'90s rock legends to headline Korean festivals as Gen X nostalgia meets Gen Z curiosity
British rock band Pulp / Captured from Rough Trade Records homepage
The icons of 1990s rock, from Oasis and Suede to Beck and The Smashing Pumpkins, are making a major comeback on Korea’s live music stages, drawing not only their Gen X contemporaries but also growing numbers of younger fans in their 20s and 30s.
Coldplay, Guns N’ Roses, Oasis, Pulp, Suede, Beck and The Smashing Pumpkins are among the acts that have recently performed or are scheduled to perform in Korea.
Except for Coldplay, which debuted in the early 2000s, most of these bands rose to prominence in the 1990s. Many in the crowd, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, are children, nieces or nephews of Gen Xers and Millennials — the primary audience that once defined the heyday of 1990s rock festivals.
Among the so-called “Big Four” of Britpop — Oasis, Blur, Suede, and Pulp — three are scheduled to visit Korea within the span of a month.
Pulp will perform in Korea for the first time at the Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival from Aug. 1 to 3. Known for 1995 hits like “Disco 2000” and “Common People” from the album “Different Class,” Pulp has maintained global fame but a relatively smaller domestic fanbase in Korea.
Their rare international appearances after the 2000s also contributed to the long delay in a Korean debut. Their upcoming appearance follows the band’s 2023 reunion and world tour. Earlier this month, they released a new album — their first in 24 years.
“As pioneers of Britpop, we believed this tour might be the last chance for Korean fans to see Pulp live,” said a Pentaport official, adding that the festival had been pursuing the band since 2022.
Liam Gallagher, left, and Noel Gallagher, core members of the British rock band Oasis / Captured from Oasis official website
Beck, the genre-defying American singer-songwriter acclaimed for blending rock, folk, hip-hop, and jazz, will headline the final day of the festival. This marks his second visit to Korea, following a 2016 concert.
Meanwhile, Suede and The Smashing Pumpkins will headline the 2025 Busan International Rock Festival, set to take place from Sept. 26 to 28 at Samnak Ecological Park in Sasang District.
Of the Britpop four, Suede is the most frequent visitor to Korea, returning just one year after its last appearance.
The Smashing Pumpkins, influential in shaping 1990s American alternative rock alongside Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden, are returning for the third time following shows in 2000 and 2010.
Oasis, the quintessential Britpop band whose core members Noel and Liam Gallagher have remained cultural icons, will perform in Korea for the first time in 16 years on Oct. 21 at Goyang Stadium in Gyeonggi Province.
Their world tour is set to kick off in Cardiff, Wales, on July 4. Reports suggest that the reunion will include former bandmates Gem Archer, Bonehead, and Andy Bell, in addition to the Gallagher brothers.
The global revival of 1990s rock is not limited to Korea. In February, UK-based ticketing platform Skiddle published an article analyzing Gen Z’s growing fascination with Britpop, calling it a “historic high” in nostalgia.
India’s Deccan Chronicle ran a similar piece titled “Gen Z is reviving old-school rock 'n' roll,” spotlighting younger fans' enthusiasm for legacy acts like Coldplay, Bon Jovi, and Queen.
The Smashing Pumpkins / Courtesy of Busan International Rock Festival
In Korea, ticket sales reflect this trend. Buyers in their 20s and 30s made up 80.1 percent of Coldplay’s audience and an even higher 84.5 percent for Oasis’s upcoming show.
A local concert organizer said, “There’s a renewed interest in bands among younger generations, especially as today’s acts often sound overly polished or uniform. In contrast, bands from the 1990s offered eclectic styles and an unfiltered spirit that continues to resonate.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.