Monthly events lists

July is another relatively busy month with plenty to satisfy most tastes. So far, my personal priorities are the KCC’s exhibition featuring works by members of the Korean National Academy of Arts, the discussion-concert by the “Godfather of K-pop” in Oxford, and I might be tempted to re-watch the psychological thriller Sleep when it comes … [Read More]

A busy month, the highlight probably being IU’s performance at Wembley Arena. Glastonbury ticketholders will also be able to see Seventeen on the main Pyramid stage. For those who follow hallyu stars from an earlier generation, you can meet former FinKL member Ok Joo-hyun who is in town to mark the London production of the … [Read More]

May is getting very busy, making up for the slow three months we’ve had since the end of January. Highlights include the Festival of Korean Dance, Min Jin Lee in Cambridge, a return visit by Jaha Koo with his historically-aware talking rice cookers, and London Craft Week. Live performance Jambinai play Dingwalls, Camden, on 15 … [Read More]

Here’s the list for April. Plenty on offer for music fans; for others the main interest is outside of London, and in the new books coming out this month. Exhibitions In Manchester, Jane Jin Kaisen’s Halmang is at esea contemporary until 21 April. In Bristol, Young In Hong’s Five Acts is at Spike Island all … [Read More]

Here are the main events for March. Despite the respectable length of the list, I can’t help feeling that since January, which felt crazily busy, we’ve been in a slight holding pattern: pre-pandemic we’d got used to a relatively frequent schedule of events at SOAS and the KCC, but things haven’t yet got back into … [Read More]

Here’s what we know of so far for this month, though experience tells us that more events will spring up without much prior notice… Live performance Kim’s Convenience continues until 10 Feb. They’ve squeezed in an additional performance on 9 Feb due to popular demand, but it’s now returns only. LKL review here Dancer / … [Read More]

Happy New Year. And it’s a busier start to the year than usual with no fewer than six live K-pop / hip-hop events. But before I get to the list, here’s a rehearsal for the New Year’s Eve drone show at Gwangalli Beach, Busan. Pretty impressive, though apparently there was a glitch that postponed the … [Read More]

The film and music festivals are ended, the State Visit over, and commiserations are due to Busan for missing out on the 2030 World Expo. December, thankfully, is less hectic than the last couple of months, with not much happening (as far as we know) apart from the following: Exhibitions Han Collection has a lovely … [Read More]

The customary autumnal calendar carnage continues, with the overpacked screening schedules of the film festivals clashing with music and food events, the challenges exacerbated this year by events marking 140 years of diplomatic relations bunching together in the run-up to the State Visit. I wonder if kimchi will feature on the menu of any of … [Read More]

It’s coming up to film festival season, which brings the customary diary clashes. But also watch out for tube strikes, which if I remember right torpedoed at least one of the K-Music performances last year and promise to do the same this year. Performance The K-music Festival kicks off with: Jung Jae-il and the LSO … [Read More]

This is the busiest month we can remember post-Covid for live events. And for K-pop it’s the busiest month ever, with the o2 Arena hosting no fewer than five nights of performance. Plus two superb dance companies and three talking rice cookers. Live performance: – Dance The Ambiguous Dance Company comes to the Coronet Theatre … [Read More]

August is relatively quiet in London, though K-pop fans will be able to enjoy Odd Eye Circle and W24 in London – tickets still available at time of writing. This is the calm before the storm: September has at least eight live pop and indie events. Outside of London, if you’ve managed to secure yourself … [Read More]

Here are the main things we’re expecting in July: Veterans Veterans of the Korean War speak at the National Army Museum on 5 July The Royal British Legion marks the 70th anniversary of the armistice on 27 July Music and performance Bang Yongguk performs in Camden on 1 July Blackpink plays BST Hyde Park on … [Read More]

Exhibitions It’s the last chance to see the V&A’s Hallyu exhibition, which closes on 25 June, and the KCC’s craft week exhibition, Light of Weaving: Labour-Hand-Hours, which closes on 30 June Soojin Kang’s solo show at Gathering continues until 17 June Han Collection’s exhibition of works by buncheong artist Shin Sang-ho also finishes on 17 … [Read More]

Highlight of this month is Jihae Hwang’s third appearance at the Chelsea Flower Show with her show garden inspired by the herbal medicine traditions of Jirisan. Plus there’s plenty of craft-related events and exhibitions, thanks to London Craft Week, and the 2023 Festival of Korean Dance winds up. Chelsea Flower Show, London Craft Week and … [Read More]

Highlights this month are a Korean strand in the Queer East film festival, the start of the 2023 Festival of Korean Dance and a bumper crop of translated literature. Exhibitions Zadie Xa’s solo show continues at Whitechapel Gallery until the end of the month, and the Hallyu exhibition continues at the V+A for another few … [Read More]