30 bands will play in unique pop-culture expo

One of Bangladesh's biggest pop culture festival, Dhaka Summer Con 2023, will start today in the capital.

Organised by MediaQuest Bangladesh, the festival will consecutively run for three days from today (July 13) to July 15, at International Convention City Bashundhara (ICCB).

Over the course of the three-day event, a total of 30 bands, will take center-stage at Dhaka Summer Con 2023. The first day, July 13, will feature performances from eight exclusive bands, including Old Dhaka Diaries, Firoze Jong, Indalo, Bangla Five, Level Five, Owned, Odd Signature, and Dads in the Park. The lineup also includes Hatirpool Sessions, Rayhan Islam Shuvro, amongst others.

On the second day (July 14), there will be captivating performances by Messianic Era, Naive, Encore, Subconscious, Aftermath, Shonar Bangla Circus, Ashes, Brahmaputra, Cryptic Fate, and Artcell. Additionally, a thrilling rap battle will ensue during the programme.

The final day of the festival, July 15, will showcase performances by AK Rahul, Apekkhik, Mechanix, Karnival, Black, Arbovirus, Avoid Rafa, and Warfaze. Attendees can also look forward to mind-blowing hip-hop performances by Black Zang and Shafayat.

The festival boasts an assortment of captivating events, such as the highly anticipated cosplay competition, engaging comic book exhibitions, immersive experience zones, dedicated kids' zones, exceptional performances from hip hop and K-pop, thrilling gaming activities, tantalizing food zones, and thought-provoking panel discussions.

Tariqul Sumon, the initiator of Summer Con 2023 and co-founder of MediaQuest Bangladesh, told The Daily Star, "A lot of people have asked, why have such a huge-scale concert alongside a convention? First and foremost, we wanted Bangla music to have a platform, shared with the country's biggest Comicon. We wanted to adhere to international standards while organising such a huge festival."

The programme released its official theme song, titled Escape. Heavy metal band Mechanix collaborated with stars like Shishir Ahmed, Raef Al Hasan Rafa, and Black Zang to create the memorable pop culture anthem.

Tickets for the second and third day of the festival are available on the website of Get Set Rock.