It may be in freezing weather conditions, but the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Winter Games kick off officially Friday, when the South Korean Olympiad begins in earnest with the Opening Ceremony. While all eyes are on the competitions and North-South Korean interactions, music watchers from around the globe will have plenty to take in as many of South Korea’s most popular artists are part of the Olympic festivities.
In the lead-up to the Games, several popular artists served as torchbearers, including Suzy (formerly miss A), VIXX’s N and Leo, Super Junior’s Donghae and Yesung, Sandara Park (formerly 2NE1), Girl’s Day, AOA, Soyou, Lee Seung Chul, Winner, Cjamm, Jung Jinwoo, Cosmic Girls, Mamamoo, Dia’s Jung Chayeon, Monsta X, Jeon Somi (formerly I.O.I), and many more.
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As representatives from around the world headed toward Pyeongchang this week to participate in preliminary competitions, EXO’s Baekhyun and VIXX performed at the opening ceremony of the International Olympic Committee general assembly on Feb. 5. The former sung the South Korean national anthem accompanied by 25 elementary school children, while the latter performed their 2017 song “Shangri-La,” which gained attention at the end of last year for its incorporation of traditional Korean aesthetics.
Plans for the Olympic Opening Ceremony, held Friday in Korea, are kept under wraps until it airs, but members of Bolbbalgan4 and Guckkasten are reportedly set to perform, lending more of an indie-pop and rock vibe to the program. The closing ceremony will be more focused on K-pop and reportedly feature EXO and CL.
Special K-Pop World Festa concerts featuring dozens of popular K-pop acts will also take place during the Games. BoA, Seventeen, iKON, EXID, and more K-pop idols will perform on Feb. 10 while Feb. 17 will see a hip hop and ballad singer-dominated lineup. The Feb. 24 show will feature the likes of April, Super Junior, B.A.P, B1A4, and more.
Each day of the 2018 Pyeongchang Games will feature a different headline performance following the medal ceremony, listed as follows, according to MBC News:
Feb. 10: Insooni, who sang the Olympic Torch Relay theme song “Let Everyone Shine”
Feb. 11: DJ Doc
Feb. 12: NCT 127
Feb. 13: Jazzyfact
Feb. 14: BTOB
Feb. 15: B1A4
Feb. 16: Rose Motel
Feb. 17: The Boyz
Feb. 18: Kim Taewoo
Feb. 19: 2PM
Feb. 20: Red Velvet
Feb. 21: Jazzyfact
Feb. 22: Hwang Chiyeol
Feb. 23: GFriend
Feb. 24: Super Junior D&E
Different popular Korean acts will also hold showcases throughout the days of the Pyeongchang games as part of the Cultural Olympiad, reports the Korea Herald. There will be sets featuring Dynamic Duo, Bada, No Brain, Momoland, Koyote, Ulala Session, Cheetah, San E, Teen Top, Changmin, BewhY, Ailee, DJ Doc and other Korean stars.