Vedansh Varshney and Pulkit Lohia, Delhi

The profound influence of the Hallyu wave on India is quite evident with the increasing number of events being organised nationwide that celebrate the diversity of Korean culture. In recent years, South Korea has emerged prominently claiming the spotlight with its delectable cuisine, engaging dramas, and stirring music, captivating global attention with its rich cultural heritage. The popularity of K-Pop and K-Dramas across the country has encouraged the Indian youth to delve deeper into South Korea’s culture through specifically curated events for enthusiasts. One such event, Korean Karnival, a grand fair to celebrate Korean culture, was organised on 27-28th April 2024 by “Worldmark Delhi” and “Just Delhiing.” The carnival offered a wide range of exciting activities for the audience, like indulging in delicious Korean food, exploring cosmetics and jewelry, and enjoying live and lively performances by talented musicians, singers, and dancers. Read ahead to know more about the festivities and activities that took place at the Korean Karnival:

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Dazzling Performances

The vibrant music and energetic dance performances turned the atmosphere vivacious, captivating the audience and elevating their enthusiasm. The attendees were able to witness a great variety of performances ranging from live singing to K-pop dance covers. Let’s take a look at some of the performance highlights from the event.

Renowned local K-pop dance crew Girl Crush brightened up the evening with their electrifying performances on Smart by LE SSERAFIM, Shut Down by BLACKPINK, and Drama by AESPA.

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Another K-pop dance crew EZ took the stage showcasing their incredible dance skills while mesmerizing the audience with their covers of Super by SEVENTEEN, Permission To Dance by BTS, 10 Minutes by Lee Hyo-ri, etc. People energetically cheered and sang along to popular Pop hits like Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles, expertly covered by singer Vankoor, whereas singer Rigmona took the initiative to learn some K-pop songs like Flower by Jisoo, Butter by BTS, etc. and performed them in her melodious voice, earning appreciation from the audience especially K-pop enthusiasts.

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Chizai Live Band added liveliness to the evening by delivering an extraordinary performance, combining live singing with exceptional instrumental prowess. For a more authentic Korean cultural experience, students from the Korean Cultural Centre of India (KCCI) presented an exquisite performance of Samulnori, a traditional instrumental performance that mainly utilises four Korean instruments.

Food and Drinks

Korean Karnival proved to be a haven for food enthusiasts, flaunting its wide assortment of dishes, drinks, and desserts. Additionally, it provided a diverse selection of authentic Korean cuisine, inviting people to immerse themselves in the experience of trying trendy Korean snacks and drinks. Let’s look at some of the popular brands and food outlets that enriched the experience with their taste offerings. Many well-known noodle brands like Nongshim and Maggi were offering on-the spot cooked ramen for people to enjoy hot.

Knorr had recently introduced two new Korean flavored noodles i.e. Spicy Kimchi and Spicy Jjajangmeyon, which were available for purchase at their stall. Another popular brand known for its packaged Korean food in India, KS Food offered a great variety of Korean food items for people to purchase and enjoy. MisoYum, a gourmet Asian restaurant, presented the audience with their delectable Korean pizzas. Gatakk captivated the audience with their gourmet burgers, fries, and refreshers. To satisfy one’s Bubble Tea cravings, Boba King, and Cafe Pearl Berry offered perfectly refreshing and flavour-packed drinks to everyone. If anyone wished to beat the summer heat with chilled Coconut water, they could visit The House of Coconut. Lastly, Mr. Moustache Cakes catered to everyone’s dessert cravings with their wide selection of gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan chocolates, cakes, and other tasty treats.

Merch Collection: Cosmetics & Jewelleries

For enthusiasts of Korean cosmetics, skincare, and jewelry, the Korean Karnival presented an extensive array of options to explore and indulge in. Korikart, a Korean brand in India renowned for its diverse range of products, presented visitors with a plethora of cosmetics and skincare items. Additionally, Pearls of Korea showcased its collection of beauty care products sourced from South Korea. Jewelry brands such as GENZ LIFESTYLE flaunted their exquisite water-safe and anti-tarnish jewelry, while High Street Korea offered handcrafted pieces from South Korea. Brew The Soul, a brand created by a fan of the K-pop group BTS, provided attendees with a diverse selection of jewelry. Moreover, Artitude Candles featured organic, plant-based candles infused with delightful scents.

Hallyuism and Korean Culture India Fan Club’s Participation

Hallyuism was appointed as the media partner to promote and hype up the event amongst Korean cultural enthusiasts. The Hallyuism and Korean Culture India Fan Club team also prepared free photo cards and mini posters giveaways of K-pop idols for the attendees which were highly appreciated by K-pop fans. The mini posters were awarded to people who participated in the Random Play Dance organised on both days and exhibited energetic performances.

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What could have been better?

Having attended various events celebrating Korean Culture, we were intrigued by the Korean Karnival and decided to pay a visit to check out the event ourselves. In our opinion, the event had its strengths which made it admirable, but there is definitely some scope of improvement for future events to make the overall experience a little more enjoyable.

Considering the event location being Aerocity, we had really high expectations from the event. And it did turn out as a large-scale event that attracted a footfall of nearly 10,000, living up to the pre-event hype we witnessed on social media, which is quite impressive. The fair offered a diverse selection of Korean cuisine, snacks, and cosmetics, along with lively music and dance performances, but the overwhelming number of attendees due to lack of enough space at the venue turned Day 1 experience a little chaotic. As a result, many attendees were deprived from fully exploring different stalls and their offerings. For a comparatively lesser crowd, the carnival setup would’ve been perfect and easier to explore but for an excessively large crowd, better space allocation was required.

A few performances ended up getting delayed due to the non-availability of sufficient space for the performers (on Day 1), which resulted in many people not being able to see the local K-pop crew Girl Crush perform, a performance anticipated by many. We truly hope these suggestions to prepare a bigger stage and bigger venues that can accommodate all kinds of performances and expectations of fans and attendees is taken into consideration when organising similar events in the future.

Overall Experience

The growing appreciation for Korean culture amongst the Indian audience has led to an increase in events being organised nationwide celebrating various aspects of Korean culture. One of these events, the Korean Karnival organized in Aerocity, New Delhi aimed at providing locals with an authentic Korean cultural experience by engaging them with Korean food, cosmetics, accessories, and cultural performances in exciting ways.

While the event featured an impressive variety of offerings for the attendees to indulge in and enjoy the colorful flavors of South Korea, inadequate space posed an obstacle for many preventing them from fully embracing the liveliness of the event.

Did you attend the Korean Karnival held at Worldmark, Aerocity? How was your experience? Tell us in the comments!