K-Pop Music Festival in LA Postponed Over Coronavirus Fears
K-pop acts like MOMOLAND, Ha Sungwoon and more were set to perform at the Hollywood Bowl in April for the The Korea Times Music Festival.
Growing concerns over the spread of the coronavirus has led to the postponement of one of the biggest annual K-pop concerts in the U.S.
The Korea Times Music Festival announced that its concert scheduled for April 25 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles “has provisionally been postponed due to the increasing uncertainty threat of coronavirus.” The annual musical festival, which is in its 18th year, had already announced the likes of K-pop girl group MOMOLAND, solo singer and former Wanna One member Ha Sungwoon and rock band No Brain, with the addition of more acts expected in the coming weeks.
The festival says, “Concert goers can opt for a refund or keep the existing tickets,” noting that current tickets “will remain valid and transferable to the rescheduled concert date.”
According to official counts at press time, the deadly coronavirus outbreak has affected 81,000 people and killed at least 2,700 worldwide. South Korea is the country with the second-highest amount of cases confirmed, with nearly 1,000 infections to date and 10 deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that travelers avoid all “nonessential” travel to South Korea due to the spread of the virus there.
South Korea’s concerns over the virus have affected other K-pop business, with artists including TWICE, GOT7 and (G)I-DLE canceling or postponing concerts, tour dates and fan meetings across Asia. Big events like the 2020 Korea Music Awards and the 2020 FACT Music Awards (which had BTS, Monsta X, TWICE and more as confirmed performers) have also been canceled.
The effects have also spread to Europe, with Seventeen canceling the rest of the European and Asian tour dates on their Ode to You world tour. The boy band had just played U.S. arenas like Newark’s Prudential Center and Los Angeles’s The Forum in January.
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The Korea Times Music Festival postponement is the latest Stateside Asian music event to be affected by the coronavirus after the Overpass Music festival in Oak Canyon Park, California — which featured Malaysia’s Yuna, Thailand’s Phum Viphurit, and DPR Live and iKON‘s Mino from Korea — was postponed from March to Sept. 26.
Many K-pop acts have plans to play America in 2020, with boy bands NCT 127, CIX and 1Team, girl group EVERGLOW and solo singer Changmo all booked for tours or big shows just next month.
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