DMZ Peace Train Music Festival announces lineup for 2024
Anyone who has been to the DMZ Peace Train Music Festival in Cheorwon County, Gangwon Province, knows it hits differently than most festivals here in Korea. Its truly eclectic lineups and emphasis on socially positive messages draw an audience of open-minded and fun-loving festival-goers. This year’s two-date fest set for June 15 and 16 looks set to be no different, based on the first lineup announcement revealed on Wednesday.
As always, the lineup for Peace Train 2024 is a mix of international artists and local musicians. From abroad, the first announcement includes Ali (Indonesia), Yellow Days (Britain), Meule (France), 9m88 (Taiwan) and Johnnivan (Japan). Local acts featured will include Kirara, Snake Chicken Soup, Omar and The Eastern Power, 9 and the Numbers and Kim Soo-chul.
“We have tried to craft a lineup that is a unique combination of artists, and each of them will deliver fantastic moments,” festival co-organizer Yi Soo-jeong told The Korea Times.
She was keen to highlight some of the things she is most excited about. “All of the performances will blend together well, but, personally, I am excited for Kim Soo-chul’s classic songs with a crowd of people from teenagers to grannies,” she said. “I’m also really looking forward to Ali, a cool psychedelic band from Indonesia. Very chill but very exciting. Their show will transport us from Cheorwon Hantan River to Bali’s beautiful mountainside.”
This year’s event comes off the back of a successful installment last year, and with early bird tickets, or, in this case, “First Train Tickets,” having already sold out, the Peace Train 2024 team looks set to replicate last year’s achievement. “Last year was important for us because we felt that it was another beginning of the festival after the pandemic. The first two editions [in 2018 and 2019] were free to the public and fully funded by the local governments. 2023 was a challenge for us to see if we could grow as a fully independent festival, which we definitely witnessed,” Yi said.
“Last year, I think we were able to keep our identity and communicate the value of gathering without words. There were many parts we should improve in operation and site handling, as well as accessibility, but we are motivated by the things we can do better because it means we will improve year by year.”
Yi mentioned the central ethos of Peace Train, and it is something important for the organizers in everything they do.
“For me, peace is not about politics but more individual and social,” Yi said. “We want all of us to participate in the festival and explore the meaning of peace by being together.”
“We don’t need to speak to teach it. Art, I mean music, can do it. Music is very important for me and my colleagues because we value it so much, and we still believe that a music festival can change one’s life,” she added.
When booking the 2024 lineup, she and the other organizers make an effort to bring in famous names, but only if they add to the festival’s cultural blend.
“We do want to bring famous names to DMZ, and I know our audience wants to see them. Maybe the difference between us and other festivals is that we book famous names not because of their reputation but because their music fits our festival,” she said. “What I don’t do is fill the lineup with big names. We value all kinds of music, and I chose acts that fit our style.”
“With that said, I’m always confident about putting lesser-known acts on the lineup. I believe that our audience will believe in us and that the show will be amazing. And I won’t disappoint them.”
There are still some acts that the festival would like to get, although they might be a tough get at this stage. When asked who her dream booking would be, Yi thought for a moment and said, “… David Bowie.”
While many have celebrated the festival’s diverse lineups over the years, arguably the most celebrated aspect of the event is its atmosphere.
“We try to make it feel as organic as possible,” Yi said, “but that actually means it needs lots of detailed operational work. It can’t just be like a party thrown by a friend because it’s still a professional festival business, but we make sure it never feels too commercial or artificial. Actually, the atmosphere is created by the people who come, not us. What we try to do is to keep attracting them to come to the festival.”
Over the last six years, the DMZ Peace Train Music Festival has developed a reputation for having one of the most consistently interesting rosters in Korea’s festival scene. Yet that scene may be in a precarious position going forward, according to Yi.
“The industry is at an inflection point. After the pandemic, people are optimistic about concerts and festivals and so many new events are happening. It could grow into a successful live music industry, or it could get too competitive and become a game of chicken, like what happened back in the mid-2010s when many of the biggest festivals disappeared,” she said.
“We want this industry to become stable and stronger. We’ll try to be a festival that lasts a long time, and we’ll support other music festivals with goodwill in every way we can.”
Whatever the future holds for Peace Train, this year looks set to be an absolute riot. What advice would Yi offer to first-time attendees? “Lose yourself! Don’t be afraid of new music, new friends and the DMZ!”
Visit dmzpeacetrain.com for more information or follow @dmzpeacetrain on Instagram.