Updated: 01/28/2025
i went to the iconic Waterbomb Festival by myself at Suwon University in Suwon which was a 2-hour bus ride away from Seoul only 2 days after i arrived and had the time of my life.
firstly, if you don’t know what the Waterbomb Festival is it’s a series of multiple music festivals held annually in South Korea over the summer. recently it’s been held outside of Korea in Japan and there was almost a festival in Los Angeles before it was cancelled for unknown reasons. multiple Korean musicians such as Hwasa, Youngji, Chungha, and others perform. the lineup changes constantly and the locations of the festival also vary. the main point of this festival is to be wet. there are water canons everywhere. there are small canons on the stage that performers can use to shoot water at the audience. everyone in attendance purchases protective gear and brings plastic water guns to shoot water at the artists.
i was very unprepared so here’s a list of items i recommend you bring/wear if you decide to go:
protective goggles (i purchased a pair right outside the festival from an outside vendor for ₩4,000)
plastic water gun for fun
extra change of clothes (they have storage lockers and changing rooms inside the venue that i was not aware of but i’m not sure how much they are)
something waterproof like a waterproof bag to protect all your personal belongings including a waterproof plastic bag to protect your phone because you’ll want to take videos but don’t want your phone to be soaked
come dressed in clothes/shoes you don’t mind being wet
i recommend wearing crocs or similar shoes
make sure you have a way to go back home
if it’s the bus make sure you know when the last bus leaves
if you have no other way make sure to bring at least ₩60,000 in cash if you have to take a taxi
most taxis take card but bring cash just in case
there are usually taxis lined up to take people home after events like this but i heard they overcharge so you don’t want to do that
make sure to go with a friend or at least one person you know
i don’t know if i would’ve made it home without the people i knew there
if you’re stuck or in trouble with a friend at least you’re not alone
this goes for any event in a place you’re not familiar with
when i first decided to go it was with a friend i met through a mutual friend we had. i bought my ticket through a random ticketing site. i don’t remember which site it was and the link is expired now but usually ticketing information is available on the event website. the ticket was ₩112,000. the reason i decided to go was because i have always heard about this festival and wanted to attend at least once. finding out that there was going to be one in LA (my home) while I WASN’T THERE was the worst and i saw this as an opportunity of a lifetime lol. this was also the second to last waterbomb festival date of the year. the last one was a later date and had a really good lineup but it was in Yeonsu which is even farther than Suwon. i also didn’t know anyone who was attending that one. unfortunately, my friend didn’t make it to waterbomb because she missed her flight but i went with the group of people she introduced me to and were originally supposed to go with.
this was the first time i rode a two-story bus. it felt so fancy and i was surprised because of how cheap it was. since i came unprepared the first thing i did when i arrived at Suwon University was purchase a pair of protective eyeglasses outside for ₩4,000 even though they were ₩5,000 because i had ₩4,000 in singles and a ₩50,000 bill and the vendor was nice…. once i went in i had to throw away a deodorant spray i had because it was too big and they didn’t allow it. i tried to ask the people working at the restricted items tent near the entrance if i could store my deodorant in a locker there but i don’t think they understood me sadly.
once i entered in i met up with the people my friend introduced me to and we spent the rest of our time together. i had lots of fun and met one of my closest friends in Korea that day! her name is Mercedes and i found out she lives a 5-minute drive from where i live in LA. i didn’t know all the artists that performed but i saw some iconic ones like Hwasa, Youngji, Onew, and Loco. although i was soaked by the end, i bought a towel and figured everything out without trouble. however, i highly recommend coming prepared….. in the end, we all went home together safely on another two-story bus ride and everyone had a good time <3
