K-Pop parties in clubs and fan-organized events to celebrate idols' birthdays are an everyday thing in Korea. But in fact, there are also parties here in Germany and Europe where K-Pop music is played and fans celebrate their favorite idols' birthdays together! Have you ever been to a K-Pop party or a fan meetup near you?
In this article, we introduce a few events that might also exist in your area:
- K-Pop Parties
- Cup Sleeve / Bubble Tea Events
- Dance Cover Contests / Random Play Dance
- Meetups
K-Pop Parties
Parties are celebrated everywhere, and since K-Pop has become a global phenomenon, it's no wonder that K-Pop parties are also taking place in Europe. Often K-Pop in general is simply played, but there are also themes like certain years or a particular group.
To find out whether a party is happening near you soon, you should regularly search for K-Pop parties on social media and on the internet.
One helpful site is, for example, eventbrite, where you can filter for suitable events with keywords. German fans can also keep an eye on the Instagram account of Korean Party Factory, where new parties are announced regularly.
Cup Sleeve Events / Bubble Tea Events
When an idol has a birthday or the anniversary of a K-Pop band is coming up, fans often organize so-called cup sleeve events:
Cup sleeves are covers for cups, usually made of paper. As a rule, a picture of the idol whose birthday it is is printed on the sleeves, along with a date or a birthday message. These events usually take place in a café. To get a cup sleeve, guests simply have to order something in the café. Besides cup sleeves, there are often freebies like photocards or stickers. In most cases, fitting music is even playing in the cafés.
These events are organized entirely by fans. They rent a café or arrange a collaboration, they design the sleeves and freebies, produce them, and let as many fans as possible know when and where these events take place. Usually it's enough to simply google "Cup Sleeve Event" and your city or your country to find out whether there are events near you. There are even Twitter or Instagram accounts that exist only to inform fans. Examples are the German account @kpopeventberlin or the Australian account @kpopteaeventsau.
If you know a café that has already held a cup sleeve event, there's also a good chance that the café will repeat this at some point.
Have you maybe also heard of bubble tea or K-Pop tea events?
These are often, but not always, the same as cup sleeve events. That's because cup sleeve events often take place in bubble tea shops. That fits very well, since bubble tea is a very popular drink among K-Pop fans and by now there are such shops all over the world.
Why isn't every bubble tea event also a cup sleeve event? The very simple reason is that cup sleeves aren't always handed out. Sometimes there are photocards, stickers or other freebies instead.
These events are a great opportunity to celebrate the birthday or anniversary of the respective idol, meet other K-Pop fans and take a few free gifts home with you. Have you ever been to a cup sleeve event?
Dance Cover Contests / Random Play Dance
Sometimes fans or event organizers also call for a Random Play Dance or a Dance Cover Contest.
A Random Play Dance is usually organized by fans:
K-Pop fans meet at a certain location to dance together in a relaxed way! The organizers put together a medley of popular K-Pop songs, and anyone who wants to can run into the middle and dance to the songs if they know the choreography. It's like a big flash mob, and the spectators stand in a large circle to leave room for the dancers. Some fans dance along to almost every song, some only now and then, and others just watch. So you're welcome even if you can't or don't want to dance. The more people come, the better!
Besides the Random Play Dance, there are also K-Pop Dance Cover Contests, which, however, are mostly not organized by fans but by event companies.
Dance groups can often apply with a video and perform at the competition if their video has convinced the jury! Prizes include money or a trip to Korea, for example. At big events like the K-Pop World Festival, the final even takes place in South Korea! Not only dance teams from all over the world perform there, but K-Pop stars too!
At some of these competitions there are also spectators, especially when they are part of a larger event. So you can also go as a spectator to meet other fans.
If you like to dance, you should ask around whether there is a K-Pop dance group near you. Have you ever seen a "K-Pop in Public" video? These videos are filmed by fans who have formed groups to dance together! They memorize the iconic choreographies down to the last detail and dress up accordingly for the videos too.
Meetups
Sometimes fans also meet up simply to get to know other fans and hang out together. It's especially worth keeping your eyes open when a K-Pop concert is coming up in your area or a big festival like Japan Day in Düsseldorf, Germany. Big events like these, which fans from all over the world travel to, are a good opportunity to organize a meetup, either on the day itself or before/after.
Celebrating and mourning together
It's very annoying and sad when a concert is canceled, for example because the artist is sick. But the day doesn't have to be wasted because of that! Sometimes fans organize a spontaneous meetup for everyone who would have gone to the concert. There's no better opportunity, since everyone kept the day free. Even visitors from abroad are often there when the concert was canceled on such short notice that they couldn't cancel their flights anymore. Make the best of the day!
If there is really something to mourn, like the death of an idol, you can perhaps mourn together with other fans.
When Jonghyun of SHINee passed away and recently Moonbin of Astro, fans of the idols gathered to share their grief. Especially if you don't have any other K-Pop fans around you, such gatherings are a chance to express your feelings. You can comfort each other and lift each other up again. Often pictures and candles are set up to create, at least temporarily, a special place of honor for the singer.
Like everything else, such gatherings and events are announced and organized on social media. Look around on Twitter, Instagram and the like regularly so you don't miss anything!
