Samyang Foods Co. has become the first Korean company to secure an official partnership with the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, a strategic move to boost the global presence of its spicy Buldak products.
The South Korean food manufacturer will operate as the exclusive partner in the hot sauce and ramen categories at the festival, scheduled for April 11-20 in Indio, California, the company said Thursday.
Festival attendees will have access to a dedicated Buldak booth positioned near the Central Market, offering various dishes featuring the company’s signature spicy sauce. Visitors can also purchase Buldak Bokkeum Myeon noodles and bottles of the sauce throughout the event.
The partnership aligns with Samyang’s international expansion efforts for its Buldak sauce line, which has experienced over 30% annual sales growth since the early 2020s. Notably, international markets now account for more than 40% of the brand’s total sales.
Jeon Byung-woo, chief strategy officer at Samyang Round Square, said the Coachella partnership should help establish Buldak as a “global mega brand.”
Coachella, one of North America’s premier music festivals, attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually and features performances across multiple genres including rock, hip-hop, and electronic music. The festival has evolved into a cultural phenomenon known for its art installations, fashion trends, and celebrity attendance.
The collaboration represents another example of growing international interest in Korean cuisine, riding the wave of the broader Korean cultural exports that have gained worldwide popularity in recent years.
