K-pop boyband LUN8 to make India debut on November 23

New Delhi: The Grand Finale of the All India K-pop Contest 2024 presented by LG, scheduled to be held on 23rd November at the state-of-the-art exhibition and convention centre, ‘Yashobhoomi’, in New Delhi, is set to be a fitting closure to the biggest live K-pop event organised in India. This year’s contest promises advanced technicalities and grander experiences, making it more memorable and exciting. This is the 14th edition of the showpiece event which has over the years become one of the representative projects of the Korean Cultural Centre India.

The showstopper of this year’s All India K-pop Contest 2024 Grand Finale is the eight-member South Korean boy band LUN8. Since their debut in June 2023, LUN8 has been stealing hearts worldwide with their powerful performances, unique style, and undeniable talent. Comprising eight talented members, LUN8 embodies the meaning of their name – “Eight boys who embrace the moonlight that brightly illuminates the dark night”. This will be the first time that the K-pop group will be visiting India and performing in the country.

The seven-month journey of the 2024 All India K-pop Contest will reach its peak with the Grand Finale on November 23, with the initial preliminary rounds held between May 17th and June 28th. In the online round, the selected candidates performed in one of the 11 regional rounds that were held across the country – Bengaluru, Kohima, Kolkata, Mumbai, Itanagar, Chennai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Bhopal.

The winners from each regional preliminary round participated in the semifinals on October 19, delivering outstanding performances, with a total of 12 contestants advancing to the Grand Finale. The 190 Social media posts for the K-pop contest garnered approximately 7.9 million views, underscoring the popularity of the All India K-pop Contest as India’s premier K-pop event.

The K-pop groups that will light up the stage include the winners of the semi-final round of the All India K-pop Contest 2024 – Outkasts from New Delhi in the dance category, and Avanti Hegde from Bengaluru in the vocal category.

The other K-pop groups in the dance category include – Girl Crush (New Delhi), Weunite (Mumbai), Sejal Dubey (Dance), Krazyones The Flowerknights (Kolkata) and The Trend (Itanagar). The vocal category of the event will see performances by Bem Khuvung (New Delhi), Ancy Irengbam (Kolkata), Abhipriya Chakraborty (Kolkata), Sruthi Ramnarayan (Chennai) and Nuu Anu (Kohima). A total of six participants in each category will vie for the All India K-pop Contest 2024 crown, which will also assure them of a trip to the Republic of Korea.

The All India K-pop Contest 2024 Grand Finale will begin at 5 pm on 23rd November. Prior to that the event will feature other cultural activities such as Kimchi Performance (1:30 pm), K-Pop Random Play Dance (3pm), Korean Traditional Games (4 pm).

The Kimchi Performance will be a special event where numerous participants will gather and make Vegan Kimchi in a large outdoor hall. The Vegan Kimchi has been planned especially for the Indian participants. It will be prepared with care using ingredients such as napa cabbage, radish and red pepper powder.

This performance will be a visual treat and will celebrate ‘Kimchi Day’, that is celebrated globally on 22nd November. A total of 300 pre-registered participants will join in making kimchi together, and each participant will be able to take home the kimchi they personally prepared during the event. Yashobhoomi is also the venue for the biggest Korean Industry Expo KoINDEX 2024.

This year, there are a host of special cultural activities and performances lined up for the grand event. The biggest of them all is that two special K-pop fans will receive an open ticket to visit the Republic of Korea, by winning the ‘Lucky Draw’ as part of the All India K-pop Contest 2024 Grand Finale. To take part in the ‘Lucky Draw’, all individuals have to ensure that they have registered for the All India K-pop Contest 2024 Grand Finale on the BookMyShow link https://in.bookmyshow.com/events/all-india-kpop-contest-2024-grand-finale/ET00417826 . Once the registration on this link is completed, a unique booking code will be shared with each participant and this code will give two special K-pop fans an open ticket to travel to Korea. There are no qualifications or conditions to take part in the process and the winners will be selected randomly by a lucky draw.

Hwang Il Yong, Director of Korean Cultural Centre India said, “The regional round of the All India K-pop Contest were organised in eleven cities, and the participants at all the venue showed a lot of love and respect for K-pop. The performances of the participants showed the hard work and the practice that they had put in. Now, we are all very excited and eagerly look forward to the performances that will be on display in the Grand Finale on 23rd November. Winners get a chance to visit Korea and experience its culture first-hand.”