Busan cranks up the volume with eclectic K-music and rock fest
K-music will take over the southern city of Busan starting Thursday, with two major music festivals set to take place this week: the K-Music Season Good Night Concert and the Busan International Rock Festival.
The K-Music Season Good Night Concert, hosted by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA), will be held over three days at Haeundae Beach across three different genres — K-pop, ballad and trot — starting Thursday.
The concert lineups boast a wide range of genres. The first day will feature K-pop groups NCT Wish, xikers, tripleS, UNIS, POW and NouerA. The second day will continue with NCT member Doyoung, Ha Hyun-sang, Band Nah, Hynn and Catch the Young. The final day will dazzle with trot singers Jang Yoon-jung, Kim Hee-jae, Park Ji-hyeon and Hwang Yun-sung.
Tickets for the K-Music Season Good Night concert are priced at 5,000 won ($3.80) per night, much cheaper than typical K-music concerts.
The 25th Busan International Rock Festival will kick off at the Samnak Ecological Park in Sasang District on Friday and will run through Sunday.
The annual rock festival, Korea's longest-running open-air rock concert hosted by the Busan metropolitan government, will feature performances from both local and international artists, as well as hands-on events, an F&B zone and a camping zone.
The first day is headlined by British rock band Kasabian, along with Glen Check, Silica Gel, Starsailor and Lee Seungyoon. Other notable acts include N.Flying, Yesung of Super Junior and Hathaw9y.
The second day features pop singer Anne-Marie, known for her hit “2002” (2018), as well as Guckkasten, pyair, Jannabi and Frederic. The lineup also includes K-pop acts like CNBlue and Monsta X’s I.M.
The final day will be led by Japanese rock band Ellegarden and K-pop bands AKMU, FT Island and Riize. Additional performances will include HYDE, No Brain, Kwon Jinah, Peppertones and The Cross.
Shuttle buses will be available for transit to and from Seoul, Suwon, Seongnam, Incheon, Daejeon, Daegu, Ulsan and Gwangju.
The two festivals are part of Busan Metropolitan City's inaugural integrated exhibition and convention project, Festival Shiwol. The festival officially began its eight-day run on Tuesday, featuring 17 international events spanning six sectors: music, film, culture, food, business and technology, running through Oct. 8.
Visitors can purchase discounted tickets for certain events through package deals.
A ticket package including the Busan International Film Festival outdoor screening, the Busan International Performing Arts Market and the K-Music Season concert costs 60,000 won, a 25 percent discount from separate ticket purchases. A package that includes the Busan International Performing Arts Market, Busan International Rock Festival, K-Music Season and CLUBD Oasis spa and water park costs 160,000 won, 42 percent cheaper than buying tickets separately.
BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]