Ultra Korea captivates Seoul

A part of Seoul was set ablaze last weekend, as 120,000 music lovers flocked to Ultra Korea 2017, shaking it to the ear-blasting tunes from top-tier DJs gathered at the largest and hottest outdoor club in the country.

Spread across the vastness of Jamsil Olympic Main Stadium in Seoul were four stages, from which electronic dance music shot out from big-shot artists KSHMR, Pendulum, Alesso, Nicky Romero, Steve Angello, Dubfire, Martin Solveig, Tiesto and Tchami. Standing alongside the top-tier musicians were Korea’s own Raiden and Justin Oh.

In addition to the main stage, the crowd packed the “Live Stage,” “Resistance Stage” and “Magic Beach” stages, where EDM enthusiasts grooved to the beats on a field of sand intended to bring a summer beach vibe to the arena. 

Various stages acted as an opportunity for the festival to expand beyond EDM. Musicians of other genres like rappers Dumbfoundead and DPR and K-pop singer Hyolyn took to the Live Stage.

Throughout Saturday and Sunday, some 80 acts performed at Ultra Korea 2017.

Anticipation could be felt in the air on the opening day, as a long of line visitors extended past the ticket booths around 7 p.m. while the evening was still young. 

“Now it’s getting nice and dark, let’s really crank it up!” said Gaeko of Dynamic Duo, who took to the Live Stage on Saturday. KSHMR, who followed the hip-hop duo, added story along with exotic dance and instruments to the EDM.

Right across the pathway on the main stage was Steve Angello, returning to Korea to pump up the crowd.

Neither the artists nor the audience let up on the following day, with the heated crowd singing along as Hardwell led them on.

Leading off with ”Mad World,” he followed up by playing dance numbers like “Apollo,” “Follow Me,” Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” and D. Ramirez’s “With Me or Against Me.”

The party continued well into the night, with Tiesto appearing on the Main Stage as the last act to the beat of “Dancing on My Own.” The DJ kept cranking up the energy in the arena with songs like “Split” and “Melody,” as the crowd danced into the night.

Visitors from all around the world joined Koreans to party during the event, which was apparent in the flow of international flags, including those of the US, China, Thailand, Japan, Germany, Canada and countless others, waving across the venue. According to organizers, some 25,000 international visitors were present during the two days of Ultra Korea.

Ultra Music Festival started as an annual EDM festival in Miami, Florida, in 1999, and has since expanded to other countries including Korea, Spain, Japan and Brazil.

The annual event of Ultra Korea kicked off in 2012, and has grown almost each year in size and the number of musicians featured at one of the largest and most popular music festivals in the country.


By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)