1.8 million entries, one stage: NOL Festival electrifies Kintex

Three stages for every taste

All-ages singalong fever at the Super Live stage

Idol groups bring sharp choreography to the K-pop floor

After-party beats run until 5 a.m.

Online leisure brand takes the party offline

Performers take the Super Live Stage at the NOL Festival. [Kim Myung-sang]

"The atmosphere is just incredible. I'm usually the first person out the door, but tonight I don't want to leave."

Singer Gummy greeted the crowd from the Super Live Stage at Hall 9 of Kintex Exhibition Center 2 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Saturday, and the audience erupted. When the music started, fans sang along, their voices blending with hers to push the energy in the hall even higher.

The NOL Festival, held Saturday and Sunday at Kintex, brought together fans of wildly different musical tastes under one roof. Organizer NOL Universe said it designed the event to bring the travel, performance and leisure experiences it has long offered online into a shared, in-person setting. Beyond the music, the festival added food stalls and hands-on activity spaces so attendees could enjoy a full day out even when no act was on stage.

Festivalgoers cheer at the Super Live Stage. [NOL Universe]

According to the organizers, 60 acts from South Korea and abroad performed across K-pop, band, hip-hop and EDM lineups. The free advance-ticket lottery drew about 1.8 million entries, and the two-day event was expected to draw around 100,000 visitors.

From the first day, idol fans, band devotees and EDM enthusiasts all converged on Kintex. The venue was divided into three dedicated spaces: Hall 7 for K-pop, Hall 9 for Super Live and Hall 10 for EDM. Even within the same festival, each stage had its own atmosphere and its own way of drawing a response from the crowd, letting attendees pick the experience that suited them best.

Cheers, singalongs and a different vibe at every stage

Performers take the K-pop Stage at the NOL Festival. [Kim Myung-sang]

The Super Live Stage drew acts familiar to audiences across generations, from young adults to the middle-aged and beyond. Daybreak opened the first day, followed by Lee Mu-jin, Dynamic Duo, Guckkasten, Gummy, Nell, Jaurim, YB and g.o.d. The crowd swayed to hip-hop rhythms, fell quiet to catch a vocalist's every note, then burst into chants and mass singalongs the moment a band kicked in.

The K-pop Stage was dominated by the passionate energy of young fans who had come specifically to see their favorite idol groups. The stage, produced in collaboration with Mnet's M Countdown, was packed from early in the day. Saturday's K-pop lineup included Hype Princess, Daily:Direction, Close Your Eyes, Lunate, Billlie, RESCENE, Hearts2Hearts, 82Major, Kiss of Life, Kep1er, Cravity, Cortis and NCT WISH.

Cortis, who performed near the end of the first night, whipped the crowd into a frenzy with sharp synchronized choreography. During the repeated "Red Red" refrain, mass singalongs broke out across the floor, and the members fed off the energy, roaming freely across the stage as fans cheered them on. NCT WISH closed out the night with a buoyant performance. Every time a member turned to the crowd with a smile, screams rang out in a scene that felt closer to a solo concert than a festival set.

On the second day, IVE, NMIXX, IZNA and Treasure took the K-pop Stage, while Kim Junsu (XIA), Kyuhyun, Woodz and Beenzino performed on the Super Live Stage.

NCT WISH performs on the K-pop Stage. [NOL Universe]

One attendee who came to see SM Entertainment girl group Hearts2Hearts said she was moved before the show even began. "Being able to cheer for a singer I love right in front of my eyes — my heart was already full before it started," she said. "Getting to see so many different artists all in one place was really satisfying."

The EDM Stage on the first night greeted fans with pounding beats and electronic sound. Juntaro, 4URA, Retrovision, Andy C, Don Diablo, Alan Walker and others took turns behind the decks.

Even after the main program wrapped on Saturday, the music kept going. An after-party running from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday featured seven acts from South Korea and abroad — Bandal Rock, Lucas & Steve, Pure 100%, Hills, Loosbone, Sick Individuals and Advanced — stretching a daytime festival into an all-night affair.

The after-party was also open to adults who had not managed to get tickets to the main event. Anyone who reserved a separate free ticket in advance could attend, and adults who had attended Saturday's main show could enter using the wristband they received at the door, with no additional booking required.

The event ran largely without major disruption, but crowd management and safety drew some criticism. Friction arose when some fans climbed onto folding chairs and used large cameras to film, blocking the view of those behind them. The situation grew tense at times, and it was ultimately other attendees — not festival staff — who stepped in to resolve it.

One attendee said the lack of an immediate response from on-site staff was disappointing. "A few fans who ignored the rules soured the mood, but there was no quick intervention from crowd-control personnel," the person said. "Even when announcements asked people to step back to prevent a crush, almost no one moved. I came away thinking the number of safety staff needs to be significantly increased."

Outside the halls, a travel-themed world of food and photo ops

A hot-air balloon photo zone at the NOL Festival. [NOL Universe]

Outside the performance halls, the festival conjured the feel of a travel destination. The entrance "Welcome Station" was styled to evoke an audio player and an airport departures board. The brand zone featured a hot-air balloon model and photo frames shaped like boarding passes, giving concertgoers a taste of wanderlust between sets.

Inside Hall 8 and at an outdoor food-truck zone, a wide spread of food kept attendees fueled throughout the day. Korean street staples such as tteokbokki and crispy fried chicken sat alongside kebabs, pizza, crepes and shrimp fritters.

Festivalgoers browse artist-recommended travel destinations at the NOL brand zone. [NOL Universe]

NOL Universe, which operates online booking services for accommodation, performances and leisure activities, said it structured the festival to bring its digital users together in person and let them experience the spirit of leisure in a tangible, immersive way.

"NOL has long connected people to travel, performances, leisure and flights in the online space — now we want to extend that value by creating a festival where we meet customers directly and share those experiences together," NOL Universe CEO Lee Cheol-ung said. "Through the NOL Festival, we plan to build a new culture of play that anyone can enjoy freely, and to grow into the brand that connects most vividly with our customers."

terry@heraldcorp.com