Pink carpet, K-Pop and Korean fried chicken: you’re invited to the HALLYU! Opening Party

Posted on 5 November, 2025

If you’ve been dancing to BTS in your bedroom or bingeing Korean dramas until 3 am, Friday 12 December may just be shaping up as the best night of your life.

The National Museum of Australia (NMA) is throwing open its doors for the opening party of HALLYU! The Korean Wave – and trust us, this is not your typical museum opening.

“It’s a little bit different to what we usually do for an exhibition launch,” says Craig Middleton, manager of Hallyu programming, who’s been tasked with orchestrating the exhibition’s jam-packed schedule of public programs. And different is an understatement.

First look, best dressed

For the first time ever, the NMA is opening an exhibition launch to the public. That means you can snag tickets and be among the very first people in Australia to experience this major exhibition from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum before it officially opens.

“We’re welcoming people in to get exclusive access to the exhibition before anybody else in Canberra or Australia,” Craig reveals. “I think everybody in Canberra loves an exhibition and often are not invited to the opening. So, this is a really great way to get access.”

But this isn’t just about getting early access – it’s about making an entrance. Fashion is a huge part of Korean culture, and the opening party is embracing that with a pink carpet entrance.

“We’re inviting all of our guests to get dressed up in what makes them feel good about themselves,” Craig explains.

“That can be streetwear, it can be haute couture, it can be gowns. We want people to dress up and embrace that fashion element.”

Music, dance and DJs

Hosted by SBS PopAsia’s Andy Trieu – who Craig calls “the K-Pop King of everything Asian music industry in Australia” – the night is packed with performances that showcase the connection between Australia and Korea.

Korean Australian performer and producer YURA will take the stage, representing the rising wave of Korean Australian musicians making their mark.

Then there’s DARE. Fresh from winning Australia’s 2025 K-Pop Cover Dance Festival, this dance crew was flown to Seoul to compete internationally. Now they’re bringing that energy to Canberra.

And if that wasn’t enough, Andy Trieu himself will be spinning a DJ set throughout the night.

Photo booths, fried chicken and K-vibes

Beyond the performances, the night is designed to immerse you in Korean culture. There’ll be a 360-photo booth, plus Korean-style photo experiences that replicate what you’d find on the streets of Seoul (if you know, you know).

Food-wise, think Korean fried chicken, ramen, and kimchi-inspired flavours. It’s all part of creating an authentic experience that goes beyond just looking at exhibition objects.

A celebration of community

Expect a night of community and celebration.

Open to guests from 16 to 60 (and above!), the event is as inclusive as the K-Culture community it’s celebrating.

“The more people I meet through doing this kind of work, the more you get a sense that this is a really inclusive community. It’s a community that’s highly engaged, that wants to share, that wants to connect.”

He’s become a convert himself – the SBS PopAsia channel is now on his gym playlist, and K-pop Demon Hunters songs have become his favourites.

“When you meet people engaged, there is a lot of joy,” he reflects.

“We want the community, those people who are absolutely diehard Korean culture fans, to come to the museum and celebrate with us, because really it’s a celebration of those people as much as it is about this exhibition.”

The start of something really special

The opening party kicks off months of Korean culture programming at the NMA, including K-pop dance workshops with Canberra’s Dance Til Dawn studio, traditional Korean craft activities, and even a Korean feast in March.

The exhibition itself runs until May 2026, and features 250 objects, including glittering K-pop idol costumes, film props from your favourite Korean dramas, interactive dance displays, and pieces that trace Korea’s meteoric cultural rise.