Cebu Heats Up for the 2025 Changwon K-POP World Festival Preliminaries
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Get ready, Cebu! The 2025 Changwon K-POP World Festival – Cebu Preliminaries is taking over the City Wing Atrium of SM Seaside City Cebu this Sunday, June 29—and it’s shaping up to be one of the biggest K-pop events the Queen City of the South has ever seen.
Hosted by the Korean Consulate in Cebu, Korean Association in Cebu, SM Seaside City Cebu, HALLYU IL, and Y101, the stage is set for an epic showdown featuring 6 vocal powerhouses and 34 of Cebu’s most admired K-pop dance cover crews. All eyes are on the prize: a chance to rep the Philippines at the grand finals in Changwon, South Korea later this year.
Already a major event on every Cebuano K-pop fan’s calendar, this year’s edition breaks records with the highest number of vocal entries to date—a clear sign of how fast the K-wave continues to grow locally.
Leading the charge is HALLYU IL, Cebu’s longest-running (and possibly the country’s most consistent!) K-pop radio show. Catching waves since 2022, it was started by Korean language learners from the King Sejong Institute Cebu. First aired on Magic 92.3, it now calls Y101 home every Sunday from 12 NN to 4 PM—bringing K-culture to the airwaves and real-life stages.
The iconic SM Seaside City Cebu continues its role as the go-to venue for K-pop celebrations, helping fuel the fandom with their full-on support for arts, culture, and community.
Adding to the hype, 20 standout acts from this year’s prelims will also qualify for the much-anticipated Cebu K-pop Star, making the competition even more intense.
Winners take home the following cash prizes:
🏆 Champion – ₱20,000
🥈 1st Runner-Up – ₱15,000
🥉 2nd Runner-Up – ₱10,000
This year’s comeback is made even more meaningful by the strong support from the Korean Consulate in Cebu, as part of the Korea-Friendly Foreigners Outreach Project by Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After a two-year break, the return of the festival marks a renewed commitment to cultural exchange.
“Cultural exchange is a bridge that connects people, and together, we can continue to build on this strong foundation,” said Consul General Sewon Song, expressing gratitude for Cebu’s ever-passionate K-pop community and the growing friendship between Korea and the Philippines.
Expect mind-blowing performances, swoon-worthy vocals, and full-on fan energy.
Admission is free—so round up your chingus, bring your banners, and we’ll see you there!
