WACK has confirmed its sixth and most ambitious international showcase to date, with WACK in the UK Vol.6 expanding into a two-day event on June 5th–6th at The Underworld in Camden. The announcement followed the close of Vol.5 on March 26th and will be the first time the Tokyo-based agency has hosted a multi-day live event outside Japan.
This latest edition pulls together six acts over two nights, with WACK staples and longtime allies sharing a bill that speaks to the label’s lasting mark on Japan’s alt-idol underground.
Day One: WACK Core Acts Return to London
Thursday June 5th sees the return of three WACK acts with recent landmark performances under their belts.
MAMESHiBA NO TAiGUN
Opening the night are MAMESHiBA NO TAiGUN, whose origins on the long-running TBS variety show Wednesday’s Downtown led to their formation during the “MONSTER IDOL” segment. The group last appeared in London under the collaborative name MONSTERIDOL, a project that saw them perform alongside TONAi BOUSHO. Since then, they’ve reverted to their original name, welcomed back Hanaemonster—returning for the first time since her departure in 2024—and reinstated Kuro-chan (aka. Kurokawa Akihito), the comedian-turned-idol producer who first oversaw their creation. With choreography assisted in part by former BiSH vocalist and now ex-WACK artist AiNA THE END, the group signal a refreshed phase.
ASP
Joining them are ASP, the only act to have performed at every WACK in the UK event to date. With tracks produced by prominent UK figures like Mixim (The Prodigy) and Sam Matlock (WARGASM), ASP channel punk and industrial electronics with abrasive clarity. After headlining the Budokan in October 2024 and appearing at REDLINE ALL THE FINAL in December—sharing the bill with Japan’s rock and rap heavyweights such as Age Factory, MY FIRST STORY and Awich—ASP return to London in the midst of their Acid Suspicious Parental Japan tour, which begins on May 3rd.
ExWHYZ
Headlining the first night is ExWHYZ, the sleek reimagining of former WACK unit EMPiRE, whose sharp electronic sound and minimalist aesthetic set them apart from the label’s more unruly counterparts. Rebranding under EMI Records in 2022, the group launched with the Shinichi Osawa-produced single ‘Wanna Dance’ and have since developed a freeform take on dance music, working with a range of collaborators including Seiho, 80KIDZ, and Wednesday Campanella’s Kenmochi Hidefumi. In 2023, they became the first WACK idol group to headline Nippon Budokan. Already familiar to London audiences, ExWHYZ were part of the original WACK in the UK line-up in 2023 and returned for Vol.4 the following year.
Day Two: Anti-Idol Allies Take the Stage
On Friday June 6th WACK in the UK Vol.6 widens the lens, featuring artists not signed to WACK but closely aligned in ethos and production style.
MAPA
Making their UK debut are MAPA, a unit produced by Seiko Oomori and fronted by first-generation BiS member Koshoji Megumi. Originally launched as a sister group to ZOC, MAPA debuted at Tokyo Idol Festival in 2021 and quickly established themselves through a blend of sharp choreography, melodic melancholy, and off-kilter rock/pop arrangements. All of their songs are composed and arranged by Oomori and her longtime collaborator sugarbeans, with live instrumentation and costumes built around the group’s “MAD PARTY” concept. Following a company-wide audition in early 2024, MAPA welcomed two new members and released their first album under the current lineup, ‘SIIX SENCE’.
PIGGS
Joining them are PIGGS, a full-body-and-soul idol group founded in 2020 by Pour Lui—BiS founder and former leader of both its first and second generations, and one of the genre’s most uncompromising figures. Known for chaotic stunts and relentless physical demands—including a 100km marathon and a music video filmed in 109 consecutive takes—PIGGS channel a raw, punk-pop sound laced with bruised optimism and messy resolve. After a two-year stint with Sony’s Ariola Japan, they returned to their independent roots in late 2024 under Pour Lui’s PourPourLand label. Now six members strong, the group released their eleventh single, ‘Ikite Kaeru, Bakka.’, in February.
ZOCX
Headlining the night are ZOCX, the latest incarnation of Seiko Oomori’s notorious alt-idol project. Originally formed in 2018 as ZOC and briefly rebranded as METAMUSE μ, the group suspended activities in 2024 before returning this January with a new co-ed lineup. Alongside Oomori and returning member Aimi Chao, the refreshed roster includes former MAMESHiBA NO TAiGUN member Miyuki Amakuni and Hau NecoNecoNeco, ZOCX’s first male member. Senritsu Kanano will not appear in London; instead, founding member Karen Aizome, who left in November, joins the group for a special event-only formation. With Oomori’s writing at the helm, ZOCX push idol pop into theatrical excess—an unfiltered, high-gloss barrage of self-doubt, defiance, shame and affirmation, wrapped in hook-heavy choruses and genre-hopping arrangements.
General admission is priced at £30 per day, with doors opening at 7pm. A limited run of 50 VIP upgrades per day (£120) includes early entry, a light lunch with artists, two cheki photo opportunities, and exclusive merchandise.
Tickets for WACK in the UK Vol.6 are now on sale via DICE.
