A Nepali music concert in South Korea turned into a major community gathering during the Chuseok holiday, bringing together hundreds of Nepalis for an evening of music, food and a shared sense of home.

Nepathya’s sixth concert in South Korea, part of the band’s long-running folk-rock tour, was held on Friday and drew a large crowd to KINTEX Hall.

Organisers and Korean security personnel struggled to manage the crowds. The audience was packed so tightly near the front of the stage that lead singer Amrit Gurung had to ask people to move back.

Trains arriving at the GTX station serving the venue were also packed with Nepali spectators, with little room to stand. Inside, the large modern hall, which can accommodate thousands, was filled to capacity.

For Nepathya, which has been performing for more than three decades, the turnout at an indoor venue was on a scale reminiscent of its concert at Wembley Arena in Britain.

The concert opened with “Koshiko Pani Yo Jindagani”. As the performance progressed, Gurung, the band’s lead singer and frontman, spoke about how Nepali society has evolved alongside its rivers but is now increasingly forced to fear them because of climate change.

“The recent floods in the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers have left us with an irreparable wound,” Gurung told the audience. “As we need to come together for immediate relief, I urge you all to contribute whatever you can to the Prime Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund.”

Gurung performed for two hours, interspersing songs with reflections on contemporary issues.

After the concert, audience member Sushma Ranahanma Rai wrote on Facebook: “If I could, I would meet [late writer] Parijat just once. Nepathya is something I could watch and listen to again and again.”

“Within Nepali music, Nepathya is the most popular,” another audience member, Manoj Gurung, wrote. “After nine years, we got to see another outstanding performance.”

This year’s concert also featured some new touches. At the beginning of “Chari Maryo Sisai Ko Golile”, Gurung opened with an extended vocal refrain before singing “Ae Saila”, setting the mood for the song.

Perhaps impressed by moments like this, audience member Pastemba Sherpa commented on Gurung’s Facebook page: “What a package, what a great lesson in nationality. Two hours was just like 20 minutes.”

Another audience member, Kalta Lawati Limbu, also commented on Gurung’s Facebook page, wishing him “the same energy and enthusiasm to keep making audiences jump with joy”.

She also wrote that she had come to the concert alone, enjoyed it on her own and returned home happy from the heart.

Among the audience were groups wearing Nepathya T-shirts that they had designed together, alongside spectators who had come in a variety of outfits. Another hall filled with stalls selling traditional Nepali food was also crowded.

“South Korea, which has always given us such warm affection, welcomed us even more grandly this time,” Gurung said after the concert. “We take this as further inspiration.”

Local organiser Suresh Limbu said he was proud to have been involved in an event that conveyed a message of unity among Nepalis.

“In terms of both quality and audience participation, this concert has set a standard,” Limbu said after the event. “Hardworking Nepalis in South Korea have returned from the concert carrying a fond memory of the Chuseok holiday.”

Korean technicians involved in the production also described the concert as a special experience.

“It was important for us to be able to deliver such a successful concert while working with such a professional Nepali team,” said Lee Jo-yung of DS Mediatec. “We look forward to working with this team again.”

As usual, Gurung was joined on stage by Dhruva Lama on drums, Subin Shakya on bass guitar, Neeraj Gurung on guitar, Shanti Rayamajhi on madal and Dineshraj Regmi on keyboards.

The band returned to Nepal on Saturday after the concert.

Nepathya is scheduled to perform in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on October 4. The band has also announced concerts in seven cities across Nepal and in Sikkim, India. It has also given preliminary information about a series of performances in Australia later this year.