Creating a Music Festival Indoors – Soundberry Festa 2022

Thousands descended upon Coex from July 23 to 24 for the special two-day line-up of over 30 artists performing for Soundberry Festa 22. The lively event was attended by devoted fans and music lovers that were regularly seen screaming and cheering on their favorite artists. For Coex, it was a welcome return to normal after a long period of hosting events under a wide variety of restrictions. However, it was also another case of creative use of limited space at Coex to create a full festival environment.

With so many artists packed into the two-day event, a total of three stages were allotted for performances. They were the Fresh Stage, Cool Stage, and Sweet Stage. By staggering the start times, festival-goers were able to pack in as many performances as possible over the limited span of time.

Unique to the indoor format of Soundberry Festa 22 at Coex were the locations of the stages and how they capitalized on the traits of each of Coex’s venues that were used. The Fresh Stage and Cool Stage were actually located on opposite ends of Coex’s wide Grand Ballroom on the 1st floor. In order to make this work, the entire venue was split in half by metal safety railings, with audiences on both sides able to view the other side’s performance. Once one stage shut down, the opposite side lit up – making it possible for those waiting for their favorite artist at one stage to still be able to enjoy hearing another artist at the other end of the room while they wait.

The dual setup also served many other advantages. By splitting the area in half, there were built in measures for crowd control – the venue became two separated crowds instead of one large one. At all times there was one performance running and one getting ready to go next, reducing downtime and the need for an additional venue. Also, once a performance was over, musicians and fans were able to have plenty of time to mingle by the stage, as there would not be another performance immediately taking the stage right afterwards. 

Just two floors up, Coex’s Auditorium venue served as the Sweet Stage. This auditorium is equipped with impressive theatrical lighting and plush seating, so it was where most of the soft rock and ballad acts were performed. Whereas the Cool Stage and Fresh Stage had concert goers jumping up and down and running back and forth between each end, those at the Sweet Stage slowly sunk into their soft seats as the lovely low lights of the auditorium washed over their favorite artists and their glowing faces.

Filling a music festival full of acts in just two venues was not just an operational feat, it was also a necessity, as most of Coex was full with two major exhibitions taking up most of the remaining space. As Coex and the rest of Korea’s meetings industry swings back to its pre-pandemic schedule, Coex is sure to continue finding ways to maximize the utility of their spaces to bring out the most value and happiness to their visitors.

Contact Coex for more information about planning your next event in Seoul.