Korea-ASEAN Music Festival resumes in Manila after six years

The Korea-ASEAN Music Festival, a cross-cultural showcase bringing together artists from across Southeast Asia, will be held this weekend at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila, the Philippines, Korea’s national broadcaster KBS announced Wednesday.

Spanning Saturday and Sunday, the festival will feature a diverse lineup of performers, including Korean acts 10cm and Melomance, alongside the Philippines’ beloved folk-pop band Ben&Ben and rising indie-pop group Cup of Joe.

The lineup further highlights leading artists from across the ASEAN region, such as Thailand’s pop band Tilly Birds, Indonesia’s singer-songwriter Pamungkas, Cambodia’s G-Devith, and Singaporean artist Regina Song.

Marking its largest edition to date, the festival will bring together 17 acts from 11 countries, including Korea and ASEAN member states.

According to KBS, this year’s event carries a symbolic homecoming narrative. Originally slated to take place in the Philippines in 2020, the festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, six years later, it will be held in Manila as initially planned.

The event is hosted by KBS World, the international broadcasting arm of KBS, and is sponsored by the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund, with support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ASEAN Secretariat.