Seoul

In Seoul, celebrating an idol’s birthday has become a genuine tradition. In the Hongdae district, cafes transform for several days into spaces entirely devoted to the artist, often stemming from the K-pop universe, offering fans a place to share their passion. Photos, banners, balloons, meticulously curated playlists… every detail is planned to recreate as closely as possible the celebrity’s universe. These events give participants the chance to enjoy a good cup of coffee, to chat with other enthusiasts, and to leave with a trove of collectible items.

Photo cards, stickers, mugs and other goodies are typically handed out with drinks, to the delight of fans. Their success is such that organizers are sometimes forced to book multiple cafes dedicated to the same person to accommodate all visitors. The guest of honor rarely appears, but that does not seem to bother anyone. Indeed, despite the scale of the event, neither owners nor fans expect the celebrity to set foot through the door. Despite their absence, the fervor of the fans remains intact.

Birthday cafes host “an impressive number of visitors at peak hours”, declares Yoo Ji-hye, the owner of Café E;You, which frequently organizes this type of event for CNN travel. Indeed, the most coveted events, hosted over a single weekend, attract hundreds of people. And for the most popular artists, the crowd is simply enormous, forming long queues that reach the storefronts.

What exactly are these fans looking for by participating in the “birthday cafés”?

“It is about creating a space where everyone who shares the same love can gather”, Yoo Ji-hye first explained before continuing: “we feel pure joy there”. The fans roam the shops selling merchandise, and cheers erupt during on-site raffles while nearly all conversations revolve around the idols.

Months before the artist’s birthday, the fans themselves take charge of organizing the event: they reserve venues, choose concepts, design the merchandise and decorate the cafés in person. From the initial planning to the final visit, the experience is entirely created, carried out and lived by the fans.

According to CNN travel, “it is difficult to determine precisely when the birthday café phenomenon began, but it is certainly a product of the social media era, since platforms like X have allowed fans to connect and organize”, one reads. This network has since expanded, with several platforms allowing fans to submit and voluntarily record the details of their events in databases.

A concept that has now spread to all celebrities

The birthday café phenomenon has largely surpassed the world of K-pop idols. It is now embraced by various fan communities across South Korea, ranging from actors to professional athletes. Walking through the bustling theater district of Hyehwa, you can spot banners bearing the faces of actors adorning the streets in front of cafés.

The phenomenon is similar to the surroundings of some major football stadiums, where shopfronts are plastered with images of players to celebrate their birthdays. Birthday cafés are even organized for figures who are no longer with us, like John Lennon. Indeed, according to our colleagues, a commemorative café dedicated to the Beatles legend, who died too soon, is set to open in October in the Hongdae district.

“In-person events for fans of artists like the Beatles or John Lennon are extremely rare in Korea”, explains Jeong Saet-byeol, the event organizer, before adding: “there exists a natural desire among fans to come together in one place to interact with people who share the same musical tastes”. Similarly, a temporary café dedicated to the Buddha opened its doors in May near the Yeonhwasa temple, in the northwest of Seoul, to celebrate its birthday.