LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Thousands of K-pop fans swarmed the convention center at Mandalay Bay Hotel on Day 1 of the 3-day "We Bridge Music" Festival and Expo.
“This is so cool,” said Sonata Robinson, a 13-year-old K-Pop fan. Robinson said she turned her mother and aunt into K-pop lovers. The Robinsons flew from North Carolina to come to the festival.
“I love the music and how it makes me feel," she said.
A dozen Korean pop bands and artists are performing over the weekend, April 21-23. Organizers of the event aim to bridge the East and West with K-pop culture, showcasing music, food, art, and fashion.
“We have all these other acts performing in Vegas all the time: Bruno, Lady Gaga, Usher,” said Alex Kang, CEO and co-founder of the We Bridge Music Festival and Expo. “We don’t have much K-pop or Asian, AAPI influence so I wanted to make Vegas the entertainment hub: the AAPI entertainment hub.”
On Friday, the festival paid tribute to K-pop star Moon Bin of ASTRO, who was found dead in his home in southern Seoul by his manager Wednesday night, according to an official at Gangnam Police Station. While Moon Bin and ASTRO were not artists scheduled to perform at the We Bridge festival, the K-pop community grieved and honored his life.
“Although this is a tragic and sad time for the community, we hope that our festival can bring some light, love, and joy to the fans, and unite them through their love for this music and culture, to celebrate everything Moon Bin lived for: his music, dance, art, and the passionate and dedicated K-Pop fans. We hope to honor his memory and provide fans with a place to come together and celebrate what he represented with an uplifting, positive experience.”
On Saturday, BamBam, ONEUS, Enhypen, and Viviz are set to take the stage on Day 2 of the festival, wrapping up with Jessi on Sunday.
