K-Pop Stars Shine at the 2025 ATA Festival in Seoul

From the warm morning sun to the cool evening breeze, a diverse lineup of K-pop artists lit up the Han River with music at the 'ATA Festival'. The event drew a massive crowd, rivaling the excitement of the Seoul World Fireworks Festival. Artists shared surprise spoilers and personal tidbits with the audience.

On September 27, the 'Asia Top Artist Festival 2025' (ATA Festival) took place at the Youth Square in Hangang Nanji Park, Mapo-gu, Seoul. The festival featured artists from various generations, with performances by Kim Junsu, Jannabi, Peppertones, Lee Mujin, 10cm, Hwang Garam, Park Hye-won, Kyungseo, H1-KEY, and Say My Name on the first day.

The festival kicked off with performances by the girl group Say My Name, produced by Kim Jaejoong, and the 'Summer Queen' H1-KEY. Say My Name charmed the audience with an impromptu acrostic poem and cute antics, while H1-KEY's powerful live performance and bright smiles led to a sing-along despite the hot weather.

Ballad queens Kyungseo and Park Hye-won surprised the audience with spoiler performances. Kyungseo debuted her unreleased song 'Let's Just Love', while Park Hye-won performed an a cappella version of her upcoming remake 'The Wind Blows', set to release on October 1. Both artists received cheers for their hit songs 'Stars in the Night Sky' and 'Watering the Withered Flowers'.

Hwang Garam, known for his chart-topping hit 'I Am a Firefly', touched hearts with emotional performances of 'Missing You Like Crazy', 'Healing', 'Between Love and Friendship', and 'Love, That Guy'.

10cm's Kwon Jung-yeol energized the crowd with songs from his fifth studio album '5.0', released in July. He expressed gratitude for the festival, saying, "It's rare for fans to request so many new album songs. It's a beautiful thing for an artist who recently released an album." He also performed hits like 'Reach You', 'Stalker', and 'Love in the Milky Way Café'.

Lee Mujin opened his set with the hit song 'Traffic Light'. He humorously shared, "Young fans often ask me to sing 'Traffic Light'. I joke that I have to sing it or pay a penalty." He also showed his caring side by signing autographs for teenage fans and expressing concern for the safety of those in the standing area.

Sub-headliners Peppertones and Jannabi kept their speeches to a minimum, focusing on delivering memorable performances. Peppertones performed 10 songs, including 'Riders', 'I Don't Know', 'Park Tour', and 'Wish You Luck'. Lee Jang-won expressed his hope to return to the festival in the future.

Jannabi's Choi Jung-hoon captivated the audience from the opening song, continuing with 'Rocket' and 'Hot Summer Night is Gone, But We Have Nothing Left'. He asked the audience to turn on their phone flashlights, creating a stunning scene at Hangang Nanji Park.

Choi Jung-hoon reminisced about attending the Seoul World Fireworks Festival 15 years ago, asking the audience to light up the stage like the fireworks finale.

The festival concluded with headliner Kim Junsu. He shared, "I don't often perform at festivals, but it's an honor to spend my first festival of the year at ATA with the audience."

Kim Junsu announced that he won't be holding a year-end concert due to his role in the musical 'Beetlejuice', which opens on December 16 at LG Art Center Seoul. He added, "I quickly scheduled a concert in October to meet fans before the musical."

Kim Junsu shared his 'TMI of the Day', revealing he ate beef soup, boiled pork, spicy octopus noodles, and kimchi noodles backstage. He performed ballads like 'Love is Like a Snowflake' and 'I Don't Want to Love', as well as dance tracks 'COLOR ME IN' and 'Incredible', filling a 50-minute set.

The 'ATA Festival' offers a diverse lineup for all ages. On the second day, September 28, headliner Kim Jaejoong will perform, along with The Boyz, Tours, Cravity, Ha Sung-woon, Fifty Fifty, 82Major, QWER, Eunice, Bad Villain, and New Beat.

The festival venue at Nanji Hangang Park is easily accessible with a free shuttle bus running between DMC (Digital Media City Station) and the venue from 9 AM to 10 PM. The bus stops near Saenuri Children's Park and the ticket zone between exits 2 and 8 of DMC.