Highlights from the KWAVE Music Festival 2024

The KWAVE Music Festival was held at the Burnham Green, Quirino Grandstand last May 11, 2024. It was an event that brought together the Philippines and South Korea by a series of cultural and interpersonal exchanges mainly through music.

Several Philippine acts graced the show, including the bubbly boy group PLUUS, the powerful vocalist Darlene, the eye-catching five girls of YGIG, the cool girl group KAIA, the hip-hop quartet YARA, and two K-pop groups, the eleven hot boys from THE BOYZ and the eight dazzling ladies of Fromis_9.

To start off the show, ShowBT stalwart Tatang Robin (as people call him) and other executives from sponsors and Manila Koreatown gave their messages to the audience and encouraged them to cheer for everyone who’ll be performing. 

The K-WAVE Music Festival kicked off with the soloist Darlene showcasing her powerful and skillful vocals while also showing her cute side when doing a few ments in between songs. She also wowed the fans with a jaw-dropping cover of IU’s “Love Wins All.”

YARA went on stage next toperform their songs, including their debut track, “ADDA.” As a special performance, they did a unique version of the iconic Black Eyed Peas track “Bebot.”

The P-pop boy group in the event, PLUUS, brought momentum onto the stage with their bubbly yet powerful performances, including their recent tracks “UNIVERSE,”  “SHINING STAR,”  and “MY TIME.” The boys also surprised the audience by performing the popular song byKorean boy group RIIZE, “Get A Guitar.”

The members of YGIG came on next and put out stellar performances of their songs “UNIVERSE,” “Shaba Shaba,” and “Touchdown.” Every P-pop group appeared to possess a unique stage, and YGIG was no exception, receiving a warm reception for their outstanding rendition of Black Pink’s “Pretty Savage.”

As the VCR of the K-pop girl group Fromis_9 played, the audience erupted in cheers, marking their first visit to the Philippines since their debut in January 2018. They performed their more recent hits, including “#menow”, “DM”,”Feel Good”, “Stay This Way”, and “WE GO”.

Jiwon of Fromis 9 also showed her proficiency in English. Fans went wild when she said, “We will be back soon!” The girls also expressed their happiness on various social media platforms upon seeing their light sticks and banners among the crowd.

Next, the Filipina girl group KAIA performed to their ZAIA (their fandom name) a few of their hits, including their sentimental ballad “Dalawa,” their debut track “BLAH BLAH,” a cover of Nicki Minaj and Beyonce’s “Feeling Myself,” and their newest single “You Did It.”

For the final act and seen as the headliner of the show, THE BOYZ set the stage on fire in the midst of the roaring cheers from their fans in the audience. Already their sixth visit to the country, with their last at the Asian Artist Awards in December 2023, the eleven boys surely know how to heat up the Manila stage, and their Philippine fans are no strangers to them.

They owned the stage, showed their pedigree, and greeted every Deobi in the audience with waves and smiles while performing some of their hits like “Nectar,” “Thrill Ride,” “Fire Eyes,” “ROAR,” and “Watch It.” Who can even forget the moment when members Sunwoo and Eric played with water and made fans go wild?

Every person who attended the event, albeit from different fandoms with different favorite artists, surely loved the intense energy brought by the cultural connection between two brotherly nations, the Philippines and South Korea. It truly was an event that transcended borders and barriers.

The KWAVE Music Festival was an event that brought people together through music, like a wave connecting all of us.

Media coverage by Sky Fajardo