K-Live Festival Hanoi Oct 24-25, SM Classics Live Nov 5

The outdoor stage behind the Korean Embassy in Hanoi ran two nights back to back. K-Live Festival Band in Hanoi took place on 24 and 25 October, with free admission and main performances starting at 5pm each day. The first night featured TOUCHED, Silica Gel and QWER. The second night featured MIJINEE, DJEMBE COLA, The Shepherd Bois, and Hoàng Dũng performing with Màu Nước Band. The festival sits within Korea Season 2026, hosted by the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, organised by the Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange (KOFICE) and co-organised by the Korean Cultural Centre in Vietnam.

The series continues. On 5 November, the SM Classics Live in Hanoi concert takes place at 7.30pm at Ho Guom Opera House, with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, Ryeowook of Super Junior and violinist Hyunjun Jung. Ten days apart, one outdoors and one inside a theatre, the two programmes are entirely different technical problems.

Key information

A look from staging, audio, lighting, LED and crowd operations

A two-night outdoor band festival raises a few questions anyone in this trade has to settle in advance.

The first is the footprint. When a stage sits inside or beside an existing property, stage depth, equipment craning routes and the position of the technical tents are all limited by what is already there. Truss is usually broken into shorter sections to get it in, then assembled on site with small hoists or chain hoists rather than a large crane. The deck needs shimming to correct the slope of natural ground, because a band puts drums, amplifiers and a drum riser straight onto that deck.

The second is changeovers between bands. Every band has its own backline: drum kit, guitar and bass amplifiers, keyboards. Several acts in one night means the crew prepares rolling risers with kits already built, numbers the signal lines per band and locks the scenes on the digital console before doors open. Five to seven minutes per changeover is normal; longer than that and the crowd starts drifting.

The third is the outdoor LED screen. A show that starts in late afternoon means the screen has to read both in daylight and after dark. Outdoor modules are usually specified at 4,500 nits or more, with an ambient sensor so the picture does not become harsh once night falls. The rear of the screen needs a walkway for technicians and proper wind bracing, because a large screen area behaves like a sail.

The fourth is audio in a residential area. Line array systems flown either side of the stage give better control over coverage than ground-stacked boxes, which keeps energy from spilling beyond the audience area. Crews typically measure sound pressure at the site boundary and at the nearest homes, then adjust the splay of each module until both readings sit inside the level agreed with the local authority.

The fifth is crowd operations with free admission. No ticketing means no exact headcount in advance. The safe approach is barriered zones, each with a capacity set by area, separate entry and exit gates, and a hold point so a full zone takes no one else. Emergency exits, ambulance access and the first aid post belong in the site plan before the barriers go up, not after.

Last is the back-to-back night. After night one the rig stays up but still gets a full check: truss bolts retorqued, LED cabinets checked for dead modules, gear dried and insulation tested if rain came through, wireless microphones recharged. An overnight crew holds the site, because an outdoor stage left empty overnight is a risk to both the equipment and to safety.

Notes for the audience

According to what has been announced, K-Live Festival Band in Hanoi has free admission and its main performances start at 5pm each day, at the outdoor stage behind the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam, Xuan Dinh, Tu Liem, Hanoi.

For SM Classics Live in Hanoi on 5 November, the performance time is 7.30pm at Ho Guom Opera House. That is a theatre setting, so audiences should allow time to be seated before the curtain.

For the other dates in the series, audiences should follow the organisers' own announcements for accurate ticket and schedule information.

Frequently asked questions

When and where did K-Live Festival Band in Hanoi take place?

It ran on 24 and 25 October 2026, starting at 5pm each day, at the outdoor stage at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam, Xuan Dinh, Tu Liem, Hanoi.

Were tickets required?

According to the announcement, admission was free.

What comes next in the series?

The SM Classics Live in Hanoi concert takes place at 7.30pm on 5 November at Ho Guom Opera House, with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, Ryeowook of Super Junior and violinist Hyunjun Jung.

Conclusion

Programmes like these run on the work nobody sees behind the stage, and that is exactly what Hoan Vu does: stage construction, LED screens, audio and lighting and livestream for event production outdoors and inside theatres.