Walking the path of K-pop dreams through ‘D’Festa BGC’
There’s a common misconception that the ultimate goal of fans is to marry their K-pop idols. What most people don’t realize is that what most fans want is to walk the same path as their idols—to feel that they’re one of the reasons their faves reached extraordinary heights in their career, and to share in the pride and joy.
“D’Festa BGC” is an activity that allows fans to do just that. For starters, it feels like a time capsule. Some of the content on display at the exhibit, which opens today at BGC Immersive at One Bonifacio High Street in Taguig City, was shot in 2021 at the height of the pandemic. The exhibit was launched the following year in Seoul when restrictions started to ease up. A lot has changed since then.
The exhibit features K-pop groups BTS, Twice, Seventeen, NCT 127, NCT Dream, Enhypen, Tomorrow X Together (TXT), and Stray Kids. It was organized by Korean media outlet Dispatch, whose photographers were able to capture the youth of the idols and the excitement of the moment. The idols’ careers were virtually halted for two years because of COVID-19, and the thrill of finally being out again to see the world is palpable.
Picture diaries
You can read it in the notes that the idols wrote themselves in their picture diaries. Bang Chan of Stray Kids said that it was his first time doing a ribbon-cutting ceremony. TXT members recalled how they thought it was so cool to shoot a video in the green room. Dahyun wrote that performing for their exhibit is a walk down memory lane for them—like they’re restarting as well.
This feeling resonates with the people who walk inside “D’Festa.” It is divided into three parts: The Exhibition, The Movie, which you can find on the third floor, and The Experience, which is located on the fourth floor of the mall. The entire exhibit covers 2,000 square meters of space.
The first part welcomes visitors with body shots of the idols in full color. They’re all signed by the artists and their members. If you take your time and read the portraits, you’ll find how their members showed their love by hyping them or teasing them. We can imagine the laughter when BTS members signed Jin’s portrait.
There’s also the monochrome section, where you can find headshots of the artists. All the framed portraits so far are huge, and the memory room offers a nice contrast. It comprises over 480 mini photos of artists that Dispatch took through the years. This is a game you can play alone or with friends, trying to find your biases among them.
Sign wall
The sign wall is so iconic that it only shares space with the table, chairs, and art materials the artists sat on and used as they wrote their picture diaries. The blue “D’Festa” wall that celebrates Dispatch’s 10th anniversary has signatures of the artists.
“D’Festa” Philippines managing director Shin Soo-young said that the glass the portraits were printed on is the same material used to make LED televisions. “It gives the portrait a high-quality print, and you get to see the pictures very clearly,” she said.
In the movie room, you can watch the performances of the artists themselves. It takes 30 to 40 minutes to finish. Find the sweet spot in this room by sitting on the carpeted area—that’s where the surround sound hits you. If you listen closely, you can hear their breathing while they perform. It’s like securing a barricade spot at a concert.
This room is also fun because you are not prohibited from doing your fan chants or dancing with the idols. You can bring out your light stick here if you want. But if dancing with them is what you’d like to do, you can do it on the virtual stage just a few meters away.
Artist paintings
The Artist Painting area is probably one of the most special displays of the exhibit. These canvases are works of art by the idols. Visitors can bring their art home because it’s printed on tote bags and shirts available in the merchandise zone. There’s a “message to the artist” area where you can write your own thoughts for other fans to read. Your message becomes part of the exhibit.
Tickets for the exhibit cost P1,450 on weekends and P1,200 on weekdays. Each ticket includes an exclusive “D’Festa” photo card and lanyard. The photo card is picked randomly, and you can try your luck trading with other visitors. The exhibit will run until March 19, 2025.
The Be Together zone in the experience area is where you can take selfies with the artists. The standee cutouts were designed so you’re at shoulder level with them, making it look like you’re seated next to them.
The exhibit says there are 63 featured artists. But the Lifestyle team discovered that there are actually only 61 people. That’s because Mark and Haechan are part of both NCT 127 and NCT Dream. So, they both have two types of cup sleeves, photo cards and portraits. Yes, they count as two different artists depending on their subunit.
Another hot tip is that you must go to the bathroom before entering the exhibit. They do not allow reentry. You can easily spend an hour on the third floor alone because of so many things to look at and enjoy.
Is it worth it? To walk and get up close to things that your idols have seen and touched is very magical. These are items and memories they’ve talked about and teased each other with in content they’ve shared. Nothing beats seeing them with your own eyes. It’s also a good stop that fans can include on their itinerary when they fly to Manila for the concerts of Seventeen and Enhypen next year.
Get tickets at dfestaph.com.
