{"id":118483,"date":"2026-01-31T17:49:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-31T17:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/118483\/"},"modified":"2026-01-31T17:49:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-31T17:49:11","slug":"hello82-ribbon-cutting-marks-official-soho-fan-space-with-grand-opening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/118483\/","title":{"rendered":"hello82 ribbon cutting marks official SoHo fan space with grand opening"},"content":{"rendered":"

After hosting numerous pop-ups in SoHo, hello82 officially christened its new East Coast location with a ribbon-cutting celebration last week.\n<\/p>\n

Known as the ultimate fan space for K-Pop enthusiasts, hello82 began expanding from the West Coast to the East Coast last year. On Jan. 24, the U.S.-based K-Pop label and lifestyle brand opened its first year-round brick-and-mortar location at 427 Broadway, giving fans a permanent place to gather.<\/p>\n

amNewYork spoke with Vayr Lacy Hudson, Senior Manager of Fan Space, about the significance of the new location.\n<\/p>\n

\u201chello82\u2019s strength has always been in building community. When we opened our Atlanta Fan Space in 2024 and would ask people at our events where they came from, we heard \u2018New York\u2019 so often. We truly felt the support of the Northeast and knew we had to be here. At the creation of hello82, we wanted to be \u2018Wherever You Are,\u2019 and we are so excited to bring hello82 to NYC and grow together,\u201d Hudson said.<\/p>\n

Since the summer, hello82 has hosted pop-ups and listening parties with artists such as ATEEZ and P1Harmony. However, the long-term goal was always to establish a permanent space with steady hours rather than temporary events.<\/p>\n

\"hello82<\/a>hello82 celebrated a grand opening of their new SoHo fan space.Photo by Amanda Moses<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a relief, honestly. Every time we had to close after a pop-up, it felt like saying goodbye to friends we\u2019d just made. Many of our team started as fans who attended these events, so losing that dedicated third space where they could all be fans together was difficult. Having a dedicated offline space to trade photocards, dance together, listen to K-Pop, and hyper-focus on our favorite artists year-round \u2014 knowing it\u2019s not going anywhere \u2014 is really exciting,\u201d Hudson shared.<\/p>\n

Since the brand\u2019s inception, community remains at its core identity. Hudson emphasized that fans are always a part of hello82\u2019s DNA.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThe community really is the brand. It\u2019s the heart of \u2018Wherever You Are.\u2019 As we grow and reach new voices, it shapes the decisions we make as a business, and we continue to grow alongside that community,\u201d Hudson added.<\/p>\n

At the grand opening, visitors browsed signed albums, traded photocards, entered giveaways, and purchased fan-centric merchandise. With small tables gathered throughout the large space and shelves stocked with lightsticks, albums, and apparel, it proved that it\u2019s not a retail shop but a community center for K-Pop.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt truly all comes back to the community. They\u2019ve [fans] supported us for so long, and it\u2019s only right that we support them in return. The K-Pop experience is the community. We\u2019ll continue striving to make K-Pop more accessible to fans \u2014 from albums and merchandise to the artists themselves \u2014 but introducing more ways for fans to celebrate what they love is just as important,\u201d Hudson said.<\/p>\n

\"hello82<\/a>hello82 celebrated a grand opening of their new SoHo fan space.Photo by Amanda Moses<\/p>\n

Community plays a major role in K-Pop culture, and according to fans at the opening, the new space already feels like a local hub where they feel seen and heard.<\/p>\n

Holding Yeonjun\u2019s solo album \u201cNo Labels,\u201d Gianna Pellegrino-Margolis, 17, said hello82 has given her a place to meet friends, exchange ideas, discuss biases, participate in activities, and trade photocards.<\/p>\n

\u201cI absolutely love hello82. When I first got into K-pop, this was the first place I came after the P1Harmony concert, and I met so many nice people. The staff are so sweet. It\u2019s great to be somewhere I know the idols have been and that they trust,\u201d Pellegrino-Margolis said.<\/p>\n

For longtime friends and fans Natalia Laporta and Jenny Guan, the SoHo opening became an unexpected reunion spot. Laporta, who moved to Florida, met up with Guan in New York, and although they hadn\u2019t planned on attending the grand opening, it quickly became the perfect destination.<\/p>\n

\"hello82<\/a>hello82 celebrated a grand opening of their new SoHo fan space.Photo by Amanda Moses<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re reuniting today, and we became friends because of K-Pop, so it\u2019s really big for us. Stray Kids was the door for us,\u201d Laporta said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m such a big fan of ATEEZ. I\u2019ve been watching hello82\u2019s YouTube videos for years. The most memorable item I bought was a signed Golden Hour Part 2 album signed by Seonghwa,\u201d Guan added.<\/p>\n

Last summer, New York City got an early taste of hello82\u2019s presence when ATEEZ made a surprise appearance. Hudson recalled the moment as a milestone.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cOur first large event in NYC really sticks out. When we were running the simultaneous album release and tour event for ATEEZ and the members themselves dropped by hello82 NYC, it was unreal. We had worked so hard to bring these experiences to the East Coast, and suddenly we had New Yorkers listening to ATEEZ with ATEEZ themselves in the space right before their Citi Field performance,\u201d Hudson said.<\/p>\n

While Hudson could not reveal specific plans for 2026, she encouraged fans to watch hello82\u2019s social media channels for upcoming announcements.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can never say too much, but follow @hello82NYC and @hello82official to keep up with everything we have planned. Just like our other fan spaces, NYC will soon host a variety of events that help connect artists and fans,\u201d Hudson said.<\/p>\n

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