In front of 'Makeup Zone' around 11 a.m. on the 21st. It is filled with participants holding green umbrellas. Photo by JaeHyun Park

원본보기 아이콘

The '2025 Olive Young Festa,' the largest experiential beauty & health festival in Korea, hosted by Olive Young on the 21st at Nodeulseom in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, was packed with visitors carrying light green umbrellas?the signature olive color?and white backpacks.

On the morning of the 21st at 10 a.m., the waiting area for the 'Olive Young Festa' at Nodeul Island in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. The waiting line continued from 8 a.m. It was so crowded with visitors that it was controlled by dividing into four waiting lines. Photo by Park Jaehyun

원본보기 아이콘

This event is Olive Young’s first beauty festival in two years, and an ‘open run’ began as early as 8 a.m., two hours before the opening. In 2019, Olive Young introduced Korea’s first ‘Beauty Festa,’ where beauty brands and consumers could gather in one place to experience products and share trends. Last year, the event was skipped due to a rebranding process. This year marks the sixth edition and the first time it has been held outdoors.

The event, running through the 25th of this month, is being held at Nodeulseom’s 11,570-square-meter multi-complex cultural space, making it the largest ever. The number of participating brands increased from 79 in 2023 to 108 this year. All advance tickets, sold to Olive Young members over four rounds starting April 24, sold out quickly. On secondhand trading sites, tickets are being resold for about twice the original price. Olive Young expects around 30,000 visitors this year.

Kim, a 28-year-old office worker met in the waiting line, said, “I took a day off just for this event because I’ve been waiting for it. Olive Young Festa is famous for being hard to get tickets for, but thanks to my friends’ help, I barely managed to come,” she said with a smile.

원본보기 아이콘

원본보기 아이콘

To maximize the visitor experience, Olive Young designed this event with a ‘Treasure Island’ concept. Each zone was decorated to match a gemstone theme, and participants were given an ‘exploration kit’ containing a map, backpack, and umbrella. This was to maximize the experience, much like a treasure hunt. Kim, 30, who was met at the event, said, “I’ve participated every year, and my bag is already half full. The scale seems even bigger than before, and it’s a great opportunity to try out various cosmetics.”

Since the event was held outdoors, some participants were seen struggling with the heat. Han, 28, a resident of Mapo-gu, Seoul, said, “It’s tough waiting a long time under the sun in this hot weather. Some booths have a waiting registration system, but for most, you have to line up in person, which is inconvenient.”

On the 22nd, at Nodeulseom in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, a visitor is receiving a makeup demonstration service at the experiential Beauty & Health festival '2025 Olive Young Festa.' Photo by Yonhap News

원본보기 아이콘

Foreign visitors were also noticeable at the event. Most were representatives of overseas distribution companies from countries such as Japan and the United States, as well as influencers from around the world. Olive Young invited about 400 key representatives from major distribution platforms in the United States, Japan, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia. Lee Eunjeong, head of Olive Young’s Brand Creative Center, stated, “We expect Olive Young Festa to serve as a festival for our 16 million Olive Members, a milestone showcasing the present and future of K-beauty, and a forward base for brands to realize their global vision in various ways.”