By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Emilia Kircheva from Bulgaria
Photos = Bojana Doneva and Diana Trifonova

It was Sept. 31 when an a mysterious clock appeared on social media and came to the attention of K-pop fans all across Bulgaria. It was a countdown to the announcemnet of the pop group that would be the first K-pop group to ever perform in Bulgaria. The news came so suddenly, and the thought of a K-pop group actually performing in our country seemed so surreal, that the event was initially perceived with suspicion. Several hours later, however, the group itself was announced. It was Halo. The concert in Sofia was the last stop on the group's "Here I Am" European tour that passed through Lisbon, Helsinki, Paris, Cologne, Warsaw and London, and, yes, it was very real.

This being the much-awaited first ever K-pop concert in Bulgaria, fans were eager to give Halo the warmest welcome possible. Preparations started months before the big day. As a special surprise for the performers in Halo, a group of dedicated fans studied the choreography of their latest hit "Here I Am". On the day of the concert, they organized a flashmob for Halo. The group was excited to see the effort the fans put in to the surprise and cheered throughout the fans' performance.

Another dedicated group of fans gathered donations in order to provide lights sticks and to print banners with a message for the group. Upon entering the hall, everybody attending the concert was given a light stick and a banner. On the back of the slogan was printed the text of the song "Here I Am" with notes showing how to take part in the chanting during the song.

On the day of the concert, it was raining heavily, but that wasn't an obstacle to the huge crowd that gathered in front of the arena starting in the early afternoon. The anticipation was great because for many Bulgarian fans of K-pop, this was their very first K-pop concert.

The venue filled up quickly and then it was showtime. Lights out. A video introducing each member played while smoke billowed in from both sides of the stage. Finally there they were: Dino, Inhaeng, Ooon, Jaeyong, Heecheon and Yoondong, looking very handsome in loose, light blue shirts with black ribbons on the front. The evening kicked off with the song "I’m Afraid" written by Jaeyong. Next up was their latest title track "Here I Am", the eponyous name of the whole tour. At this point, the crowd was already hyped, dancing and singing along and waving their light sticks, enchanted by the stars on stage.



After the concert, Halo sat down for a Q&A session. All the questions came from the fans, who asked them online prior to the concert. The members talked about themselves and their friendship with a lot of humor, but also spoke in a more serious tone when it came to their future plans and their passion for music. Seeing this more serious side of them made me feel a stronger connection with them.

After the Q&A session, the members brought up the energy in the arena once again, performing upbeat songs like "Mariya" and "While You’re Sleeping". They showed not only great dancing skills, but also their smooth voices with slower songs like "Dazzling".

At the end of the concert the group said goodbye and disappeared from stage, but the fans were not ready to go home yet. With more and more loud chanting from the audience, Halo came back on stage for two final songs. The concert ended in a symbolic matter with their debut song "Fever", making everyone think about how far they had come since their debut in 2014.

There is no official information, but based on pictures from the other concerts in Halo's tour, it seems like the audience in Sofia was their biggest. The concert was a great way for Halo to wrap up their European tour, giving hundreds of fans their first ever K-pop concert experience.

Days after the event, the Bulgarian fans were still buzzing with excitement. They posted videos, pictures, and heartfelt messages to thank the Bulgarian organizers, the members of Halo, their management team, and everyone else involved in making this special event happen.



wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.