Live music festival Block Party to return to Haebangchon

“Tiger is Coming” band Leenalchi will join more than 100 performers in Haebangchon this weekend as 10 venues in the area open for a cultural festival.

Showcase music festival Block Party will return for a second year Saturday and Sunday with more stages and a wider variety of performances.

Music will still be at the heart of the event, with alternative pop band Leenalchi being joined Saturday by the hard rock sounds of Galaxy Express and Drinking Boys and Girls Choir, as well as Japan-based indie group Nice Legs.

On Sunday, the lineup includes jazz trio the Kim Oki Saturn Ballad, indie group 87Dance and Hong Kong singer XTIE.

Electronic music act Kirara will be headlining the evening.

Festival director Jamie Finn said the music was intentionally diverse in terms of genre, while the number of venues has been increased from last year’s five.

“We wanted to work with as many people as possible -- the more people involved, the better it is for us and the better for the area,” said Finn.

Many of this year’s venues wanted to take part in the first Block Party last year, but couldn’t because they were not ready for hosting music performances. By expanding the diversity of acts, the festival could include more venues, while also making it stand out against other festivals.

The new venues include Rabbithole, where comedy from Dark De Gary Comedy Collective and Jam Improv Seoul will go on stage. This will be followed by something the organizers describe as more hard hitting, such as a show put on by Pro-Wrestling Society.

“I’ve been a big wrestling fan since I was a kid, and embarrassingly still a big wrestling fan to this day, so I am pretty happy about it,” Finn said.

The weekend also includes bluegrass and hip-hop showcases, as well as poetry, drag and burlesque performances.

Day passes to the event have sold out. Weekend tickets are 60,000 won. More information about the acts is available at the @blockpartykorea Instagram page.

(paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)