K-Music Festival, London, full line up announced.

Thursday, September 04, 2025

London’s annual Korean Music Festival K-Music will take place at various venues around the capital from October 1st – November 20th 2025. Press release and schedule attached.

We have received the following press release;

London’s Annual Korean Music Festival K-Music Set To Return In Four Weeks

Korean stars from across the musical spectrum will descend on the capital for the festival’s 12th edition

Special performances from post-rock innovators JAMBINAI with the London Contemporary Orchestra, Won Il’s Dionysus Robot featuring drag artist Jimin Mo, acclaimed composer/multi-instrumentalist Park Jiha, cellist and composer Okkyung Lee & UK-based electronic artist Mark Fell, the world premiere of a new concerto written for virtuosic pianist Seong-Jin Cho and much more

October 1st – November 20th 2025

“Korean music isn’t just about K-pop, and the return of K-Music Festival will help you discover a whole range of the country’s diverse aural culture.”
Timeout

London’s celebrated Korean music festival K-Music is set to return to the capital next month, bringing a world-class line-up of artists from across Korea’s vibrant and diverse music scene. Running from October 1st to November 20th, the festival is organised by the Korean Cultural Centre UK, in partnership with Serious (producers of the EFG London Jazz Festival), and will take over major venues including the Barbican, Southbank Centre, Royal Albert Hall, and Kings Place.

The festival opens on October 1st at Kings Place with an exciting collaboration between Korean cellist-composer Okkyung Lee and UK electronic artist Mark Fell. Renowned for her experimental approach and fearless exploration of sound, Lee fuses noise, Korean traditional music, and avant-garde composition. Her past collaborators include Arca, Swans and Christian Marclay, and her work has been showcased atMoMA, the Serpentine, and Donaueschinger Musiktage. In this special performance, she teams up with Fell—an innovator in digital and experimental music—for a set defined by extended instrumental techniques, abstract rhythms, immersive improvisation and intricate electronic textures.

On October 5th, acclaimed post-rock band JAMBINAI performs with the London Contemporary Orchestra at the Barbican, conducted by Robert Ames. This groundbreaking concert marks the first time a Korean traditional music ensemble headlines the Barbican. Since forming in Seoul in 2009, JAMBINAI have blended traditional Korean instruments—such as haegeum, geomungo, and piri—with the dramatic intensity of post-rock and their orchestral collaboration introduces a new dimension to their sound, combining sweeping cinematic arrangements with Korean folk elements. Returning to the K-Music Festival after a sold-out performance in 2023, JAMBINAI previously captured global attention at the 2018 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony.

On October 18th, the Korean string trio Hilgeum make their London debut at the Purcell Room, Southbank Centre, alongside British vocalist and composer Alice Zawadzki. Featuring Yoin Cho (gayageum), Yerim Kim (geomungo) and Somin Park (haegeum), Hilgeum blends mastery of traditional Korean strings with a modern sonic palette. Their recent EP WASTELAND (2024) builds on the cinematic atmosphere of their debut album Utopia. Partnering with Zawadzki—known for her genre-blending artistry—this performance promises an intimate and poetic meeting of musical traditions.

Celebrated composer and multi-instrumentalist Park Jiha returns to the festival with her latest album All Living Things (★★★★, The Guardian), which showcases her powerful command of Korean traditional instruments. Her music bridges minimalism, ambient textures, and cinematic sound design to craft deeply resonant and innovative works. She headlines at the Elgar Room, Royal Albert Hall, on Sunday October 25th.

On November 14th, original K-Music Festival alumnus Won Il returns with a bold interdisciplinary piece, Dionysus Robot, co-presented by the EFG London Jazz Festival at Queen Elizabeth Hall. This work combines Korean shamanic traditions, contemporary electronics, and theatrical performance in a ritualistic reflection on instinct, transformation, and control. Featuring drag performer Jimin Mo, the piece draws inspiration from Dionysian philosophy and the avant-garde legacy of Nam June Paik, creating a multisensory experience where music, movement, and visual art intersect.

The following night, November 15th, sees Gray by Silver perform at the Elgar Room as part of the Late Night Jazz series. Led by pianist-composer HanBin Lee, the quartet weaves jazz, Korean traditional motifs, and classical influences into a reflective, improvisation-rich soundscape. Their album Eternal Gray won Best Jazz Album at the 2024 Seoul Music Awards, and their international performances span venues including Lincoln Center, Jodhpur RIFF and Colours of Ostrava.

The festival concludes with a landmark performance on November 20th at Barbican Hall; the world premiere of a new concerto by composer Dong-hoon Shin, written for renowned pianist Seong-Jin Choand performed with the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. Presented as part of the LSO Futures series, this commission represents a major collaboration between two leading Korean voices in classical music. A Chopin Competition winner and Berlin Philharmonic Artist-in-Residence, Cho returns to the Barbican after a sold-out recital in 2023.

Tickets are on sale now and available from http://www.serious.org.uk/k-music-2025.

K-Music Festival 2025

Okkyung Lee with Mark Fell
Wednesday October 1st
Kings Place (Hall One)
https://serious.org.uk/events/k-music-festival-2025-okkyung-lee-mark-fell

JAMBINAI with London Contemporary Orchestra
Sunday October 5th
Barbican Hall
https://serious.org.uk/events/k-music-festival-2025-jambinai-with-london-contemporary-orchestra

Hilgeum with Alice Zawadzki
Saturday October 18th
Southbank Centre (Purcell Room)
https://serious.org.uk/events/k-music-festival-2025-hilgeum-alice-zawadzki

Park Jiha
Sunday October 25th
Royal Albert Hall (Elgar Room)
https://serious.org.uk/events/k-music-festival-2025-park-jiha

Won Il’s Dionysus Robot
Friday November 14th
Southbank Centre (Queen Elizabeth Hall)
https://serious.org.uk/events/k-music-festival-won-ils-dionysus-robot

Gray by Silver
Saturday November 15th
Royal Albert Hall (Elgar Room)
https://serious.org.uk/events/k-music-festival-2025-gray-by-silver

Seong-Jin Cho: Artist Portrait
Thursday November 20th
Barbican Hall
https://serious.org.uk/events/seong-jin-cho-lso-futures-with-london-symphony-orchestra