2025 TRENDY TAIPEI Officially Kicks Off

TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Media OutReach Newswire - 18 August 2025 - Over 150 music performances in two weeks, 35+ cross-industry music forums—Taipei launches Asia's newest music platform and showcases its soft power. 7/31 Taipei City Government held a press conference at Taipei Music Center to announce the grand launch of 2025 TRENDY TAIPEI, starting on August 25. This year's theme, "TRENDY TAIPEI: IT'S NOW", highlights the energy and immediacy of the current music scene. The project is structured around three major acpects—The Concert Economy, Industry Trends, and Urban Actions, spanning six thematic areas such as music, art, audiovisual, technology, gaming and fashion. Starting from August 25 to September 7, the festival features over 150 music performances, 39 professional forums and citywide activities, making it the most chill and trendiest event of the summer. This is a can't-miss experience for music and art enthusiasts. 14 Signature Events Announced: From Taipei Arena and Taipei Music Center to Live Houses Across the City Mayor Chiang Wan-an mentioned that Taipei is the core of Taiwan's pop music and creative industries with mature production infrastructure and venue resources. In 2024, the representing venues of the city hosted more than 530 concerts with nearly 2 million attendees. "2025 TRENDY TAIPEI" is an international metropolitan music festival unique to Taipei, aiming to showcase the city's creative energy and charm to the world. This year, the goal is simple: bring music out of the concert halls and into the streets, allowing people to feel the rhythm everywhere—from alleyways and cultural venues to shopping districts and even MRT stations. The programming focuses on three areas:

1. The Concert Economy – activating consumption through music and connecting performance venues across Taipei.
2. Industry Trends – featuring expert forums discussing the trend and the future of the music industry.
3. Urban Actions – engaging cultural landmarks throughout the city.

Director of The Department of Cultural Affairs Tsai Shih-ping noted that unlike last year's pilot edition, this year focuses more deeply on the Concert Economy driven by music to boost tourism and consumption with big concerts, trying to make music the momentum of industry developing. The newly introduced TRENDY TAIPEI Boom: Taipei Arena Series will feature top artists from Taiwan, Japan, and Korea from September 5–7, with tickets already selling fast online via Kham ticketing. Additionally, Taipei Very Live will take place August 8 to September 7, connecting 22 Live Houses and music restaurants with 50+ diverse performances including rock, jazz, pop. Let the city glow with life from twilight to midnight and create Taipei's nighttime music map. The chairwoman of Taipei Music Center Sandy Huang emphasized that Taipei Music Center is an administrative organization dedicated to promoting pop music and also serves as one of the key venues representing the development of the pop music scene, This year's TAIPEI MUSIC EXPO (TMEX) and JAM JAM ASIA present 70 performances from August 28–31, with tickets now on sale. International collaborations aim to give local audiences fresh musical experiences. The Industry Trends section allows Taipei to connect with the world and talk to the future by immersive exhibitions and global forums. The TRENDY Fusion Forum will take place at Ambi Space One. It will host renowned guests like Sebastian Masuda (pioneer of Japanese Kawaii culture) and Cha Haley (K-pop industry strategist), who will offer global insights on pop culture and music and bring valuable international perspectives and industry insights to the forum . TMEX, Asia's leading music industry expo, will gather representatives from 10 APAC countries and 60 exhibitors, including major festivals like Busan Rock Festival, Zandari Festa (Seoul), Thailand's Big Mountain Festival, and venues like Zepp and Duo Live House (JP). International delegates this year expanded from 25 to over 100, including top figures like the chairman of Busan Metropolitan City Festival Committee Nam Deok-hyun(transliteration) , The curator of SXSW Sydney Kartini Ludwig, the program director of 988 FM Malaysia Hu Bi-Ai (transliteration) and Senior Program Director of MY FM Chou Wei-Wen (transliteration). New this year is an Industry Matchmaking Day, facilitating real collaborations between artists and professionals. Other highlights include:

• StartSphere Taipei, featuring startups from six countries including Japan, Korea, the US, Thailand, Vietnam and other countries.
• Taipei Film Academy focuses on "AI and the Future of Film", inviting people in the movie industry in Taiwan and abroad to explore the possibilities of technology and filming.

Urban Actions: Expanding into neighborhoods this year , bringing music closer to everyday life and offer everyone more chances to take part in events and sense the charm of music and culture. Notable activations:

• Taipei City Archives: "Taipei Pop Music Landscapes" exhibition explores the memories of city pop music .
• MoCA Taipei: "NOW, I Want to Go to the Museum Too!" mixing market, creativity, music, and desserts, showcasing the city's fresh, vibrant energy.
• Taipe Artist Village: "Now Electric Lane Arts Festival" featuring 7 artist teams.
• Taipei Performing Arts Center: "Shilin Fairyland Party + Silent Disco."
• Songshan Cultural Park: "Summer SongSong—Taipei Remix," a weekend marketplace of music, creativity, and experience.

For the first time, the event extends to Taipei MRT:

• "MRT Nakashi" program at Xinbeitou branch line featuring traditional moon guitar (yueqin).
• "TRENDY TAIPEI Sound Experience" at Nangang Station, creating a sonic journey through commuting spaces.

Star Bands and the Surprise Trio "Wan-Ping-Ling" Kick Off the Festival The press conference opened with rising bands from the Taipei Music Center's Open Lab and JAM JAM ASIA's "Seizer." They passed the torch to this year's Golden Melody-winning band TRASH, representing the link from indie showcases to the headline Taipei Arena series. But the biggest surprise was the debut of "Wan-Ping-Ling", a special one-time band formed by Mayor Chiang Wan-an, Director Tsai Shih-ping, and Chairwoman Sandy Huang. Their band name combines one character from each of their names, symbolizing cross-sector collaboration and co-creation. TRENDY Bus, Giant Guitar, and MRT Car—Come Take a Selfie! Special attractions include the TRENDY Double-Decker Bus, running August 30–31 (five trips daily), featuring live performances by the Taipei Jazz Orchestra and Open Up! rising artists, stopping at Taipei 101, Songshan Cultural Park, and Taipei Music Center for JAM JAM ASIA. Another must-see: the Giant Electric Guitar installation at City Hall Plaza (until September 7). Take a photo, upload it to the official TRENDY TAIPEI fan page, and enter to win limited-edition TRENDY merch. From mid-August, a TRENDY-themed MRT train will also hit the tracks—inviting citizens to experience the pulse of Taipei's music city like never before. TRENDY TAIPEI is brought to life through the collaboration of Taipei's Department of Cultural Affairs, Department of Information and Tourism, Department of Economic Development, Department of Information Technology and Taipei Music Center. It is also proudly supported by major sponsors including NVIDIA, Cathay United Bank, Taiwan Mobile, Uni-President Group, Heineken Silver, Eslite, Open Culture Foundation, Hanlai Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott Taipei Downtown, The Place Taipei, MESh+ Co.Ltd., CITYLINK, and YSOLIFE. With its blend of concerts, performances, forums, exhibitions, and marketplaces, TRENDY TAIPEI welcomes music lovers, creatives, tech enthusiasts, and casual passersby to find inspiration and resonance in the city. Let's walk into the city, listen to the rhythm of now, and witness how creativity redefines the power of the moment. For more information, visit the official TRENDY TAIPEI and Taipei Music Center websites and social channels. Hashtag: #2025TRENDYTAIPEI

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