Busan is good

The Autumn Breeze Crafted by Busan… “Festival Shiwol” to Be Held Across the City from September 21 to October 3

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will host “Festival Shiwol,” a celebration of 26 festivals filled with the diverse charms of Busan, under the theme of “Autumn Breeze” from September 21 to October 3 across the entire city.

Festival Shiwol, launched in 2024, is a special autumn urban tourism campaign that brings together Busan’s arts, performances, festivals, startups, and international conferences. Now in its second year, the festival aims to promote Busan by uniting its representative autumn events under the integrated brand “Busan Tourism.” The number of participating events has expanded from 17 in six categories last year to 26 in ten categories this year.

Hosted by the city and organized by the Busan Tourism Organization, the festival will be held under the slogan “Autumn Breeze (Shiwol Geumpung).” The city will be filled with rich programs that transcend genres, including poetry, music, film, art, and gastronomy.

This year in particular, special experience programs unique to Festival Shiwol will be introduced on the opening day (September 21) to showcase Busan’s distinctive appeal to the world.

• ●At 7 a.m., the “Seven Bridge Tour,” a cycling competition utilizing Busan’s iconic sea bridges, will be held for the first time.

• ●From 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., the unique gastronomic event “Festival Shiwol Brunch on the Bridge” will take place on the deck of Gwangandaegyo Bridge, offering a one-of-a-kind brunch experience to 1,000 domestic and international visitors.

At 8:30 p.m., the “North Port World Drone Festival & Busan Jazz Festa” will be staged at North Port Waterfront Park, featuring mesmerizing jazz performances alongside a drone light show competition with top-tier teams from the United States, Japan, and China.

During the festival, BEXCO will also host a range of exhibitions and conferences, including:

• ●Asia Startup Expo “FLY ASIA 2025”

• ●The Busan International Food Expo and Craft Beer Masters Challenge for citizens and tourists

• ●“Shiwol Insight,” a program dedicated to exchanging ideas and knowledge to explore solutions for urban issues

[Exhibition Hall 1] “FLY ASIA 2025” will be held from September 22 to 23, with a record number of participants (20,000 people from 14 countries). This will be followed by the Busan International Food Expo from September 26 to 28, showcasing Busan’s culinary delights.

[Outdoor Plaza] The “Busan Craft Beer Masters Challenge” will run daily from September 20 to 24, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., offering the best craft beer selections for tourists and citizens.

[Conference Hall] Under the unified brand “Shiwol Insight,” a variety of conferences and forums will be held to tackle urban challenges, including:

• ●Hankyoreh Symposium (Sept. 22–23)

• ●Data Week 2025 (Sept. 22–23)

• ●City Brand Forum (Sept. 24–25)

• ●Busan R&D Week (Sept. 25–26)

• ●AI+X Conference (Sept. 29–30)

In addition, a variety of performance programs will attract visitors, such as the “Busan International Performing Arts Market” and the “Busan International Rock Festival.”

The “Busan International Performing Arts Market” will take place from September 24 to 28 under the slogan “A New Wave of Performing Arts,” presenting more than 100 performances from 15 countries with the participation of 600 artists. Performances will be held at venues including the Busan Cultural Center, Busan Eurasia Platform, Busan Citizens’ Hall, Haeundae Cultural Center, Kyungsung University, Haeundae Beach, and KT&G Sangsangmadang.

The longest-running international rock music festival in Korea, the “Busan International Rock Festival,” will be held from September 26 to 28 at Samnak Ecological Park. The lineup will include renowned acts such as the legendary American alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. During the same period, the “Nakdong River Gupo Ferry Festival,” hosted by Buk-gu District, will also be held at Hwamyeong Ecological Park.

To further encourage collaboration and business opportunities among content professionals, the “Shiwol Lounge” will expand from one location last year to three this year:

• ●BEXCO Outdoor Plaza (Sept. 20–24)

• ●Busan International Rock Festival (Sept. 26–28)

• ●The Bay 101 (Sept. 24–27)

These lounges will provide spaces for networking among festival participants, free beverages for Festival Shiwol registrants and Visit Busan Pass holders, and support for various exchange events.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “With competition among domestic and international cities to attract tourists growing fiercer, Busan needs a concentrated appeal and a differentiated brand. When the entire city becomes a stage, as with Festival Shiwol, the city’s tourism competitiveness increases.”

He further added, “This year, Busan surpassed 2 million foreign tourists in the shortest time since records began in 2014, showcasing its status as a global tourism city. Festival Shiwol is expected to serve as the catalyst for ushering in the era of 3 million foreign tourists for the first time in history.”