SYDNEY, NSW – 17 September 2026
The Korean Cultural Centre Australia (Director: Dr Sunmin Yoon, hereinafter ‘KCCAU’), in partnership with Seoul Shinmun Daily, successfully held the Australian Final of the 2026 K-Pop Cover Dance Festival on Saturday, 12 September at York Theatre, Seymour Centre.
The nationwide online preliminary round attracted more than 40 teams from across Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, with a total of almost 100 videos submitted. Following a judging process, 14 teams were selected to compete in the Australian Final. The event attracted strong interest from K-pop fans across Australia, with all 800 seats sold out shortly after tickets were released.
Korean choreographer KINKY, a prominent figure in Korea’s K-pop choreography scene, joined the Australian Final as a special judge and evaluated the performances of the participating teams. KINKY also delivered a special performance, which received an enthusiastic response from both participants and audience members. The event was hosted by Andy Trieu, a TV presenter, host and producer at SBS PopAsia.
KINKY is a Korean dancer and choreographer whose work is rooted in waacking. He has worked on choreography for leading K-pop artists including Red Velvet, Chungha, STAYC and aespa, and continues to be active in the Korean dance and K-pop scene. Most recently, he contributed to the choreography for I.O.I’s ‘Suddenly’.
Organised annually by Seoul Shinmun Daily, the K-Pop Cover Dance Festival has grown into a global festival where K-pop fans from across Asia, Europe, North and South America, and Oceania come together to participate and connect through K-pop cover dance. With teams from numerous countries taking part each year, the festival has established itself as a leading international cover dance event celebrating the global popularity of K-pop.
Sydney-based HIMI Crew took first place in the Australian Final with a powerful performance of ATEEZ’s ‘Guerrilla’, incorporating their own distinctive style and interpretation. As the Australian representative, the winning team will advance to the Grand Final in Korea later this year, where they will compete against representatives from around the world for the title.
“We practised hard and worked closely together as a team for a long time in preparation for this performance. We would like to dedicate this win to all our team members,” said HIMI Crew. “We will do our very best at the Grand Final in Korea later this year and proudly represent Australia on the international stage.”
KINKY said, “It was very impressive to feel the passion and love for K-pop among fans in Australia. When judging the performances, I was particularly drawn to teams that went beyond simply following the original choreography and incorporated their own unique colour and identity into their performances. Every team performed exceptionally well, but we selected the winning team because their energy reached all the way to the judges’ table and made me feel as though I was performing on stage alongside them.”
Dr Sunmin Yoon, Director of KCCAU, said, “We hope that K-pop cover dance can provide K-pop fans in Australia with a community where they can freely express themselves, share their passion with others and connect through dance. Regardless of the outcome of the competition, I hope that all participating teams enjoyed the experience of being on stage, and I look forward to seeing all of this year’s teams again next year.”
KCCAU will continue to create opportunities for local K-pop fans to participate in and connect through a range of K-pop-related events, while promoting Korean culture and strengthening cultural exchange between Korea and Australia.
- ENDS - | 
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