Obsessed with K-Pop Demon Hunters? Here’s where to get your K-Pop fix in Canberra
Posted on
Watched K-Pop Demon Hunters and now find yourself belting out Golden in the shower? Here’s our guide to K-Pop in Canberra from someone who’s fallen down the rabbit hole herself.
K-Pop is a slippery slope. Trust me. One day, you’re absently humming along to your daughter’s K-Pop playlist; the next, you’re flying to Seoul to see your ult group in concert. Er…just me?
As a relatively new (two-year) but very, VERY passionate K-Pop fan, I cannot express how much joy this music has brought to my life. And while it’s still slim pickings for K-Pop-loving Canberrans when it comes to finding their community, there ARE places to get your fix.
Grab your lightstick and let’s dive into where you can live your best K-Pop life without leaving the ACT!
Dance like nobody’s watching (but film it for TikTok)
ANU K-Pop Club’s weekly dance classes are a great place to start!
Memorised all the moves to Saja Boys’ Soda Pop? Sounds like you need to find yourself a K-Pop dance class!
Established in 2015 and still slaying, if you want to feel like you’re part of a real K-Pop crew, the ANU Korean Pop Culture Club is your golden ticket. Don’t worry if you’re not a uni student – this welcoming community accepts K-Pop lovers of all ages and abilities. Pop along to learn a different choreography each week – classes are held every Monday from 4.30–5.30 pm at ANU Sport Studio.
For those wanting to step up their moves, Dance Til Dawn in Braddon offers K-Pop classes alongside hip-hop and choreography – check out dancetildawn.com.au for class schedules. Want to go all in? Project Beats has a K-Pop dance performance and video project kicking off on 25 August!
Sing your heart out
Coin Karaoke at Life4Cuts is a whole lot of fun!
Because belting out BLACKPINK hits requires privacy and good acoustics.
With over 350,000 songs, including Korean hits, 12 themed rooms, and a 365-days-a-year policy, Hey Show Karaoke in the city is the place to head when you can no longer resist K-Pop’s siren call.
Northside, K Bar Karaoke in Belconnen serves up 480,000+ songs across 12 private rooms. Open seven nights a week because who knows when the urge to sing will strike!
Finally, Life4Cuts on East Row has coin karaoke open seven days a week (and even til midnight on Saturdays)! This is a super fun option for small groups who don’t mind others being able to hear their passionate renditions as they spill out of the booths.
Photo booth fun
Photo booth fun at Life4Cuts
Plot twist: Canberra actually has an authentic Korean photo booth! As well as coin karaoke, Life4Cuts brings the genuine Korean “4-cut” experience straight from Seoul. Think high-quality prints, digital copies, Korean fashion accessories, and all the kawaii props your heart desires.
Cup Sleeve events that hit different
Cup sleeve events at Gong Cha are super cute.
What on earth is a cup sleeve and why do they have events? This and (so many) other terms will become familiar once you dive into the K-Pop community.
Basically, these are cute little gatherings for fans where limited-edition cup sleeves featuring K-Pop idols are given away with drinks – think collectible memorabilia.
cbrkpopfans host semi-regular events at Gong Cha in the city, as do canberraatiny_atz for fans of ATEEZ (the group I flew to South Korea for). Grab yourself a bubble tea, pick up some photo cards of your bias (more terms for your K-Pop glossary), and make some new friends!
Groups to check out if you like the music in K-Pop Demon Hunters
ATEEZ are one of the groups that inspired Saja Boys in K-Pop Demon Hunters
Since K-Pop Demon Hunters hit Netflix, I’ve had a number of friends slide into my DMs rather sheepishly asking for recommendations – there is soooo much music out there that it’s hard to know where to start.
K-Pop is such a diverse genre – some is soft and super poppy, some is hard with lots of rap and almost verging on metal – whatever your musical leanings, you’ll find something to scratch your itch. But if you like the music in Demon Hunters, here are some groups you might like.
If you like Huntrix
Try IVE, TWICE, ILLIT, BLACKPINK or AESPA
If you like Saja Boys
Try ATEEZ (Fun fact: Abby’s character is based on San from ATEEZ), ENHYPEN, P1Harmony, BTS, Stray Kids or TOMORROWXTOGETHER
Happy K-Popping! And feel free to message me if you have any questions. It’s basically my mission to recruit as many K-Pop fans as humanly possible. 🫰🏻
