A two-day K-pop festival is set for September 4-5 at Katowice-Muchowiec airport, a venue known for large-scale public events, with a smaller festival also planned for August. Organizers say the events have been three years in the making.
The lineup remains under wraps, though organizers told Business Insider Polska that several globally recognized K-pop acts will perform — artists whose tickets typically sell out within minutes or hours. Specific names are expected to be announced within weeks, following a contract signed with one of South Korea's largest media conglomerates.
Performers will include not only musicians but also actors from internationally acclaimed Korean drama productions, broadening the event into a wider celebration of Hallyu — the global Korean cultural wave.
Combined attendance across both festivals is projected at a minimum of 200,000, with roughly half of visitors expected from outside Poland. Alongside the ticketed concert area, a free open-access Festival Village will allow visitors to experience Korean culture without purchasing a ticket.
The events are organized by a joint venture of private Polish and South Korean companies.
The commercial logic is clear. Poland's Hallyu fanbase numbers 4.7 million people, representing a substantial market. The global K-pop events industry was valued at USD 14.28 billion in 2024 and is forecast to reach USD 22.91 billion by 2030, growing at an annual rate of 8.2%, according to figures cited by organizers.
The scale of the sector is illustrated by projections surrounding BTS's return tour, estimated to generate the equivalent of PLN 20 billion (EUR 4.7 billion) — more than 7% of Poland's budget deficit for 2025 — encompassing revenue streams well beyond ticket sales.
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Source: Business Insider