Fran Healy of Scottish rock band Travis, set to perform in Korea this weekend, stands before a crowd. Courtesy of Travis By Jamie Finn As summer gets underway, the festival season takes off. With Korea's festival scene currently exploding, it can be difficult to choose which events to attend.
One that stands out for its unique roster of international names — such as Travis, King Krule and Alvvays — is Have a Nice Trip. The festival scene in South Korea is in a strange place right now, with an increasingly crowded marketplace and the emphasis shifting away from international names toward more domestic talent. Pre-pandemic, major festivals would feature a dozen big international names.
These days, though, it's usually about four or five, with top Korean names filling in the slots. One festival bucking that trend, though, is the Have a Nice Trip event, which takes place at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, July 27 to 28, organized by THE VAULT, an offshoot of concert promoter group Mint Paper. King Krule / Courtesy of Charlotte Patmore The inspiration for Have a Nice Trip stemmed from THE VAULT's other successful festival, Have a Nice Day.
While the latter offers a cheerful and accessible experience for festival newcomers, Have a Nice Trip is designed for the more seasoned festival-goer, and features a diverse and international lineup. "We wanted to offer something a little different to our other festival," said Son Jun-ho, one of the organizers. "Have a Nice Trip is a mo.