Party-rockers of Korea are in a for an ear-blasting treat, as Ultra Korea recently confirmed its schedule and the preliminary lineup for Ultra Korea 2018, including the Chainsmokers, Above & Beyond and Swedish House Mafia.
Organizers of the electronic dance music festival announced that Ultra Korea 2018 will be held June 6-10 at a venue yet to be confirmed. Last year’s event was held at Jamsil Olympic Complex in Seoul.
The crowd cheers during the Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Florida, on March 25. (Ultra Korea)
Other headliners in the list of the artists revealed so far included Galantis, Nicky Romero, Zedd and Zhu.
But the three names to particularly excite EDM fans are Axwell & Ingross -- as a group -- and Steve Angello. While all three are big names on their own, they also make up house music supergroup Swedish House Mafia, which broke up after a farewell tour in 2012-13.
During the Ultra Music Festival in Miami last month, the three performed as a group for the first time since their split at UMF 2013. Axwell’s declaration, “It’s Swedish House Mafia for life this time,” had fans abuzz with excitement about the group’s future.
Ultra Korea has not yet commented as to if the three artists will perform as a group in Seoul. Some 100 artists are expected to appear at the five-day festival.
Swedish House Mafia performs during the Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Florida, on March 25. (Ultra Korea)
Another group generating excitement among Korean fans is the Chainsmokers, among the most popular on the EDM scene in Korea for songs like “Paris” and “Closer.” The latter is the group’s first No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100, where it reigned for 12 straight weeks.
The DJ duo visited Busan last year where they shared the stage with BTS, the hottest K-pop boy band today. BTS and the Chainsmokers also collaborated on the K-pop act’s “Best of Me.”
Ultra Korea 2018 is open to visitors aged 19 and up, and more information about the event can be found at its homepage (www.umfkorea.com) or any of its social media pages.
By Yoon Min-sik
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)