Korean culture festival draws big crowds in Auckland CBD

A vibrant festival showcasing K-pop and Korean culture proved popular with Aucklanders by drawing big crowds.

KCAKL festival, formerly known as K Festival, showcased diversity in Auckland last week, offering an “exciting” opportunity for Koreans in New Zealand to connect with their culture.

Around 70% of New Zealand's Korean population lives in the Auckland Region.

K-pop dance group NZKDA Manager Terina Whaitiri says the “lively” atmosphere meant the audience was “loud” and “interactive” in cheering them on.

“There was a massive crowd, we weren’t really expecting it. And the stage was huge. Yeah, it was exciting, really cool energy,” she says.

She hopes their performances challenge and destigmatize the idea of K-pop being “weird,” “foreign” and “shouldn’t be in New Zealand.”

Chief Executive at Heart of the City Viv Beck says the “vibrant” festival was important to support multiculturalism in Auckland.

“It reflects the diversity of our city and our city centre. Events like this bring a lot of people and they’re very keen to learn and enjoy.”

The festival brought more people into Auckland's CBD, with the pedestrian count in High Street raising 30% above the normal level on opening night.