Since the Waterbomb Seoul was held for the first time at Seoul Sports Complex in August 2015, it has continued as a traditional event every summer except for the Covid-19 pandemic. Starting with Waterbomb Busan in 2018, the festival has expanded to other cities such as Incheon, Daegu, Gwangju, and Daejeon in 2019, and has become a representative event of summer. As a result, more and more stars participate in the festival.
In fact, there are still divided opinions over this summer festival. Some positively consider this event as a place for stars and the audience to communicate more closely, enjoy a cool summer together, and discover new stars. However, some point out issues such as excessive use of water and concerns over the performers’ over-revealing costumes.
Kwon Eun-bi, who recently stole the spotlight at Waterbomb, gained attention last year with her bikini look and immediately became “Waterbomb Goddess”. Thanks to the rising popularity after the festival, Kwon Eun-bi’s song “Underwater” also rose on music charts and she also received many love calls from entertainment shows. After rising to stardom, the female singer even purchased a detached house near a cafe street in Seongdong-gu, Seoul with 2.4 billion won.
Criticism arose over the costumes of not only the artists but also the audience are too revealing. Moreover, there have been many suggestive scenes on the stage as the audience keeps spraying water. As such, some say the purpose of Waterbomb may be gradually changing as it is now targetting body exposure.
In addition, excessive use of water is another point that aroused criticism. Belgian broadcaster and DJ Julian said, “As a DJ, I’ve always been thinking about my impact on the festivals and the environment. I thought I could join them, but to be honest, I was very angry and upset to see the Waterbomb festival waste expensive resources”. He added, “Do we have to use that much water just to have fun? Do we have to put up LEDs to make it look cool? Must we throw away disposable cups? I don’t think so. There are many problems with festivals and events and it is upsetting to see them, especially the Waterbomb, Soaking Show, or Songkran Festival, use water excessively, while people in other areas are making efforts to protect the environment”.
Prior to this, actress Lee El also shared her thoughts on the Waterbomb, saying “300 tons of water were used for the festival. I hope they pour them into the Soyang River instead”, pointing out that water should be used in drought places. Jaurims Kim Yoon-ah firmly commented, “Waterbomb is not a festival”.
Amid mixed reactions, “Waterbomb” held a spectacular stage on July 5th with the participation of Zico, Hwasa, Kang Daniel, Chungha, Baekho, Hyuna, Lee Min-hyuk, Woo Won-jae, etc. On the 6th, Jay Park, Changmo, Sunmi, Minho, Yugyeom, KISS OF LIFE, Kwon Eun-bi, Giriboy, Big Naughter, Lee Young-ji, and P1Harmony will perform. Simon Dominic, Taemin, Nayeon, Way V, Jessi, Loco, Gray, BIBI, Yooa, Ji Ye-eun, etc. are the names in the lineup for the July 7th performance.
