Hongdae's Zandari Festa bridges global music scene
Punk band Drinking Boys and Girls Choir from Daegu / Courtesy of Zandari Festa
By Anastasia Traynin
Zandari Festa, Korea's premier independent music festival showcase, has its seventh annual run this week, from Oct. 4 through Oct. 7.
Under the theme of “Listen to Music, Drink Beer, Make Friends,” a diverse selection of rock, hip-hop and electronic performances by 60 Korean and 40 international acts will be held at eight venues around the indie music hub near Hongik University (Hongdae), including Club FF, The Convent, Club Steel Face and the revamped Veloso. Late-night after-parties will put the spotlight on musicians from Hungary, the U.K. and France.
Since its local inception in 2012, Zandari Festa has grown to become one of the best-known global music events in Korea. Zandari, meaning “small bridge,” is the former name of the area which encompasses Seogyo-dong (West Bridge) and Donggyo-dong (East Bridge). The festival organizers carried on the name to represent the bridge between local and international artists coming together under one event.
“If you are interested in meeting people in this culture and feeling its vibe, Zandari is the only chance in Korea,” project manager Cecilia Soo-jeong Yi said.
In order to create the best experience for artists and audiences, Yi mentions the 2018 festival has purposefully capped the number of acts at 100 and reduced the number of venues.
A number of local musicians are returning for their second or more appearance, including Billy Carter, DIEALRIGHT, Dead Buttons, DTSQ, Ego Function Error, …Whatever That Means and 57. Daegu-based trio Drinking Boys and Girls Choir, who recently signed to U.K.'s Damnably Records, the same label as well-loved Busan-based band Say Sue Me, will play Saturday at Steelface. Returning U.K. ambient rockers Eyre Llew, collaborating on a split album and extensive tour with locals In the Endless Zanhyang We Are, will have a Sunday headline slot at Veloso.
Legendary punk band Crying Nut will also take the stage Sunday night at Yes24 MUV Hall.
Former Sex Pistols member Glen Matlock will perform a “Hidden Showcase” with former No Brain member Cha Cha on Sunday at 4 p.m. The venue has not yet been announced.
Former Sex Pistol Glen Matlock poses with members of Crying Nut and former No Brain member Cha Cha on June 24 at the DMZ Peace Train Festival, also run by many of the same organizers as Zandari. Matlock will perform with Cha Cha at an undisclosed location this Sunday, and Crying Nut appears at Yes24 MUV Hall later that night. / Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar
The festival is more than just a collection of performances. Yi stresses the importance of Zandari as a unique chance for networking between Korean and international musicians and delegates from some of the biggest international music festivals. The numerous daytime professional workshops, held before the Friday and Saturday performances, have been organized with the different needs of Korean and international artists in mind.
“The workshop sessions were proposed by one of our delegates Glenn Dickie, the producer of Sounds Australia who's the best international live music tour project manager I've ever met,” she said. “He thought the musicians should know more about basics in the live music industry and I agreed, so I planned three sessions: festival promoting, being a booking agent and tour management. I'm 100 percent sure these are really helpful for the bands and young Korean people who want to work in the industry.”
Over 60 promoters and organizers will attend the festival this year, including European representatives from Barcelona's Primavera Sound, England's Glastonbury, Slovakia's Pohoda Fest, Serbia's Exit and Asian representatives from Thailand's Big Mountain Festival, Hong Kong's Clockenflap and China's Midi.
Yi says that while the festival has been somewhat downsized, the expectations are bigger than ever. Audience members will have plenty of opportunities to catch a wide variety of music, with performance schedules that do not completely overlap each other, and also meet the many people that represent Zandari Festa 2018.
Tickets can be purchased through Naver or
or at the door, with a minimum one-day pass going for 30,000 won. Visit
for lineups, timetables and venue locations.
Anastasia Traynin is a graduate student of Korean studies at Korea University. She is a former editor of Gwangju News.