Capital’s Mỹ Đình Stadium to host Korean culture and food festival

Thousands of Vietnamese fans: The UKISS boy band will perform at the 8th Culture and Food Festival’s opening nigh in Hà Nội. Photo parailmuanremajatarakan.blogspot.com

The festival is a chance to introduce a variety of Korean cultural genres, including traditional music, dancing, cuisine and entertainment such as folk games.

The three-day festival starting Nov. 11 features the Korean UKISS boy band, the Laboum girl band, trot music singer Pyeon Seung-yeop and Vietnamese-Korean Hari Won. The artists will perform at 7pm on the festival’s opening night.

UKISS is an A-listed band with seven members. It was set up in 2008. UKISS stands for Ubiquitous Korean Idol Super Star. Its members are also solo entertainers, acting in various dramas and musicals and hosting various reality-variety shows.

The band has 10,000 Vietnamese fans, said the festival organisers at a press conference held recently.

The six-member Laboum band was set up in 2014 made its music debut with a single album Petit Macaron.

Besides K-pop music, festival organisers also aim to introduce trot music considered the original form of Korean pop music to Vietnamese audiences. The trot music will be performed by veteran singer Yeop who is known in Korea for his first single entitled Chan Chan Chan.

Vietnamese pop A-listed singer Mỹ Linh will perform at the festival this year with other emerging Vietnamese artists such as Tiên Tiên and Nhật Thủy.

Despite performing as a sideline activity, Ionah will be the most anticipated show at the festival. It is regarded by international audiences as Viet Nam’s "Cirque Du Soleil".

The Korean Culture and Food Festival is held by Korean Embassy in Việt Nam in collaboration with Việt Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Korea Project on International Agriculture, Korea Agricultural Products Distribution Corporation and the Korean Cultural Centre.

"After seven consecutive successfull festivals, the Korean Culture and Food Festival 2016 will be on a larger scale and include more activities luring more Vietnamese, Korean and foreign people," said the Korean embassy’s representative. "The festival will be a chance for Korean entreupreners in Việt Nam to popularise their products to local consumers."

About 100 Korean restaurants in Hà Nội and 40 entreupreners will introduce their specialities. Recreational activities will include folk games, outdoor films and K-pop flashmob. Korean drama fans will be able to take photos with their beloved character figures, wearing the traditional Hanbok costume.

Attractive prizes will be raffled, including a car, motorcyle, LCD TV and more.

Last year the festival drew about 90,000 visitors.