After the Braderie frenzy, Lille clearly has no intention of slowing down. This Saturday, September 12, K-pop is setting up shop at Gambetta for a day that should delight everyone whose playlists swing between BTS, Stray Kids, Blackpink and the latest gems straight from Seoul. JOST Lille is joining forces with K-Dreamers and Grand Playground to launch K-POP WAVE – Back to School Edition, an event entirely devoted to K-pop and its community. And good news for those watching their back-to-school budgets: the entire daytime portion will be free, from noon to 7 p.m.
Seven hours of K-pop with free access
The program looks a bit like the ideal day for a K-pop fan who decided not to choose between shopping and choreography. From noon to 7 p.m., a K-pop Market will take over JOST with creators and vendors offering albums, merch, accessories, prints, fan-made creations and items inspired by the groups
of the moment. The complete selection of booths will still be revealed by the organizers. And you won't just be coming to break the bank. Several free activities will punctuate the afternoon, with a first Random Dance from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., K-pop games from 2:30 to 4 p.m., then a second Random Dance from 6 to 7 p.m. Everything will be hosted by the collective K On Lille, created in 2023 around Lille's K-pop community. How does Random Dance work? The tracks flow one after another, a choreography starts and those who know it join the dance. Needless to say, just memorizing the lyrics won't be enough.Voir cette publication sur Instagram
A workshop to learn a real K-pop choreography
Between the two sessions, it's time to level up. From 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM, Ansel and Kenza, members of M&SQUAD, will host an open workshop for the community to learn a K-pop choreography. The collective of artists, founded by Mathewmyworld, performs on various French stages with performances inspired by the genre's biggest hits. And for those whose arm-leg coordination reaches its limits as soon as we go beyond the Madison, there's always the spectator option. No judgment here. On the break between two routines, the JOST food court will remain open during the event, so you can regain some energy without leaving the venue. At 8 PM, a DJ from Seoul takes over.
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And above all: don't head home at 7pm. An hour later, K-POP WAVE transforms and becomes a K-POP PARTY until midnight. Behind the turntables, you'll find DJ Crack, who's come straight from Seoul, for four hours of a DJ set entirely devoted to K-pop: greatest hits, current chart-toppers and songs you'll definitely sing way too loud are all on the menu. Unlike the daytime, this part comes with a price tag, but it's pretty gentle on the wallet: 6€ with a drink included. Capacity is capped at 600 people and booking is recommended. The evening is listed as 18+, though minors can attend if accompanied by an adult. In other words, you can pop by to browse the market in the afternoon, try out a few dance moves, or take the concept all the way and spend twelve hours in a little K-pop bubble right in the heart of Lille. For a back-to-school event supposedly easing us gently back to reality, we've definitely seen more restrained.
K-POP WAVE – Back to School Edition
JOST Lille, 10 rue Meurein, Lille
Saturday 12 Septem
Market & animations : 12pm–7pm, K-POP PARTY : 8pm–midnight
Full K-POP WAVE program