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Mayor Park Heong-joon: “Busan’s Rock, Now Taking the Global Stage”… Busan International Rock Festival Selected as Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s “Preliminary Global Festival”

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that the Busan International Rock Festival has been finally selected today (March 12) as a “Preliminary Global Festival” in the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Global Festival Development Project competition.

This competition is a program through which the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism selects festivals with global potential from among culture and tourism festivals across the country and provides focused support in order to usher in an era of 30 million inbound visitors to Korea.

To strengthen the distinctiveness of the Busan International Rock Festival, Busan Metropolitan City expanded networks with overseas festival organizers and proactively implemented customized online and offline promotional strategies targeting international audiences, making every effort to meet the evaluation criteria.

Following its designation in January as a new “2026–2027 Culture and Tourism Festival” by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Busan International Rock Festival has now also been selected as a “Preliminary Global Festival,” securing a key driving force for its growth into a global music festival.

With this selection, the Busan International Rock Festival will receive 250 million KRW in national funding, along with expert consulting and customized support.

In addition, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will provide comprehensive support to improve festival readiness, including overseas local promotion and marketing, development of global tourism products, and multilingual services utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

As continued national funding will be determined each year based on performance evaluations, Busan Metropolitan City plans to firmly establish its status on the path toward becoming a global festival by implementing well-structured and substantive initiatives.

Busan Metropolitan City aims to develop the Busan International Rock Festival into a world-class music festival standing alongside the United Kingdom’s Glastonbury and Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival.

To achieve this, the city is exploring various strategies, including strengthening the global lineup, developing customized content for international audiences, and operating the festival with environmentally friendly practices.

Meanwhile, the Busan International Rock Festival, the longest-running rock festival in Korea, has presented a new model for urban music festivals by bringing together top artists from Korea and abroad each year.

In particular, by combining Busan’s dynamic urban image with the festival, it has expanded the influx of domestic and international visitors and greatly contributed to revitalizing the local economy and enhancing the brand value of “Busan, a City of Music.”

Last year (2025), a large number of world-class artists took the stage. A total of 81 teams participated, including the British band Suede, the American rock legend The Smashing Pumpkins, and Korea’s leading band Jaurim known for their powerful performances, drawing an audience of 70,000 visitors.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “This selection as a Preliminary Global Festival is the result of the Busan International Rock Festival’s unrivaled content capabilities combined with Busan’s dynamic energy.” He added, “We will spare no support so that the Busan International Rock Festival can grow beyond Korea to become a global K-content hub that excites music fans around the world.”