The highly anticipated K-pop festival, Hello, Melbourne (안녕, MELBOURNE), is set to make its inaugural debut on March 14 at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne. Festival promoter APPLEWOOD officially announced ENHYPEN, TREASURE, and Taemin as the headline performers, positioning the event as a grand celebration of K-pop music and Korean pop culture. APPLEWOOD expressed its excitement, stating, “We’re thrilled to announce that a rising K-pop festival is officially coming to Melbourne. Get ready for an incredible celebration of music and culture.”

Tickets for the one-day festival will become available for purchase on Tuesday, December 16, at 12 p.m. AEDT, exclusively through Megatix. General admission tickets are priced starting from AUD $249.90, while VIP tickets begin at AUD $349.90. Both GA and VIP options offer access to two distinct designated viewing areas, providing attendees with various experiences.

Hello, Melbourne will be a collaborative production between APPLEWOOD and Australian promoter Untitled Group, known for its portfolio of festivals including Beyond The Valley and Wildlands. This partnership signifies a further expansion of large-scale K-pop events across Australia, reflecting the steadily increasing demand and popularity driven by fans throughout the region.

Founded in 2013, APPLEWOOD has cemented its reputation as a significant international player in the K-pop touring industry. The company boasts an impressive track record, having produced over 120 concerts across 18 countries and attracting more than 750,000 attendees globally. Their past endeavors include tours and events featuring a stellar lineup of artists such as BLACKPINK, SEVENTEEN, ENHYPEN, BAEKHYUN, LE SSERAFIM, GFRIEND, and G-DRAGON.

The growth of K-pop as a major commercial force in both Australia and New Zealand is increasingly evident, both on music charts and live stages. For instance, TWICE’s recent “This Is For” tour successfully sold over 50,000 tickets across Sydney and Melbourne, as reported by Live Nation, which promoted the dates. This performance underscores the genre’s robust capacity to draw arena-level audiences in the region. Chart success further illustrates K-pop’s crossover appeal, with the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack spending time at the top of both the ARIA Albums and Singles charts earlier this year, highlighting its growing presence in mainstream Australian listening habits.

This sustained momentum reflects a long-term shift within the live music market. Data released by Live Nation last year revealed a remarkable 600% increase in Asia Pop live shows across Australasia since 2015, coupled with a 275% rise in the number of touring artists visiting the region over the same period, confirming K-pop's entrenched and expanding influence.