Everything That Went Wrong At The 2024 Weverse Con Festival
On June 15 and 16, HYBE held its 2024 Weverse Con Festival in partnership with AliExpress. Multiple artists graced the stage, and the festival saw a huge footfall, much bigger compared to the previous year.
This year, however, the Weverse Con has also faced increased criticism from fans and media alike. During the two days, the event saw multiple hiccups that led to disappointment.
1. Chaos at the entrance
On day 1, angry fans took to social media to show how disorganized the festival’s entry process was. Inadequate staff and security led to many cutting the line, and in the end, a huge crowd rushed toward the gates, posing a grave risk to the attendees’ safety. The situation got so chaotic that even the police and firefighters had to show up at the site, and the concert ended up getting delayed.
2. Controversial band YOASOBI’s appearance
Japanese band YOASOBI performed at the festival on June 15. Their appearance was controversial due to their right-wing adjacent ideologies. Consisting of producer Ayase and singer-songwriter Ikura, the band faced criticism domestically for allegedly trying to romanticize Japanese colonialism. Their new song, “Taisho Romance,” refers to the Taisho period in Japan, which lasted from 1912 to 1926. Though some view the period with nostalgia, it was also a time when Korea was a colony of Japan and suffered through major atrocities.
【現地参戦記録】ソウルでの Weverse Con Festival
YOASOBI つづき 「アイドル」
口パクなんかぢゃないのに、あらぬ噂の払拭のためか、
ここ最近、「アイドル」は抑揚を誇張したり、リズムをずらして歌うようになりましたね pic.twitter.com/wDxGFjYRIU— ライチ甘露煮 (@Lychee_kanroni) June 16, 2024
Due to this controversy, YOASOBI’s appearance at the Weverse Con received mixed reactions.
3. Artist mishaps
Famous soloist Kwon Eunbi had to pull out of the show at the last minute due to undisclosed health issues. Her appearance was much anticipated, and hence, the news was disappointing to many ticketholders.
240615 Lucky Girl Syndrome#아일릿 #ILLIT #원희 #WONHEE pic.twitter.com/7tLugaBFx3
— hikari (@hikari_illit) June 15, 2024
ILLIT member Wonhee also had to sit out the choreographies due to an ankle injury. She performed the whole set while being seated.
4. Backlash on J.Y. Park’s appearance
On June 16, J.Y. Park took the stage at Weverse Con and delivered an elaborate performance, bringing out multiple HYBE artists with him on stage. He also surprised the audience with his joint performance with HYBE founder Bang Si Hyuk, who accompanied him on guitar. However, many fans complained that giving such a lengthy spot to J.Y.Park was not the best move when the majority of the attendees went to the festival to see HYBE artists live. Park was even booed on stage when he brought out Bang, and their joint performance has been criticized widely.
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