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 more advanced version featuring numerous international artists.
" KINTEX was selected as the festival site for its spacious and accommodating environment. "It's an exceptionally pleasant festival site," Son said. "The ample space prevents overcrowding, which is particularly advantageous during the summer months.
Given the recent weather extremes, we believe KINTEX is the ideal location for our end-of-July event." Organizing a festival like this is no small feat. Son and his team have faced numerous challenges, particularly in curating a lineup that is both novel and appealing.
"Trying to create a unique lineup led to various setbacks," Son admitted. "Some acts couldn't participate despite being close to finalization. Additionally, many of the artists have significant international acclaim but are less known here in Korea, which has been a challenge.
We're confident that the lineup will be a big hit with music lovers here, too." Korean rock band Nerd Connection / Courtesy of Nerd Connection THE VAULT has taken a distinctive approach to promoting Have a Nice Trip, including tongue-in-cheek videos. One such video had one of the festival's organizers using a whiteboard to prove how they booked King Krule before Fuji Rock Festival, where he will also play.
"We aimed to reach out to 'in-the-know' audiences who share our taste in music and festivals," Son said. "We wanted to present them with more intriguing stories. As festival consumers ourselves, we aimed to address the curiosities and interests of our audience.
Next year, we plan to push these boundaries even further by posting without any confirmation." The lineup is split evenly between international and Korean acts. "We believe there's value in offering a festival with this balance," Son said.
The diverse lineup reflects THE VAULT's commitment to showcasing a variety of musical talents, both local and global. Headlining the event is soulful bedroom-pop star King Krule, and Scottish indie legends Travis who are returning to Korea for the first time since 2016. Other international acts include some of indie's biggest names like Alvvays, Peach Pit and Remi Wolf.
The Korean names featured on the lineup include indie band Surl and cardigan rock stars Nerd Connection. Canadian indie-pop band Peach Pit / Courtesy of Peach Pit Son encourages attendees to come with open minds and hearts. "Instead of the typical advice to check out the artists' music beforehand, I would suggest being open to discovering new tastes," he said.
"Even if the artists aren't familiar, I believe many attendees will find their new favorites at the event." Most performances will feature sets of over 60 minutes, providing festivalgoers with high-quality, headline-worthy shows. "While there are many experiences to be had at a festival, the chance to see a variety of rare artists performing high-quality sets all in one place is significant," Son said.
When asked which act he is most excited about, Son shared a personal story. "Balancing college and work has been tough, and I'm planning to pause my studies. During a difficult night, the lyrics of Alvvays' 'Easy On Your Own?' really resonated with me.
This song has become the anthem of my early summer, and I might cry when I hear it live." Canadian indie-pop band Alvvays / Courtesy of Alvvays The festival will also feature a performance by Travis, a band that has played in Korea several times but is returning after a long hiatus. "They just released a new album, so we're extra excited to have them here," Son said.
"We wanted a headliner that could offer a communal sing-along experience, and having a legendary band like Travis adds considerable weight to the event." The selection process for the lineup is driven by genuine passion. "We choose based on what we love," Son explained.
"Much of our work stems from respect and admiration for the artists, so we prioritize those we are passionate about. We also focus on curating both international and domestic trendsetters in the festival scene." American singer-songwriter Remi Wolf / Courtesy of Remi Wolf Korean band Surl / Courtesy of Surl Have a Nice Trip is set to become an annual event, with plans for possible format changes in the future.
"For now, we are fully focused on preparing for this year's event," Son said. Reflecting on Korea's festival scene, Son acknowledged that there are challenges. "With the increase in the number of festivals, there is a concern about audience fatigue from repetitive lineups and experiences," he said.
However, he also sees promise in festivals attempting new and innovative experiences. "We aim to contribute to this fresh trend because life is short, and music is beautiful," he concluded. With Have a Nice Trip, Son and the rest of the team at THE VAULT are freshening things up for the Korean fest scene with a lineup of exciting new artists and familiar classics.
Tickets are on sale now. Visit mintpaper.co.
kr for more information. Jamie Finn is chief editor of Platform Magazine ..
