae, Seoul. When the opening song of the Japanese animation "Evangelion," "A Cruel Angel's Thesis," rang out, the young people filling the seats waved their hands and cheered. The people on stage were not full-time singers. On weekdays, they head to their respective companies; they were a band of office workers in their 20s and 30s.
The band "Ttangullim," which took the stage that day, powered through seven songs in a row to showcase the skills they had honed. The vocalist, Bing So-yeon, 29, works as a marketer at an education company. Bing prepared for the first performance by rehearsing with friends employed at other companies for about a year and six months.
◇ Office worker bands once centered on 30s and 40s, now spreading to 20s and 30s
Office worker bands have steadily existed in the past. While earlier it was often office workers in their 30s and 40s who formed bands as clubs, recently participation has widened to office workers from the late 20s to early 30s.
As band music by groups such as QWER, Silica Gel, Jannabi, and New Humanity has gained mainstream popularity, some analysts say interest has spread from "listening to bands" to hobby bands that play and take the stage themselves.
Office workers in their 20s and 30s gather in rehearsal studios after work to practice and rent venues to go on stage. They do not stop at simply learning instruments; they form teams, practice, and even put on actual shows. It is a hobby activity, but the goal is clear. Matching songs with bandmates and standing on stage after inviting acquaintances has become an achievement in itself for them.
Bing also handled the venue rental herself from the start. The rental expense was about 1 million won. To lessen the cost burden, they held a joint concert with two other bands. To see Bing's first stage, about 80 family members, friends, and coworkers came to the venue. Each time songs by domestic and overseas bands followed, cheers erupted from the seats.
Bing said, "More acquaintances are trying to find meaningful hobbies amid a harsh life," adding, "These days, bands are taking root as one of those hobbies." Bing said, "Next time, I want to hold a solo concert and invite more acquaintances."
◇ On social media: "Looking for members to play together after work"
A, 37, who has been active in an office worker band for two years, also feels the changed atmosphere this year. A had been the youngest in the band, but said two people—one a junior from college and one a junior colleague—recently began coming out to practice.
A said, "I brought up the band at a drinking get-together, and the juniors immediately said they wanted to do it," adding, "In the past, when you said office worker band, people thought it was a hobby for those of a certain age, but now younger folks naturally show interest." A said, "We plan to perform again this year, as we did last year."
Posts recruiting band members are also appearing one after another on social media (SNS) and online communities. They say things like, "Looking for an office worker band to play together after work," and "Need a member in their mid-20s to mid-30s to take vocals or guitar." Not only are there teams forming with the goal of performing, but there are also many groups preparing regular rehearsals, festival participation, and one-day shows.
The increase in stages where people can encounter band music is also cited as a background for the spread of office worker bands in their 20s and 30s. Indie band shows have become more common at local festivals and outdoor events, and content featuring band music has grown. At the ongoing "2026 Seoul Garden Festival," popular band performances are joined by an indie band stage every Sunday.
Rehearsal room booking platforms and community apps have also lowered the barrier to entry. In the past, you had to gather members through acquaintances or find offline clubs, but now it has become easy to recruit members by instrument and reserve rehearsal rooms online. Recently, "one-day band experience classes" have also appeared, where three to five people form a team on the spot for a day, complete one song, and even rehearse together.
◇ Weekend venues are fully booked through September
As more office worker bands in their 20s and 30s emerge, new demand is arising at small venues and rehearsal studios around Hongdae and Hapjeong. For office worker bands, a venue is not just a rental space; it is the goal line that caps off months of practice. Most of the audience members are family, friends, and coworkers, but the format of the shows does not differ much from regular band performances.
B, who runs a venue rental business near Hapjeong Station, said, "Inquiries about hobby band performances have increased to the point that Saturday rental reservations are fully booked through September this year," adding, "Most of the people coming to the venue are young office workers or college students."
A small venue in Sangsu-dong, Seoul, also said that, except for two days, all Saturday rental slots this year are filled. Two to three other small venues popular as band performance spots around Hongdae and Hapjeong were also mostly booked on weekends. At the fastest places, reservations were only available at least two months out.
This trend also appears in the increase of new venues. In Seoul, 15 venues have opened from the start of the year through this month. Compared with the same periods in 2024 and 2025, when nine and five venues, respectively, began operations, the increase is large.
The industry sees office worker bands in their 20s and 30s as establishing themselves as a new demand base for the small venue market. A venue official said, "With only professional musician shows, it was sometimes hard to fill all weekday or weekend rentals, but recently inquiries about hobby band performances have been steady," adding, "Office worker bands also bring their audiences, which is welcome demand from the venue's perspective."