The much-awaited D'FESTA is finally in the Philippines, the K-Pop exhibit's latest stop. From Tokyo and Seoul to Jakarta and Los Angeles, it has found its newest home in One Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. 

D'FESTA is produced by Korean online media outlet Dispatch to celebrate its 10th anniversary. The exhibit features K-pop groups BTS, Twice, Seventeen, NCT 127, NCT Dream, Enhypen, Tomorrow x Together, and Stray Kids.

The author, Metro.Style People section editor Grace Libero-Cruz, by D'FESTA BGC's Giant Poster

D'FESTA held a Media Day on December 18, 2024, giving the members of the press and KOLs a first glimpse into this visual and immersive exhibit. The excitement began from the registration, as guests were asked to pick an "ID" randomly; these are not your typical IDs, though, as they are photo cards of the members of the featured K-Pop groups in the exhibit. People were thrilled to swap photo cards to get their ultimate biases; if you're going with your friends, it'd be fun to do that with them, too, or who knows, you can even make new friends through this.

When you purchase a ticket to D'FESTA, this random photo card with a sling is included as an exclusive gift.

Before going to BGC Immersive in One Bonifacio, we gathered at the Bonifacio High Street Cinema in Central Square first for a sneak peek of The Movie, one of the three major parts of D'FESTA; it showcases exclusive footage of never-before-seen performances by the featured K-Pop groups. But before the sneak peek, the attendees were treated to performances by P-Pop girl group ALPHA and a special appearance by South Korea-based Filipino boy band HORI7ON.

ALPHA 

HORI7ON

In her opening speech, Shin So-young, managing director of D'FESTA BGC said, “This is a one-of-a-kind immersive exhibition in which all exclusive and original content of the K-Pop industry are shared and merged to become a whole. It will feature exclusive photos, artworks, and videos of these 63 artists that have archived along with the latest content animated with LED technology. This also tells a story of the collective decade of Dispatch.”

Shin So-young, managing director of D'FESTA BGC

The way D'FESTA is described is exciting and all, but nothing beats experiencing it firsthand. Here's everything fans will love from this cool K-pop experience:

The well-thought-out and beautifully executed exclusive content

At Metro, we produce photo and video shoots for covers and editorials. We know how tedious it is to come up with concept decks, so I truly appreciated the ideas behind the content Dispatch produced and how stunning those visions came to life. Every content was supported with a story, weaving thoughtful narratives into the visual journey. 

The D'FESTA BGC experience starts with The Exhibition. This three-part section begins with hallways showcasing colored portraits with handwritten messages. That bright space segues into a dark space where black and white lighted photographs are placed side by side, creating an awe-inspiring monochrome montage. 

The "Memory Room” follows, featuring over 480 solo and group photos that Dispatch collected over a decade, some of them unpublished; these photos are spread across a hallway with floor-to-ceiling backlit panels and mirrors all around, sparking major nostalgia and inviting fans to create their own memories here by taking photos with the pictures or snapping mirror selfies.

That area was followed by the Sign Wall and Diary Room, but I'll share more about that below.

The Movie is the next part of the exhibit. It's like a mini virtual concert, showing never-before-seen performances by all the featured K-Pop groups, created using cutting-edge XR filming technology. There are essentially two sets for each group; the concept for the first one varies per group (and it's fun to see how each matches the personality of the group and the vibe of their song) and for the second one, they all perform at this out-of-this-world virtual stage.

After The Movie comes the Concept Photos space, where more solo and group photographs are displayed, with the shoot concepts varying per group. For BTS, for instance, the concept is “The blue stone = The Glacier” because, as its accompanying explanation says in part, “The glacier, formed over a long period of time by layers of ice, bears the unmistakable marks of time. Every moment BTS has passed through has accumulated into a massive glacier, becoming a single history.”

The venue and layout that enhance the experience

BGC Immersive felt like the perfect venue for this type of exhibit. It's spacious and provides the ideal canvas for an immersive experience which is, ultimately, D'FESTA's goal. The way the photos are displayed allows fans to appreciate each frame fully. The experience of looking at photographs also doesn't feel monotonous because their layouts on the exhibit panels vary. Having alternating bright and dark spaces also adds variety to the flow, exciting fans more and piquing their curiosity further.   

