Summer is here, and with it begins the season of activities to mitigate the heat and immerse yourself in the fun. Despite their cultural differences, the Waterbomb Festival in Korea and the Panamanian Carnival share a common goal: to celebrate life through water, music, and collective energy. While one represents modernity and Asian pop culture, the other keeps alive centuries-old traditions linked to religion and national identity, but also with more modern twists.
Waterbomb Festival
The Waterbomb Festival is a large-scale annual pop music festival organized by Volume Unit Entertainment. The event, also known as the Water Variety Dance Music Festival, was first held in Seoul in 2015. Due to its huge success, it later expanded to other cities in Korea, and since 2023, it is held in cities in Japan and Thailand. (PR Times Japan, May 2023)
Each year, the artists' performances vary, making the stage vibrate. The festival combines live music, K-pop, EDM, and hip-hop, and has featured artists such as Psy, CL, BamBam, aespa, Zico, Epik High, Oh My Girl, iKon, Jay Park, Hyuna, Jessi, among others.
In addition to activities such as workshops, food, and merchandise sales, Waterbomb showcases a traditional water fight between attendees and artists. Artists are divided into teams of different colors, and when purchasing tickets, viewers can choose which of the two groups they want to be on.
Every summer, Waterbomb provides attendees with an alternative way to beat the heat while enjoying a refreshing, fun-filled moment. Thousands of young people, mostly in their 20s and 30s, gather in the different cities where the event is held.
For its 2022 version, according to figures from the Korea Arts Management Service through the Performance Arts Integrated Computer Network, the 2024 Water Night in Seoul alone was attended by 29,631 people.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, Volume Unit sales reached 10.1 billion won, but in 2020 they dropped to 900 million won, only to recover in 2022 to approximately 6 billion won. (The Korea Economic Daily, June 2023)
The global expansion of Waterbomb for 2025 includes Dubai, Bangkok, Manila (Philippines), Hainan Province, Hong Kong, Ho Chi Minh City, Taipei (Taiwan), Singapore, Bali (Indonesia), and Macau, significantly expanding the brand's international reach with new stops.
Carnivals in Panama: Mojaderas
In Panama, for four or five days during the summer, the country fills its streets with color, tropical rhythms, and mojaderas during the traditional carnivals. These have their roots in the religious festivities that precede Lent, but over time, they have incorporated cultural, folkloric, and popular elements that reflect Panamanian identity; they begin on the Friday and end on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
In different parts of the country, daytime and nighttime parades take place, featuring floats, queens, comparsas, and lots of rhythm. In fact, the queens of both sides, Calle Arriba and Calle Abajo, engage in a back-and-forth battle in different regions of the isthmus.
In addition, performance stages with artists are set up, along with the famous "mojaderas" where the public gathers while water trucks spray the crowds under the sun.
Year after year, the impact of carnivals on the country is extremely significant, generating economic growth in different areas: commerce, tourism, transportation, restaurants, and handicraft sales, among others nationwide.
The cities most recognized for their carnivals are Las Tablas, Chitré, and Panama City, where tradition, tipico (traditional music), calypso, and salsa are combined.
Due to the pandemic, the 2020 and 2021 carnivals were suspended, affecting domestic tourism and the economy.
According to figures from the Ministry of Culture of Panama, by 2024, 47,600 people would have attended Las Tablas, of which 40,500 traveled from the capital city, representing 45%.
By 2025, in the capital city, the attendance of 168,000 people over the five-day event generated approximately $30 million in the circular economy, according to the Panama City Hall and its mayor, Mayer Mizrachi, through his X (formerly Twitter) account.
Common Denominator: Water
Water becomes a tool of modern entertainment in both Panama and Korea. Panama's Carnivals immerse you in an intense and authentic folkloric celebration, while the Waterbomb Festival offers a spectacle full of youthful energy and urban music. The festival has become a modern summer tradition, while Panamanian carnivals are a multigenerational cultural expression and one of the most representative festivals in the region.
Both events are a living expression and tradition, attracting thousands of people who want to enjoy a fun time to beat the summer heat. They are cultural mirrors that reflect each other, where water becomes a symbol of unforgettable moments.
How about this article?
- Like1
- Support0
- Amazing0
- Sad0
- Curious0
- Insightful0
