Cupsleeve Event

Related terms:	K-Pop, Fan Merch
See also:	Fan Run
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

A cupsleeve event, sometimes abbreviated as CSE, is a type of K-Pop fan event typically held in bubble tea cafes or coffee shops to celebrate an idol's birthday, debut anniversary, comeback, or other milestone. The term originates from the custom decorated cardboard sleeves that wrap around drink cups, which serve as the event's defining feature and a collectible for attendees.

In addition to cupsleeves, these events often give out fan merch like photocards, stickers, and banners. It originated in K-Pop fandom, but has since become popular in other fandoms, such as Haikyuu, Genshin Impact, Mo Dao Zu Shi and My Hero Academia.

Origins

Fans at a cupsleeve event for BTS in Los Angeles. The cafe is decorated with standees and artwork.

The cupsleeve event concept began in South Korea, where fans would collaborate with local cafes to hold celebrations for their favorite idols. The trend has since spread globally, with fans organizing events in their own countries as a way to connect with fellow fans and support their idols from afar. They became more common in the US around 2021.

In Korea, cupsleeve events are typically run by fansites. The fansite will contact a cafe owner to host the event, often on an anniversary for the group or a member's birthday. The fansite will then design and produce the cupsleeves and other merchandise, such as soda cans, photocards, mini posters, and keychains, to be given away or sold at the event. The fansite will also decorate the cafe for the event.

How it Works

Fans holding cups at a cupsleeve for Johnny's birthday from NCT

Cupsleeve events are usually organized and funded by fans themselves. The organizing fan or fan group will contact a cafe to host the event, then design and produce the cupsleeves and other merchandise to be given away or sold to attendees. Cupsleeves are typically offered with the purchase of a drink, and feature images or logos of the celebrated idol or group.

These cupsleeve events [are places] where fans can just come together and be themselves and not be afraid to be judged, I think it’s hard sometimes to go out and put yourself out there as a fan, especially in this day and age where people may not always understand what K-pop is, and just see what media or society portrays the typical K-pop fan as — you know, screaming, obsessive fangirls

In addition to cupsleeves, these events often include photo opportunities with life-size standees, themed decorations, music, games, and raffles. Attendees can usually obtain fan merchandise, such as photocards, stickers, or banners, either included with their drink purchase or available for sale from fan artists at the event.

Cupsleeve events typically last from 1-3 days, and attendees are not required to stay for the entire duration. Fans can come and go as they please, much like a regular cafe visit, to enjoy their drinks, socialize with other fans, and collect their merchandise.

In the US, cupsleeve events can cost between a few hundreds dollars to thousands.

It’s something that non-K-pop fans don’t really understand, Especially in this day and age, it can be hard to find kindness. And so it can be a bizarre concept that these people took the time to make these [cupsleeves] themselves with their own money, and now they’re giving them, by the hundreds, for free to these people that they’ll never see again? That’s not something that I encountered until I came into this community.

Further Reading

• Attending Your First K-pop Cupsleeve Event? A Fan's Ultimate Guide for 2024
• Every weekend, the internet’s biggest K-pop fans swarm L.A. cafes (2023)
• At the party, cheers! Meet the fans behind your local K-pop cupsleeve events (2023)