Once you move past “The Message to the Artist” part, don't feel sad just yet. More surprises await on the 4th floor where you can find the “Be Together” photo zone (here, the groups’ photos are displayed against themed backdrops, and the area comes with benches too, so you can "be together” with your idols as if you're taking photos with them, say, in a fan meet event), The Merch Store, The Cafe, and The Photobooth. 

From The Exhibition and The Movie, what better way to cap off the K-Pop experience than by being part of the exhibit through The Experience (the last part of D'FESTA)? From just looking at and watching your favorite stars, you can also experience starring in your own K-Pop-inspired content. Here, there is an immersive 3D LED Virtual Stage and mirrors on the sides so visitors can take photos and videos to remember this unique experience; in this TikTok era, this is a cool place to shoot those dance videos. Across it is the Front Stage where one can watch the groups’ stages up close. 

The personal touches by the artists

What makes D'FESTA more of a must-visit are the artists’ personal touches. The color portraits, for instance, aren't just framed photographs, they are signed and some even come with funny doodles and messages. After the Memory Room, visitors will be greeted by D'FESTA's big Sign Wall, personally autographed by the artists. 

This leads to the Diary Room, where the artists expressed their emotions about D'FESTA through handwritten messages and drawings; videos of each group signing the D'FESTA wall and working on their diaries are shown on TV with their actual diaries. The diaries are displayed with printed translations of their messages; Jungkook drew the 3D LED stage they performed in and wrote, "Today, we performed with D'FESTA. We did PTD and DNA. The CG was amazing. We should use it later too. It was awesome.” A corner was also dedicated to displaying the art materials the artists’ used for their diariesーfrom colored markers and oil pastels to washi tapes and polaroids. 

The K-Pop stars showed a different side of themselves as artists in the Artist Paintings. Each of the eight groups was given a plain canvas, with Dispatch's logo in the middle, to play around with. This U-shaped space has a panel with TV sets in the middle, showing exclusive videos of the artists while they were working on their paintings. The groups incorporated the names of their fandoms in their artworks, too! Hey, you can take these paintings home, only in the form of shirts with these artworks printed on them; you can purchase these artistic shirts at The Merch Store.

The memories, merch, and mementos you'll get to take home

Except for The Movie, where filming the entire show is prohibited, you can take photos anywhere in D'FESTA. Take photos with the photos of your biases, film yourself dancing to their songs on the virtual stage, or leave a message for your favorite group. Wrap up the whole experience by shopping for merch; there are D'FESTA-exclusive posters, photo cards, stickers, canvas bags, shirts, pens, washi tapes, and even folders you never knew you needed. In case you're wondering if you can buy merch without getting in the exhibition, no, because this section is part of the experience and therefore only accessible to the exhibition visitors.

At The Artist Pic photo booth, you can take a photo with a random member from your chosen group. Finally, complete your D'FESTA memory at The Cafe. When you buy any drink there, you will receive one random artist cup sleeve from your chosen K-Pop group; all drinks (Americano, Spanish Latte, Banana Chocolate, and Ube Milk Dalgona) are available in 16oz cups. Tip: Do not actually use the cup sleeve for your drink and keep it as a souvenir instead! 

Here's a clip of our D'FESTA BGC experience:

Check out D'FESTA BGC's floor plan:

D’Festa opens its doors on December 20, 2024, at BGC Immersive, 3rd Floor inside One Bonifacio, Bonifacio High Street. The event will run until March 19, 2025 from 9 AM to 11:30 PM. Tickets are priced at PhP 1,200 for weekday visits (Monday to Thursday) and Php1,450 for weekends (Friday to Sunday). Fans who purchased their tickets online will be prioritized entry into the venue. Walk-in tickets will also be sold but will be extremely dependent on the available tickets left for the day. PWD and Senior Citizen discounts are honored when you present your ID upon ticket purchase.

Secure tickets at www.dfestaph.com.