C3 Presents Brings Vibrant South Korean Culture To Lollapalooza
By Jina Kelly
Ever since the tremendously successful headlining performance of J-Hope and Tomorrow X Together’s (TXT) earlier set on Perry’s stage in 2022, C3 Presents has been bringing more South Korean artists to the festival with continued appreciation from the fans each year.
In our interview with Etty Farrell in 2022, she had this to say regarding Lollapalooza’s continued evolution of inclusion:
“Art and music are about accepting; it’s all-encompassing and transcends cultures. With Lollapalooza, we try very hard to showcase artists that may not have the vehicle to do so otherwise. We are happy to provide artists from all walks of life and different cultures and backgrounds to share their space and their music with as many people as possible.“
2023 saw the return of TXT, but now headlining. Also performing that year NewJeans, DPR IAN, DPR LIVE, and The Rose. In 2024, Stray Kids headlined, with IVE and VCHA performing earlier sets. Chicago’s Gangnam Market was made part of Vibe Village, allowing fans to sample Korean snack foods and more. All of these additions to the lineup and Vibe Village have been received very well by fans, and all feel very natural in the ever-evolving changes that take place with Lollapalooza each year.
This year, Lollapalooza gave fans more of what they want (as they always tend to do) with six South Korean artists and added a booth for the Korean Tourist Office (KTO) in both the public and press areas to learn about Korean culture, play some Ddakji (as seen in Squid Games), and get some nice souvenirs, too.
Headliners included TWICE on the Bud Light stage, and Xdinary Heroes on the Grove stage, with BoyNextDoor (Lakeshore), KickFlip (Bud Light), Katseye (T-Mobile), and wave to earth (Tito’s Handmade Vodka). Every artist enjoyed strong attendance and a warm, welcoming response from the crowd.
The public-facing Imagine Your Korea booth was located near Buckingham Fountain and always had a steady flow of people visiting and trying their luck at the Ddakji. Fans were greeted by people wearing traditional Korean clothing, answering questions, and were given a Korean tourist map, a thick Korea travel guide, and a yojeum “These days, nowadays, today” (signifying the always authentic, always trendy Korea). Broken into twelve sections, the booklet provided insights on Korea’s seasons, K-Dramas, fashion, beauty, food, and more, with contact numbers on how to get even more information if a trip to Korea is on your wishlist.
Many fans carried very well-made handheld fans — provided by the Korean Tourist Office — to stay cool throughout Grant Park which was a most practical giveaway to say the least.
Meanwhile, in the press area, many of the artists who were recently on stage donned a traditional hat, posed for photos, learned about Korean culture, and tried their hand at Ddakji. Including booths in both areas was a smart idea for everyone to have an opportunity to learn more, artists, publicists, and fans alike.
This first-ever tourist office inclusion for educational purposes fits right in with many of the aspects of Lollapalooza’s mission over the years and couldn’t have been any more timely given the state of things in the country these days. Now more than ever, we need to come together, learn from one another, identify with each other, and in the spirit of brotherhood, love one another so we all can grow as a global community.
Lollapalooza embodies everything that the world should be: accepting, liberating, and providing a safe space for people to live their truth. For the past four days at Lollapalooza, it truly felt wonderful again to picture the world as it should be.
We hope that Lollapalooza continues to allow fans to learn about more cultures each year going forward.
Links:
Official: https://english.visitkorea.or.kr/svc/main/index.do
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/koreatourism
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/visitkorea_travel/
Lollapalooza:
Official: http://www.lollapalooza.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lollapalooza
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lollapalooza
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lollapalooza/
