The K-pop community in the UK has grown from small corners of the country, with more events being curated everywhere. These range from the popular cup sleeves to the fun club nights where your favourite artists are played throughout and places to dance with fellow fans. But what has been key in these fandoms is the power they harness. At the heart of all this lies the collective agreement and the power fans have. Tired of marketing often missing the mark or overlooking their interests. Many fans have taken things into their own hands. Growing businesses and partnering to make events that cater to the needs of the fan.
Michelle created Fandum as a safe space for fans not only of K-pop but also anime to sit in places and socialise and make meaningful connections. Many know the disconnect that often misses the mark of marketing, and Michelle accurately states, “I think that companies often overlook how passionate fans are and how much they actually want to engage. This leads to a disconnect between the two, so fans take matters into their own hands.”
Having worked at various record labels, Michelle brings both industry insight and fan perspective, showing that the two can co-exist. Once again proving that the label of a fangirl can succeed instead of letting it be a reductive stereotype. In our interview we discuss the growth of fandoms, the overlap between niches, the plans for the future, and, of course, the upcoming BTS club night!
Let’s start with who you are. For those who are new, who is Fandum, and what would you say is primarily your area of expertise?
Michelle: I’m Michelle, and I started FANDUM in 2024 and recently left my 9-5 to pursue it full time! The first event I ever put on was a Stray Kids fan meetup the weekend of their BST Hyde Park show, and since then, I’ve hosted a number of K-Pop and anime events. I started FANDUM because I have been a “fangirl” for as long as I can remember and want to create environments for others to make friends who share their interests/passions and create an IRL sense of community.
As far as expertise, I guess I have a lot because I am so interested in so many things! I have worked at various record labels over the past 8 years, so I do have that unique perspective and experience.
What made you want to begin diving into the K-pop world events? As we know, cupsleeves are becoming bigger and have room to grow even more.
Michelle: As we know, cupsleeves are becoming bigger and have room to grow even more. The way I discovered my ult group was through a cupsleeve event! I was a fan of BTS but hadn’t delved deeper into the world of K-pop, but one day when I was walking around in 2020, I walked past a cardboard cutout in the window of a boba shop and was curious about what it was. From there I went home and watched Stray Kids’ “God’s Menu” for the first time, and here I am six years later. Cupsleeves are such a fun and unique part of K-pop culture.
Many of us belong to a variety of fandoms, and over the years more fans are branching into their own business or creative outlet. Why do you think that K-pop in particular has more doing this, and do you think it’s more about being tired of feeling like we are constantly marketed to incorrectly, i.e., more as money than fans?
Michelle: I think that companies often overlook how passionate fans are and how much they actually want to engage. This leads to a disconnect between the two, so fans take matters into their own hands. K-pop is very unique because it’s arguably the only music genre that has a fandom that takes matters into their own hands and in such an organised way too! My biggest thing is that fan voices matter.
From cupsleeves to quizzes, your latest event will be celebrating BTS’s comeback and new album ARIRANG. What made you want to branch out into hosting a night like this? And what can fans expect?
Michelle: I love going to themed club nights, and I wanted to create a fun night dedicated to dancing and celebrating BTS’s first comeback in years! There’s nothing like being in a room with people singing along to your favourite songs with you, so I wanted to try something a bit different this time. In recent years I feel like there are more and more cupsleeve events, but why not try and do something different? People can expect themed cocktails, freebies, and the chance to meet ARMY.
Before the club night starts at 10pm, I’m going to host a social at 9pm. This is so people can sit and talk in a quieter environment and to encourage people to come solo. I’ve gone to club nights alone before because I didn’t have any friends that were interested, and I could’ve really done with something like this.
The summer saw you host a Stray Kids concert cupsleeve and fan meet. For you, what is the most enjoyable aspect of putting on cupsleeves?
Michelle: Seeing people have a great time and make friendships! It was my first time hosting, and with no following, around 500 people attended, which was so incredibly. It really made me realise how much people want and need these kinds of events.
