SEOUL — Under the neon skyline of Seoul’s Sangam Culture Plaza, reality and simulation danced side by side. On October 18, MBC and Coupang Play launched the Virtual Live Festival (VLF) — a two-day collision of human stars and their digital counterparts that might just redefine what a K-pop concert looks like..
The festival’s first night felt like a glimpse into the next decade of K-pop: a “multiverse-style” showcase where avatars, bands, and rookie idols shared the same stage — and sometimes the same beat. The lineup stretched from chart-topping boy group RIIZE and viral virtual phenomenon Isegye Idol to rock veterans reborn as Virtual YB and the explosive Xdinary Heroes.
Hosted by WINNER’s Kang Seung-yoon, Oh My Girl’s Mimi, and NCT’s Jungwoo, the 12-act show blurred lines between music, motion graphics, and metaverse theater.
Rookie girl group USPEER kicked off with “ZOOM” and a slick cover of Isegye Idol’s “Kidding,” turning the night into a living metaphor for the real-meets-virtual experiment. NMIXX followed with “Blue Valentine” and “Know About Me,” two MIXX POP anthems that jumped from wistful balladry to bright, rocking chaos. Virtual act Brazy then raised the bar, fusing motion-captured choreography and high-contrast visuals in “PARADOX” and “VENOM MOON.”
If early K-pop was built on sound and stage, VLF’s opening stretch proved the next era might belong as much to the screen as to the spotlight.
Midway through, NEXZ delivered bouncy hip-hop grooves with “O-RLY?” and “simmer.” Newcomers IRISÉ and izna leaned into opposing energies: IRISÉ’s ethereal “Wings” shimmered with J-pop color, while izna’s “MAMMA MIA” pulsed with hard funk and fearless pop presence.
Then came the night’s defining moment — a cross-dimensional jam that would’ve made even the most jaded rock fan look twice. Xdinary Heroes joined forces with Virtual YB, the digitized avatar project of Korean rock legend Yoon Do-hyun. Their performance of “rebellion” was pure voltage — guitars, pixels, and distortion fusing into a roaring wall of sound fronted by Yoon’s virtual alter ego KAO.
For a few minutes, Seoul didn’t just host a concert. It hosted a parallel universe.
Virtual hip-hop crew Plan.B threw down swagger with “snap time” and “mvp,” while &TEAM channeled primal grace through “go in blind,” their choreography echoing the theme of “wolf DNA.”
RIIZE and Isegye Idol closed the show, embodying the dual heartbeat of VLF. RIIZE delivered their emotional-pop anthemics through “BAG BAD BACK,” “BOOM BOOM BASS,” and “FLY UP,” while Isegye Idol unveiled “nameless,” “be my light,” and “stargazers” — their most K-pop-infused set yet, leaving behind the anime-influenced J-pop tones that defined their beginnings.
VLF’s first night wasn’t perfect — the hybrid format limited live interaction — but it felt electric, like witnessing K-pop’s next mutation in real time. Between its glitch-free virtual collabs, genre-hopping energy, and seamless transitions, the event made one thing clear: the metaverse isn’t a fantasy for K-pop. It’s the next frontier.
MBC’s “Virtual Live Festival with Coupang Play” continues through October 19, streaming live on Coupang Play.
Reported by Korea News Culture M.J._ mj94070777@nc.press
