About Gayo Daejeon
Roughly translated to a ‘Battle of the Bands’, Gayo Daejeon events are annual (or bi-annual) televised music festivals held by one of the famous Korean broadcast networks. Originating in 1997, the SBS Gayo Daejeon was previously held exclusively in December and included an award ceremony for the top-performing artists. This year, SBS introduced a summer edition of the beloved festival to celebrate the best tracks of the first half of the year. As with their year-end show, it includes elaborate stages, special collaborations, and hot performances from the top artists in K-pop.
2024 SBS Gayo Daejeon Summer Review
Booking:
Unsurprisingly, tickets to such a star-studded event sell out FAST. And while the networks will often run raffles through partner brands, getting a ticket is difficult even for Koreans. Thankfully, my friend and I checked Trazy.com regularly once the date was announced, and were able to grab S Standing section tickets for the both of us! At events like this, I tend to prioritize being close to the stage for send-off, but Trazy also offered seated tickets which were super tempting for the great views without the close quarters of a standing section.
Arrival & Check-in:
Honestly, I cannot express how smooth check-in was for this event.
We met the buses in Hongdae near Hongik Station and were led to our bus after finding the team carrying TRAZY signs. The bus took us directly to the venue parking lot where English-speaking staff were waiting to wristband us by section. Unfortunately, my friend had an issue with her SBS app login recognizing her ticket, but we were quickly escorted to an SBS staff member to get it sorted. While waiting for the SBS staff did take some time, I’d say we were off the bus and wristbanded in less than 30 minutes total.
Ticket distribution and wristbanding have been a big issue with this venue in the past, likely because of how new it is. So it was especially refreshing to have it handled so effectively. I do think arriving early (our bus left Hongdae around noon) was a huge advantage though, as I heard the ticketing lines across all vendors got very long around 5pm.
Inspire Arena:
If you’ve attended a large-scale K-pop event or concert recently, you’ll likely have heard of Inspire Arena. As a highlight feature of the Inspire Entertainment Resort, this venue is fairly state-of-the-art and feels more akin to Western concert venues than their Korean counterparts. With many indoor facilities including shopping, a casino, various food options, and even an attached hotel – it’s no wonder the venue has made a big splash in the K-pop scene.
Its biggest drawback however is its location. Inspire is located in Incheon, only about 5 minutes from the Incheon International Airport. However, it is at a minimum of an hour outside of Seoul and has no direct public transportation. This means, getting to and returning from the venue can be a bit tricky from anywhere other than the airport and once you’ve arrived you’re sort of stuck until your event is over. You do NOT want to leave your ID or ticket at home when it’s a 2-hour roundtrip.
Read more tips and information on Inspire Entertainment Resort check out our blog (coming soon!)
Thankfully a bus service from Hongdae was included in our package with Trazy and was a huge life-savor after the show. At previous events, I have tried just about every way to get to Inspire. From taxis (very expensive & hard to catch due to demand), to pre-scheduled kakao shuttles (very confusing to reserve and more convenient for non-Seoul destinations) and the trusty subway/bus combo (cheap but a loooong ride, with heavy congestion to get on the bus to inspire from the airport), all with pretty significant downsides that left me feeling so drained after a long event. Being able to just hop on a waiting bus and leave within 30 minutes of the show ending was truly a godsend to my tired body.
I do highly recommend buying extra water before the concert or event starts. The line after the show was extremely backed up, and most vendors were fully closed so we had to ride all the way back to Hongdae before we could get water.
2024 SBS Gayo Daejeon Summer:
When they said the hottest acts in K-pop – they meant it! Although the show started roughly 30 minutes late, it was well worth it to see these acts live. The show was hosted by former ‘Inkigayo‘ hosts, NCT’s Doyoung, IVE’s An Yu Jin, and TXT’s Yeonjun.
Performing artists included K-rock group Jannabi, NCT Wish, ONF, xikers, WOOAH, Enhypen, Stray Kids, NCT 127, New Jeans, & more! With special stages from iLLIT, ZEROBASEONE, Lee Young Ji, Kiss of Life, TXT, G(I)-DLE, & more.
Even with all these incredible performances, my favorite part of these types of festival events is always the send-off. After the final performances, all artists typically walk the perimeter of the stage to greet fans throughout the venue. This section of the show is rarely televised and is the best time for both group and fan interactions. It’s truly a unique-to-live experience that any multi-stan should have at least once! I mean when else will I get a wave from TXT, Stray Kids & more?!?
Final Thoughts:
Having attended the winter Gayo Daejeon previously, I was excited to see a mid-year version this year and the SBS Gayo Daejeon Summer did not disappoint. As a multi-stan, for the cost I think it’s well worth the money. For not much more than a typical concert ticket in Korea (and cheaper than any American standing section seats!), to have the transportation included and get to see so many groups up close was unforgettable. If you’re only planning to go to see a single artist, it may be fun to see their special stages but I would not recommend the floor given the close quarters.
All in all, I would definitely go again to see all my faves at once but you know I’m bringing that extra water!
Uncover the full line-up of K-pop events happening across South Korea on Trazy’s Kpop Event Page.
Read Trazy blogs for even more K-pop!
- Attending SBS Inkigayo in Seoul l Review & Tips
- Ultimate Guide to Weekly K-pop Music Shows
- 7 Things All K-Pop Fans Must Experience in Seoul
- Top 4 K-pop Entertainment Buildings in Seoul
- A Complete Guide to Annual K-pop Festivals & Award Shows
Check out these other K-pop experiences on Trazy:
Find all the best K-pop experiences and trendiest things to do in Korea at Korea’s #1 Travel Shop, Trazy.com!
I was extremely disappointed with the audience management at Gayo Dajeon. My view was constantly blocked by people standing on stools and holding cameras above their heads, yet security did nothing to address it. This behaviour was unsafe, inconsiderate, and completely preventable.
It’s unacceptable that paying attendees should miss large parts of the show because basic rules aren’t enforced. Security and staff were present but failed to intervene, allowing the situation to continue for the entire event.
While the performances were outstanding, the lack of control over the audience overshadowed the night. Future events must have strict enforcement of no-stool and camera-height policies to ensure that everyone can watch the show they paid for.