Kpop, celebs set to dazzle at NTU Fest

NTU Fest is set to be a dazzling affair with a concert, charity run and carnival

By Loh Pui Ying

STARDUST: Kpop group Dal Shabet will headline the concert at NTU Fest, which will take place on Aug 29.
PHOTO: NTU

For a second year running, K-pop fans hoping to get their fix of Korean music will be able to do so at the upcoming NTU Fest — for free.

The student-organised annual charity extravaganza will take place on 29 Aug at The Promontory@Marina Bay.

The main event is a free evening concert headlined by Korean girl group Dal Shabet, along with a number of local MediaCorp celebrities such as Elvin Ng and Rebecca Lim.

The Fest will comprise of a day-long carnival and a charity run. The event is also intended to be NTU’s gift to celebrate Singapore’s Golden Jubilee.

Tan Hui Jun, chairperson of the NTU Fest organising committee, said: “This year’s concert is a star-studded affair with K-pop group Dal Shabet performing their first solo concert in Singapore.”

Tan, a fresh graduate from the Nanyang Business School, said Dal Shabet was successfully invited with the assistance of former NTU board member Mr Kwek Leng Joo, who had also helped to secure Korean artistes Kang Gary and Jung In for last year’s fest.

In a media release on 21 July, Dal Shabet said: “We’re very excited to be in Singapore performing for such a meaningful event and we will do our best to put up a good show for all our fans here.”

The group’s presence has been welcomed by some students such as Teh Guan Chin, 22, a second-year student at the School of Chemical and Biological Engineering.

He said: “I like K-pop and I’m going for NTU Fest mainly because of Dal Shabet. They are pretty, and their songs, such as Joker, are catchy.”

Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Education and Chairman of the SG50 Steering Committee, will kick off the evening concert.

He is expected to jointly perform a National Day song with the finalists of talent show “The Final 1”, a reality-competition series that aims to uncover Singapore’s next top singing talent.

All for a good cause

While the concert will provide an opportunity for participants to let their hair down in the evening, fest goers will get to support charitable causes before catching the performances.

This year festival’s tagline is “seeing beyond yourself”.

Tan said: “Besides inspiring our own NTU students to stretch their capabilities by planning a mega event, we also hope to provide opportunities for the underprivileged to reach beyond their limitations and succeed.”

Proceeds from the 5km charity run, titled 5ynergy Run, will go towards a two-year training programme in partnership with SportCares, a national initiative that uses sport as a means to teach values and character development to underprivileged children and youths-at-risk.

100 less-privileged families are also invited to join the carnival, accompanied by NTU student volunteers. Apart from complimentary carnival coupons, they will get to participate in the children’s races for free.

Participants can also take a step into the past at the event, with retro toys and food available at the carnival. Fifty booths will offer a variety of food, from Mediterranean kebabs to slushies and ice cream, reminiscent of the olden days. Toys such as whistle candy as well as blog shop merchandise will also be on sale.

In addition, NTU Fest will break the Singapore record for the largest logo formed by photos. For the past five months, 10,000 photos of people from NTU and the community were collected through social media, websites and events organised by the various student clubs.

Tan said: “These photos will be put together to form a huge NTU Fest logo to signify the unity among NTU students, faculty, staff and alumni.”

The organising committee has kept the cost of the NTU Fest low by recruiting students as volunteers and securing sponsors.

One such sponsor is Mediacorp, which is helping to publicise the event and provide more than 30 celebrities and performers for the celebration.

Admission to NTU Fest is free, but coupons have to be purchased to buy items at the carnival. For 5ynergy Run registration and purchasing of carnival coupons, visit www.ntu.edu.sg/ntufest2015.