K-pop festival Waterbomb will stage an Australian edition for the first time as it relaunches its international expansion.

The touring series plans to stop in Sydney later this year, picking up on the Waterbomb World Tour that faltered in 2024. Dates and performers will be announced in the coming months.

Waterbomb’s expansion comes after organisers failed to deliver its rapid global expansion last year, after it announced editions in Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan, the UAE, Singapore, the US, the Philippines and Indonesia.

The only new editions to go ahead were Hong Kong, the UAE, and Singapore, while the event continued its tour of multiple South Korean and Japanese cities.

The Los Angeles edition was postponed due to “operational challenges” with less than three weeks to go to the event, while the Indonesian debut in Jakarta was delayed in October. Extreme weather and flooding forced the cancellation of the Taipei and Ho Chi Minh events. No new dates have been announced for these editions.

“We’ll return stronger and better prepared to deliver the Waterbomb experience you’ve been waiting for,” said organisers at the time of US cancellation.

In contrast, another Australian festival will not return his year

Four stops are already confirmed for 2025, with plans to return to China, and South Korea, where the Seoul edition has been held annually since the event launched in 2015. The festival will debut in Manila, Philippines and Bali, Indonesia next month, after pushing both countries’ inaugural editions late last year.

Artists due to perform in Manila include Kangdaniel, Dynamic Duo, Sulreggae, Chanyeol, Bambam, Viviz, and other K-pop, hip-hop and dance stars.

Though lineups vary by city, past performers have included Blackpink, aespa, TWICE’s Nayeon, American rapper Jay Park, and SHINEE’s Taemin, and South Korean singers Hwasa, Chung Ha, Bibi, Simon Dominic, and Jessi.

In contrast, the Australian festival Hello Sunshine will not be held this year. The family-friendly event was set to return to Melbourne for its third year and debut on the Gold Coast this March.

Organisers cited low ticket sales and rising production costs as reasons for the cancellation.

Stone Temple Pilots, Smash Mouth, Wolfmother, Kasey Chambers, Rogue Traders, and Drapht were on tap to headline the event.

The cancellation is the latest to hit the Australian festival sector. Last November, the debut edition of You & Me Festival was cancelled for similar reasons. They join several Oz festivals cancelled in the past year, including Splendour in the Grass, Groovin the Moo, and Return to Rio.

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With the 2024 festival season now upon us, a number of forthcoming events are unveiling their completed bills.

Germany’s Superbloom Festival has announced OneRepublic as its final headliner, joining acts such as Sam Smith, Calvin Harris and Shirin David at Munich’s Olympic Park on 7-8 September. The 50,000-cap festival debuted in 2022 and will also feature The Chainsmokers, Burna Boy, Louis Tomlinson, Nothing But Thieves, RIN, Tokio Hotel, Niall Horan, Jorja Smith and Kenya Grace, among others.

In Portugal, Super Bock Super Rock will be headlined by Måneskin, 21 Savage and Stormzy, backed by the likes of Royal Blood, Tom Morello, Black Coffee, Slow J, Mahalia, Fisher, Vulfpeck and Will Butler on Meco Beach, South Lisbon, from 18-20 July.

Måneskin and Royal Blood will also grace legendary Dutch festival Pinkpop, which will also welcome superstars such as Calvin Harris, Ed Sheeran, Keane, Nothing But Thieves, Avril Lavigne, Hozier, Greta Van Fleet, Louis Tomlinson, Yungblud, Pendulum, Babymetal, James Arthur, Oliver Heldens, Corey Taylor and Jane’s Addiction to Landgraaf between 21-23 June.

Plus, the third edition of La Prima Estate in Tuscany, Italy, will star Peggy Gou, Paolo Nutini, Fontaines DC, Kasabian, Phoenix, Jane’s Addiction, Dinosaur Jr and Michael Kiwanuka across two weekends – 14-16 & 21-23 June.

Multi-day London open-air concert series South Facing Festival will host headliners Grace Jones (26 July), Future Islands (27 July), Popcaan’s Unruly Fest (28 July), The Roots, De La Soul and The Pharcyde (1 August), Cloud X (2 August),Major League DJz (3 August), Yussef Dayes presents Summer Dayes (4 August), Jess Glynne (9 August) and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley (10 August).

Meanwhile, the 12th Elbjazz Festival in Hamburg, Germany, will be topped by Faithless, Jungle, The Streets and BADBADNOTGOOD from 7-8 June.

Taking place in creative hub Nuanu City, 15 minutes outside of Canggu, from 26-28 July, Bali’s Suara Festival has dropped its phase two lineup with talent including Neil Frances, Youngr, Brandt Brauer Frick, Ramengvrl, Yung Raja and Aussies Angus and Julia Stone. Previously announced acts include LP Giobbi, HVOB (live), Rodriguez Jr. (live), Mansionair and Lastlings, as well as Geju, Deer Jade and Sainte Vie (live).

Elsewhere, Oasis Festival returns to the The Source in Marrakech, Morocco, from 6-8 September. Its first wave of acts includes Laurent Garnier, Jungle, Amine K, HAAi, Jyoty and TSHA.

And Latin music spectacular Besame Mucho Festival will return to Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium on 21 December, topped by Shakira. It will showcase more than 65 artists including Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull, Los Tigres del Norte, Juanes, Banda MS, Enanitos Verdes.

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