How did you get started in putting together themed events, and what has surprised you the most when organising them?
Michelle: I’d wanted to organise a cupsleeve for years but was too nervous, but in 2024 I decided I had to just take the leap! I wanted to create a space for STAY to have a dedicated space to meet before the concert.
I guess what’s surprised me the most is how little is done in regional cities. I grew up in a suburb, and I always found it annoying that big events were only ever in major cities; I could never go. So far I’ve done events in Manchester and London, but I’m planning to expand that list. Fans exist in all places, not just the big cities!
Putting on larger-scale ones such as the BTS comeback, what is the hardest part of putting together events such as these?
Michelle: Getting the word out and organising the venue for sure. There are so many things online; it’s difficult to cut through the noise!
Between the vision itself of bringing an event to life, what logistics play into it, i.e., budgeting and planning?
Michelle: There are a million little details that people don’t think about. You have to find a venue and communicate with them, curate the music playlist, budget, research potential vendors, think about crowd control, market the event, and design for the event. The list goes on!
With K-pop becoming exponentially bigger and a community forming among fandoms, what would be your goal with future events?
Michelle: I really want to partner with the companies themselves to create really memorable moments for fans.
What is your own relationship like with K-pop? What groups are you interested in and think more events need to be put on for?
Michelle: I love K-pop and the friendships I’ve made through it. My ult group are Stray Kids, so there’s no shortage of events there! Something I’ve noticed putting on a number of events now is that girl group fans don’t rally the same way boy group fans do. Their merch sells the least, events are less well attended, and so on. I’d like to change that.
For people reading who are inspired or feel they want to get into organising their own events, what three tips would you ensure they had, or wish you had known yourselves?
Michelle: 1) Believe in yourself and take that leap. 2) Don’t be afraid to ask others for advice. 3) Go to events and assess what you think is good / what could be done better, and then make your event uniquely your own.
It’s not just K-pop, though, as you also host anime nights like the Demon Slayer quiz! Do you find that many fans have a crossover into fan cultures, and what is the most fun part of putting on events such as this?
Michelle: There’s definitely an overlap, but they can also have completely different audiences. It really depends! Outside of comic cons, there haven’t traditionally been many anime events, but that’s changing now. This was completely different and so fun to see people so passionate about a series answering questions. One person told me it was their favourite quiz they’d ever been to, and that made me really emotional. Anime is typically watched alone on a TV or laptop, so it’s great to create a space for fans to meet IRL.
Would you believe Demon Slayer was the #7 highest-grossing film globally in 2025, but I couldn’t find anyone to see it with me? Anime and K-pop exist in this weird vacuum where they’re niche, but they’re massively popular. That’s why I encouraged people to come to the Demon Slayer quiz alone, and I placed solo attendees in teams and watched people make friends. I want to make sure people have a chance to meet others in meaningful ways so they have a friend to go with to the next film or concert.
For your anime events, like the Demon Slayer quiz nights, how does the planning process differ from K-pop ones?
Michelle: Because it’s a quiz, I have to think of things about having enough table space, the right venue, keeping up a good pace so the quiz doesn’t drag on, and of course, good questions! It’s very different – in some ways it’s easier and in some ways it’s more difficult.
What events do you hope to put on this year, and what would be a big goal for you?
Michelle: I am planning to host monthly anime quizzes starting in April and more K-pop meetup events (more BTS announcements are coming soon!) and start doing group film screenings. I’m also hoping to do something for the new Avatar: The Last Airbender film coming out this year.
I’d love to branch out and start working a bit more in the pop and country music spaces, because I think all fandoms deserve to have someone building that community identity. But I’ll never stray from K-pop and anime because those are my passions. My big goals are to make FANDUM. a dedicated safe space for fans to engage and know they’ll find other fans, to just keep growing and partner with at least one company to host something!
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