College campuses are buzzing as the festival season gets under way.
Across social media and online forums, posts rounding up festival lineups are spreading quickly. Videos of celebratory performances filmed by students are drawing large view counts.
These days, the main draw at campus festivals is performances by popular musicians. Responses range from praise—“this year’s lineup is amazing”—to complaints about how student fees were spent, and organizers invest serious effort to secure big names.
Campus festivals have outgrown simple on-campus celebrations and become contests for attention. Which school booked which idol, and who assembled the strongest roster, are seen as key markers of a festival’s success.
With festivals growing in scale and attention, concerns about their downsides are growing too. Crowding when students mix with outside visitors and rising booking costs are recurring problems each year.
Festival season heats up…complete rundown of campus schedules
Myongji University’s Humanities Campus kicked off its festival on the 6th. Car, the Garden; Kiki; and @heart opened the program. On the 7th, CNBLUE, Kwon Jin-ah and TuneX are slated to perform. The festival wraps on the 8th with BIBI, Maydinn and Psy.
At Hoseo University during the same period, Kickflip, YB (Yoon Do-hyun Band), Apink, Kid Milli, N.Flying, Kiki, Far East Asia Tigers and Younis are on the bill. Chosun University’s lineup includes Crush, Heize, BIBI, TripleS, N.Flying, Jannabi, Kiki, KC and Lido.
Woosong University’s festival on the 6th–7th features 10cm, fromis_9 and Dynamic Duo. Over the same weekend at Dankook University’s Cheonan Campus, Psy, Big Naughty, fromis_9, Kiki, Dynamic Duo, Baby Don’t Cry and Gyu-bin will perform.
Seoul National University plans its spring festival, Lumines, from the 12th–14th, with Youngpa C, Can’t Be Blue, Say My Name, Now I’m Young, TripleS and NCT Wish taking the stage.
Gachon University will add a water festival to beat the early heat. The Gachon Water Festival on the 13th features Psy, Jay Park, Boynextdoor, Chuu, Longshot and HiKi. Hongik University’s festival from the 13th–15th brings singer-songwriters, idols and rappers including DragonPony, Dynamic Duo, Curtis, Baek Yerin, N.Flying, Woo Won-jae, Loco, Gray and fromis_9. During the same period, Sogang University will host Rise, Now I’m Young, Kim Ha-on, BIBI, Choi Yena and Kara. Duksung Women’s University’s program includes IZNNA, Lee Chaeyeon, Cherry Filter, Choi Yuri, Sunmi, Kiki and @heart. Soongsil University has announced Giriboy, Aileet, Han Roro, Rise, Psy and LE SSERAFIM. Yonsei University drew attention with a varied lineup featuring QWER, Hwasa, Kara, FT Island, Rain, Boynextdoor and Alpha Drive One.
Kyungpook National University, holding its festival from the 20th–22nd, has announced NCT Wish, Zico, Lee Young-ji, Sunmi and Kwon Eun-bi. Sejong University teased a stage that resembles a music awards show with Aileet, LE SSERAFIM, H2H, Psy, Han Roro, Tours, N.Flying and Idit. Universities hosting festivals this month—Seoul Metropolitan University, Chung-Ang University, Korea University, Konkuk University and Hanyang University—said they will release lineups through their student government social channels.
Identity checks introduced…from buying student IDs to proxy ticketing
With midterms over, festival energy is expected to climb. But organizers are already alert to several blind spots.
When mainstream pop stars and idol groups with dedicated followings appear, interest predictably surges. But critics note that people carrying so-called big cameras—homepage masters who post photos and paid photographers who sell images—make crowds more chaotic.
Conflicts over crowding and photography have been raised at other public events, too. Stadiums, for example, have seen problems when fans rush to film idol sets, blocking spectators and even confronting staff who try to intervene.
Students have complained when individuals with large cameras entered campus festival grounds, saying the cameras obstructed views and outsiders often outnumbered enrolled students.
As a result, many festivals now separate viewing areas, typically distinguishing campus members from outsiders. At long-running events or festivals that book top acts, organizers sometimes restrict entry to university members or approved guests only.
Most events now verify membership at entry by checking student IDs, mobile student IDs or mobile library records. That verification has created a market for verification tools.
As of the 7th, posts on X (formerly Twitter) offering student ID or ID rentals for festival entry cited prices ranging from about 50,000 KRW (approximately $37.50) to more than 300,000 KRW (approximately $225.00). One post even urged buyers to offer over 300,000 KRW (approximately $225.00) up front.
But national ID cards are official documents issued to identify individuals. Using someone else’s ID illegally can lead to punishment under the Resident Registration Act and related laws. Last year, Soongsil University uncovered ID fraud during its festival and referred the students and outsiders involved for criminal prosecution.
People also trade guest spots when festivals allow students to bring companions. When platforms open advance ticket sales, others offer paid proxy ticketing services. The scene increasingly resembles concerts plagued by scalping and illicit bookings.
Competition to book acts, outsourcing festival operations…who really owns the festival?
Budget concerns persist.
Major universities in Seoul typically allocate about 100 million to 300 million KRW (approximately $75,000 to $225,000) for festival budgets. These funds come from school budgets, student government fees, and sponsorships from alumni or local businesses. Top-tier artists often command fees of tens of millions of KRW per act—equivalent to several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. With universities facing deepening financial strain, artist fees have soared. Critics say spending on flashy lineups can crowd out student welfare, scholarships and club support. One post on X bitterly said, “They burned the money I earned from writing essays,” and that post drew about 8,300 retweets and 21,600 likes.
More universities are outsourcing festival operations to external event agencies. According to the government procurement portal, Woosong University specified in its event-agency tender that bidders secure two top-tier acts and two major acts.
Some observers argue festivals have become too celebrity-driven, diluting student participation and the school’s distinct character.
Still, big-name performances clearly lift festival enthusiasm. Seeing a well-known artist perform on campus can be a defining experience for students, strengthening their sense of belonging.
So the race for star-studded lineups is likely to continue. Universities now face the difficult task of ensuring festivals remain comfortable and accessible for enrolled students while preserving the community spirit and unique character that make campus festivals meaningful.
