Waterbomb is an annual summer music festival organized by Volume Unit Entertainment. It was first launched in 2015 in Seoul, South Korea, and has since expanded to other cities and countries. The festival features a mix of music, dance, and art performances on multiple stages, showcasing both national and international artists with a focus on K-pop, hip-hop, and EDM.[1]
| Waterbomb festival | |
|---|---|
 Official Logo | |
| Genre | |
| Location(s) |
|
| Inaugurated | 2015 |
| Founders | Volume Unit Entertainment |
| Website | Waterbomb |
In addition to the performances, there are photo booths, food vendors, and retail store stalls set up during the festival. As the name suggests, the festival also includes various water-based activities such as water cannons, water gun fights, pool parties, zip-lining, bungee jumping, and more.[2][3] It has been criticized for its high water usage.[4]
The event usually divides its artists into two different teams, each characterized by different colours. The festival-goers are free to choose their team when buying the tickets to the event. This includes a water fight between the two teams and a winner is announced at the end of the festival.[5][6][7]
2015
edit| Edition | Year | Date | Location | Venue | Line-up | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015 | August 1 | Seoul, South Korea | Jamsil Sports Complex |
|
[8] |
2016
edit| Edition | Year | Date | Location | Venue | Line-up | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2016 | July 30 | Seoul, South Korea | Jamsil Sports Complex |
|
[8] |
2017
edit| Edition | Year | Date | Location | Venue | Line-up | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2017 | July 29 | Seoul, South Korea | Jamsil Sports Complex |
|
[8] |
2018
edit| Edition | Year | Date | Location | Venue | Line-up | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2018 | July 20 | Seoul, South Korea | Jamsil Sports Complex | [8] | |
| July 21 | ||||||
| July 28 | Busan, South Korea | Busan Asiad Stadium |
|
2019
edit| Edition | Year | Date | Location | Venue | Line-up | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 2019 | July 13 | Busan, South Korea | Busan Asiad Stadium | [8] | |
| July 20 | Seoul, South Korea | Jamsil Sports Complex |
| |||
| July 21 | ||||||
| August 10 | Incheon, South Korea | Paradise City |
| |||
| August 15 | Daejeon, South Korea | Daejeon Hanbat Sports Complex |
| |||
| August 17 | Daegu, South Korea | Daegu Stadium |
| |||
| August 24 | Gwangju, South Korea | Gwangju Women's University |
|
2022
edit| Edition | Year | Date | Location | Venue | Line-up | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 2022 | June 24 | Seoul, South Korea | Jamsil Sports Complex | [8] | |
| June 25 | ||||||
| June 26 |
| |||||
| July 23 | Daegu, South Korea | Daegu Stadium | ||||
| July 30 | Busan, South Korea | Busan Asiad Stadium |
| |||
| August 6 | Incheon, South Korea | Paradise City | ||||
| August 13 | Suwon, South Korea | Suwon World Cup Auxiliary Stadium |
|
2023
edit| Edition | Year | Date | Location | Venue | Line-up | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 2023 | April 13–14 | Bangkok, Thailand | Thunderdome Stadium | [8] | |
| June 23–25 | Seoul, South Korea | Jamsil Sports Complex | ||||
| July 15 | Incheon, South Korea | Songdo Moonlight Festival Park |
| |||
| July 22 | Daegu, South Korea | Daegu Stadium |
Purple Team
| |||
| July 22–23 | Nagoya, Japan | Aichi Sky Expo | ||||
| July 29 | Busan, South Korea | Busan Osiria Showplex |
| |||
| July 29–30 | Tokyo, Japan | Belluna Dome | ||||
| August 5 | Daejeon, South Korea | Mokwon University |
| |||
| August 12 | Suwon, South Korea | Suwon World Cup Auxiliary Stadium |
| |||
| August 19 | Sokcho, South Korea | Hanwha Resort Seorak |
| |||
| August 26 | Jeju, South Korea | Jeju Stadium | ||||
| List of cancelled dates | ||||||
| July 15–16 | Osaka, Japan | Maishima Sports Island | ||||
2024
edit| Edition | Year | Date | Location | Venue | Line-up | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 2024 | June 1 | Hong Kong | AXA x WONDERLAND | [8] | |
| June 2 |
| |||||
| June 7 | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Dubai Festival City |
| |||
| June 8 | ||||||
| July 5 | Seoul, South Korea | Korea International Exhibition Center | ||||
| July 6 |
| |||||
| July 7 | ||||||
| July 13 | Jeju, South Korea | Jeju Stadium |
| |||
| July 13 | Fukuoka, Japan | Uminonakamichi Seaside Park Open Air Theater |
| |||
| July 20 | Daegu, South Korea | Daegu Stadium |
| |||
| July 27 | Busan, South Korea | 항친수공원 North Port Waterfront Park |
| |||
| July 27 | Tokyo, Japan | Sea Forest Waterway |
| |||
| July 28 |
| |||||
| August 3 | Incheon, South Korea | SangSang Platform |
| |||
| August 10 | Daejeon, South Korea | Mokwon University |
| |||
| August 17 | Sokcho, South Korea | Hanwha Resort Seorak Sorano |
| |||
| August 24 | Suwon, South Korea | University of Suwon |
| |||
| August 24 | Sentosa, Singapore | Siloso Beach |
| |||
| August 25 | ||||||
| August 31 | Yeosu, South Korea | Yeosu Expo Sky Tower | ||||
| List of cancelled dates | ||||||
| May 18–19 | Xiamen, China | Fantawild Tong'an | ||||
| List of postponed dates | ||||||
| August 10 | Osaka, Japan | Izumiotsu Phoenix Multipurpose Field | ||||
| August 17 | Nagoya, Japan | Aichi Sky Expo | ||||
| September 14-15 | Taipei, Taiwan | Dajia Riverside Park | ||||
| September 28-29 | Los Angeles, California, United States | Dignity Health Sports Park | ||||
| October 26-27 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | Vạn Phúc City Urban Area | ||||
2025
edit| Edition | Year | Date | Location | Venue | Line-up | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 2025 | February 22 | Manila, Philippines | Quirino Grandstand |
|
[9] |
| February 23 |
|
References
edit- ^ "워터 버라이어티 뮤직 페스티벌 '워터밤 2015', 제대로 물오른다". Sports World (in Korean). July 28, 2015. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^ "Waterbomb Festival returns to cool off partygoers". Korea JoongAng Daily. July 15, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- ^ "3년을 기다렸다 썸머 뮤직 페스티벌 워터밤(waterbomb) 내년 개최". Naver News (in Korean). November 5, 2021. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- ^ Saemi Namgung (July 17, 2022). "Summer Festivals Criticized for Wasting Water". Herald Insight. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^ "韓国の夏を代表する大型音楽フェスが日本に初上陸「WATERBOMB JAPAN」東京・大阪・名古屋3都市で開催が決定！". PR Times (in Japanese). March 31, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^ "'Waterbomb' makes a big splash: But a lack of attractions and long lines left some fans wanting more". Korea JoongAng Daily. July 30, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- ^ "'워터밤 2017(WATERBOMB 2017)', 내년 7월 29일 서울 도심서 개최 확정 ::". 스타데일리뉴스 (in Korean). December 21, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "PAST LINE UP". WATERBOMB KOREA. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ Cruz, Hazel Jane (January 21, 2025). "Waterbomb Manila 2025 releases final lineup, ticket prices". GMA Network. Retrieved February 10, 2025.