Hong Kong Asian Pop Music Festival

With K-pop still all the rage, this year's Hong Kong Asian-Pop Music Festival concert will be headlined by one of South Korean's hottest exports to date - Girls' Generation.

On Friday night, the nine-member girl band from Seoul will be strutting their stuff at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, alongside other popular singers and groups from across the region.

The annual festival is organised by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (Hong Kong Group).

The festival is part of the Entertainment Expo, which highlights talent from television, music, digital entertainment, and film. Artists from Hong Kong, the mainland, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia all feature.

After debuting with their smash hit Gee in 2009, Girls' Generation won fans worldwide, especially in Japan, for their catchy tunes.

Their latest album I Got a Boy was released in January, and has sold more than 265,000 copies. Its five-minute Bollywood/hip hop fusion video has received almost 47 million clicks on YouTube.

The group is set to release its first Japanese remix, Best Selection Non Stop Mix, tomorrow.

Into its third edition, the Asian-Pop Music Festival concert is a much anticipated event, especially among K-pop fans: last year scores of followers tailed Korean idol duo TVXQ back to their hotel in rental vans after their performance.

The two-day festival - which also includes a business forum, a singing contest and screenings - acts as a platform for newcomers to showcase their talent, say organisers.

MIC from the mainland, Sita Chan from Hong Kong, Henry Tseng from Taiwan, BREATHE from Japan, Andamiro from Korea, MICappella from Singapore and MOJO from Malaysia are competing for the Super Nova title, the Best Vocal Performance Award, and the Best Stage Performance Award.

"The Super Nova contest awards talented singers from within the region and our long-term goal is to turn these people into superstars," says Ng Yu, chairman of the organising committee of the Hong Kong Asian-Pop Music Festival.

"The festival has become well known in Asia and more record companies in the region are interested in participating."

Fans who have booked tickets online can watch the concert live at selected cinemas on the Multiplex Cinema and Golden Harvest Cinemas circuits for free. "This will be the first time that local cinemas have screened a local pop concert live," says Ng.

A host of well-established Asian artists will be performing at Friday's concert. Acts include ballad queens Kay Tse and Kit Chan, singer-songwriter Aniu, and Aaron Yan from Taiwanese boy band Fahrenheit.

Momo Wu and Li Daimo of The Voice of China reality talent show will also be performing.

The full event will be broadcast live on TVB J2.