Busan's Festival Shiwol back and better than ever this September
by Korea JoongAng Daily
Festival Shiwol's Good Night Concert in 2024 held in Busan [FESTIVAL SHIWOL]
Drones, K-pop, a cycling race and a flurry of film stars are set to rizz up the coastal city of Busan this September as the Festival Shiwol returns for its second and expanded edition.
Hosted by the city government, Festival Shiwol is a combination of multiple cultural events and business forums, designed to elevate the city's global profile in both tourism and commerce. It is inspired by the U.S. South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, which blends performances, exhibitions and industry forums to bring cultural figures and entrepreneurs to Austin, Texas.
Busan is looking to replicate the SXSW model by integrating its signature events, such as the Busan International Film Festival and Busan International Architecture Festival, for a more cohesive run and marketing.
This year's edition doubled the duration of the events from eight days last year to 13 days and invited 23 events to participate, compared to last year's 17, under an ambitious target of attracting 3 million tourists this year. Last year, Busan attracted 2.9 million tourists. While last year's festival took place mainly around Haeundae Beach, this year's festival will extend to other neighborhoods across the city, such as the North Port.
The Busan International Rock Festival held in 2024 as part of last year's Festival Shiwol [FESTIVAL SHIWOL]
"Busan holds significance when it comes to cultural tourism contents, having successfully run various cultural events such as G-Star, the Busan International Film Festival, the Busan Fireworks Festival and the Busan International Rock Festival," said Ko Mi-jin, director of Tourism and MICE Industry Division at Busan Metropolitan City.
"By integrating MICE [meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions], Busan has more than enough potential to achieve the objective of becoming a leading city for large-scale global events."
The city expects the festival will boost the city's tourism sector, which has struggled since the Covid-19 pandemic. In October 2024, when last year's edition of the Shiwol Festival took place, the government said it saw a 50 percent surge in foreign tourists and a 26 percent jump in their credit card spending compared to a year before.
Forum is being held at last year's Festival Shiwol [FESTIVAL SHIWOL]
Last year, some 16,000 people visited Shiwol Village, a central venue for the events, with 5,000 all-inclusive tickets sold.
This year, Shiwol brought several new programs to its pool of events.
One highlight is the "Tour of Seven Bridges," a global cycling event using Busan’s iconic bridges, including the 7-kilometer-long Gwangan Bridge. The event will temporarily open the bridges to more than 5,000 cyclists from around the world. The route will feature food stalls, photo zones and a parade path.
Another newcomer to the festival is the global competition of drone light shows. Above the North Port Waterfront Park, a part of the city's massive redevelopment project, a swarm of light-emitting drones will adorn the Busan port sky, representing their home countries.
Beneath the drone-lit sky, K-pop stars will sing their tunes. A new addition to the festival, the Shiwol Concert, will invite K-pop stars and jazz musicians to the outdoor stage to hold a picnic-style concert. The outdoor venue can accommodate up to 28,000 people, according to the city.
The festival will also include the Shiwol Conference, where industry figures from the culture, IT and bio sectors will gather to share ideas and explore collaborative projects.
Festivities at last year's Festival Shiwol [FESTIVAL SHIWOL]
Other fun factors include the Busan Craft Beer Festival, the Busan International Food Conference and the Busan Design Festival.
Considering visitors to last year's festival had difficulty purchasing all-inclusive tickets, this year's Shiwol Festival will outsource ticket sales operations. Separate apps will also be introduced for B2C and B2B participants to enhance user convenience.
This year's Shiwol Festival will run from Sept. 21 to Oct. 3.
Gwangan Bridge where global cycling event will take place as part of this year's Festival Shiwol [FESTIVAL SHIWOL]
Reference Written by JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr] Provided by Korea JoongAng Daily
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