Klive hologram concerts attract 50,000 this year

In town and in the mood to see Psy perform his addictively enthralling galloping horse moves? Whether or not your visit coincides with his live concert schedule, you can dance along with the monster K-pop star on almost any day of the week in futuristic, digital fashion.

Less than a year since the world’s first K-pop hologram performance center was launched, Klive has used its pioneering technology to attract more than 50,000 K-pop lovers from around the world for a truly cutting-edge and out-of-the-box concertgoing experience.

By combining some of the country’s best digital technology and innovative virtual reality capabilities, Klive provides K-pop fans with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to see their favorite stars in the next best thing to a live concert performance ― a hologram show.

Seoul’s Klive center is a visual technology overload of the senses, featuring the venue’s Augmented Reality elevator, the Square AR Show, the Giant Tower, Star Photo Box, Star Lounge, Secret Window and the location’s main attraction ― the hologram theater. 

While Klive’s other attractions allow visitors to take candid hologram snapshots of favorite stars and revel in what it would be like to strut down a red carpet, the chance to dance to one’s favorite K-pop singles is what makes the hologram theater Klive’s hottest destination.

With its 270-degree panorama and high-resolution screen, the theater allows visitors to experience a simulated K-pop concert alongside other screaming, dancing fans. The theater also features a 14.2-channel surround sound system that can rival many large-scale concert halls, bright spotlights, lasers, fog, dynamic photos and many other special effects intended to make audience members forget the fact that they are watching a computer program, not a live show.

Despite not being in the presence of the actual stars, the unique hologram program is an option for those who happen to be in the country at a time when their favorite K-pop stars are not holding a concert, or for those looking to just have an entertaining and unique digital outing without lightening their wallet.

Klive’s advanced high-tech components also make it a target of school field trips, where teachers use the facilities to help foster young people’s fascination and eagerness to learn about the world’s ever-advancing digital era, all the while feeding the students’ love of dance music and pop culture. 

“I had been waiting for such a long time for Big Bang to hold a concert so that I could see them live, but their concert tickets are so expensive and I knew I would get a lot of backlash from my parents,” said 16-year-old Lee Nah-yeon. “I was so happy to be able to see this hologram concert with my teacher and friends during a school trip.”

Launched in January and becoming the world’s first venue dedicated to K-pop holograms, Klive has also captivated tens of thousands of K-pop fans from across Asia, including tourists from China, Taiwan and Japan.

“It is the best. I truly felt like I was at a live Big Bang concert,” said 28-year-old Korean language exchange student Ayumi. “I am definitely going to tell my friends about it.”

In partnership with YG Entertainment, one of the nation’s biggest K-pop talent agencies, Klive currently provides hologram concert performances by three of YG’s megastar acts ― Psy, Big Bang and 2NE1.

The Klive center is located in the Lotte Fitin Mall in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul. The venue holds four shows every day except Monday, with ticket prices at 33,000 won for adults and 16,000 won for youths. Tickets can be purchased online at interpark.com. For more information, visit www.klive.co.kr.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)