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A Spectacular Fireworks Extravaganza to Light Up Busan's Night Sky: The 21st Busan Fireworks Festival

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Chun Jae-soo) announced that the 21st Busan Fireworks Festival will take place from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on November 7 in the areas surrounding Gwangalli Beach, Igidae, and Dongbaekseom Island.

Now in its 21st year, the Busan Fireworks Festival is one of the city's signature tourism festivals, set against the backdrop of Gwangandaegyo Bridge and Busan's coastline. This year's festival will feature multidimensional fireworks displays staged across three locations—Gwangalli, Igidae, and Dongbaekseom Island (3 Points)—along with distinctive performances showcasing Busan's unique character.

The main event will begin with the International Guest Fireworks Show by China's SUNNY (7:00–7:15 p.m.), followed by the Busan Multimedia Fireworks Show presented by Hanwha Corporation (7:25–7:55 p.m.) and the Curtain Call Fireworks (7:55–8:00 p.m.), a special display expressing gratitude to citizens and on-site personnel.

The Busan Multimedia Fireworks Show, themed "Busan's Dream," will consist of three acts: Act 1, "Excitement"; Act 2, "Boldness"; and Act 3, "Jubilation." The show will offer an even more spectacular visual experience by combining Busan's signature fireworks effects, including massive 25-inch fireworks, Niagara Falls-style fireworks, and wave fireworks, with multimedia lighting on Gwangandaegyo Bridge.

A wide range of pre-festival activities will also be held for residents and visitors to enjoy before the main event.

Daytime programs will include an aerial performance by the Republic of Korea Air Force's Black Eagles aerobatic team (4:00–4:10 p.m.), a beachside Book-nic event combining reading and picnicking, chalk art and scratch art activities, and busking performances by local indie bands from Busan.

Starting at 6:00 p.m., the Fireworks Prologue will feature stories and song requests submitted in advance by citizens. Three preview fireworks displays and messages from citizens projected onto Gwangandaegyo Bridge will build excitement ahead of the festival. At 6:50 p.m., a touch-button ceremony and countdown featuring special guests—including a ship captain who led a trial voyage along the Arctic shipping route, an Asian Games sailing gold medalist, and the first international visitor to purchase a festival ticket—will mark the start of the main event.

Busan Metropolitan City will provide approximately 17,000 paid seats while stepping up efforts to attract international tourists and expand opportunities for local residents to attend the festival.

Approximately 3,000 additional seats compared with last year will be allocated entirely to tourism packages for international visitors. The city will diversify sales channels through overseas travel agencies and global online travel agencies (OTAs), while expanding tourism packages linked to attractions in Busan. These initiatives are intended to strengthen the festival's appeal as a tourism product and stimulate the local economy.

For the first time this year, Busan residents will receive a 10% discount on paid seating in the R and S sections. The number of seats available through the Youth Culture Pass program will also be doubled compared with last year.

In addition, 1,300 complimentary seats will be reserved for culturally underserved groups and individuals who have contributed to the local community. In cooperation with the Republic of Korea Navy Operations Command, the city has also arranged a special opportunity for families with multiple children to watch the fireworks from the sea aboard an LS-II-class naval vessel.

To prepare for large crowds, Busan Metropolitan City will deploy approximately 7,000 safety personnel and designate 42 priority management areas as part of a joint safety management system involving relevant agencies.

Public officials, police officers, firefighters, personnel from the transportation and infrastructure corporations, and volunteers will be stationed throughout the festival grounds. A joint interagency command center will monitor conditions and respond in real time to issues involving crowd density, traffic, maritime safety, and other operational areas.

The 42 priority management areas will comprise seven zones at Gwangalli Beach, nine locations considered hazardous for spectators, six urban railway stations, 16 major access routes, and four other locations, including restrooms. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) will be used to monitor crowd density in real time, while phased capacity controls will be implemented along the beach and beachfront roads.

The number of LED-equipped vehicles displaying crowd congestion information will increase from 11 last year to 12 this year. Eight emergency medical stations, 32 ambulances, and four emergency access routes will also be secured. Before the event, a joint safety inspection led by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will be conducted with relevant agencies to assess the implementation of safety measures across all operational areas.

To enhance visitor safety and convenience, the city will also provide real-time crowd congestion information through KakaoMap, along with a friend-finding service that allows visitors to locate members of their group, information on convenience facilities such as restrooms, and key festival updates.

To facilitate event preparations and ensure spectator safety, Busan Metropolitan City will begin restricting traffic on certain sections of Gwangandaegyo Bridge today (November 2). Road closures will be expanded in stages on November 7, the day of the festival, to include Gwangandaegyo Bridge and roads surrounding the event venues.

Beginning at 8:00 p.m. today (November 2), certain lanes on the upper deck of Gwangandaegyo Bridge will be restricted to allow for the installation and removal of structures, lighting equipment, and fireworks facilities. Partial restrictions on the lower deck will begin on November 4.

On November 7, the upper deck of Gwangandaegyo Bridge will be completely closed from 3:30 p.m. until midnight, while the lower deck will be completely closed from 6:30 p.m. until midnight. However, the closure periods may be shortened if the removal of event facilities is completed ahead of schedule.

Road closures around Gwangalli Beach will begin at 10:00 a.m. on the section of Gwangalli Beach Road between Eonyang Intersection and Meeting Plaza. Starting at 4:00 p.m., restrictions will expand to additional beachfront roads and the Marine City area. From 5:00 p.m., closures will be extended to Gwangnam-ro and Millak Waterfront Road, among other locations. Traffic restrictions will be adjusted flexibly according to conditions on-site.

Following the festival, the city will guide spectators toward major exit routes to encourage staggered departures and reduce congestion. Special public transportation measures, including additional urban railway services and increased city bus frequency, will also be implemented to help visitors return home safely.

Further details about the festival are available on the official Busan Fireworks Festival website at https://busanfireworks.com.

For residents and tourists unable to attend in person, the city also plans to provide live online coverage through its official YouTube channel, BusanTube, as well as Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) Busan and Korea New Network (KNN).

Mayor Chun Jae-soo stated, "We will work closely with relevant agencies and take every possible precaution to ensure safety from the preparation stage through the conclusion of the event, allowing both residents and visitors from Korea and abroad to enjoy the festival with peace of mind. Building on these efforts, we will do our utmost to help the Busan Fireworks Festival shine even brighter as a world-class festival."