부산시보

Are you ready to rock?

The 20th Busan International Rock Festival, the oldest festival of its kind in Korea, will be held on July 27 and 28 in Sasang-gu's (district) Samnak Ecological Park. With the 20th edition of the event in store, it's only natural that the festival wants to do something special. So, in order to draw bigger names to the stage, this year's festivities will require patrons to take out their wallets and pay fees for day passes.

While the festival is no longer free, the idea is that those in attendance will get what they pay for. This year, 28 bands and artists from nine countries will participate. The festival will be headlined by the Chemical Brothers, a world-famous English electronic duo. The Chemical Brothers have sold more than 12 million albums worldwide and continue to participate in or headline famous festivals around the globe. The band is a winner of five Grammy Awards and they will bring four tons of their own stage equipment for their usual eye-popping spectacles of colorful lights, projections, lasers and other special effects.

Australian rocker Courtney Barnett will also make her way to the main stage. Barnett has emerged as a global artist since the release of her critically-acclaimed debut album "Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit" in 2015. She released her latest effort, "Tell Me How You Really Feel," last year, which gained positive critical reviews. 

The Chemical Brothers and Courtney Barnett are both quite different musically, and variety is a big part of what makes any rock festival fun. In addition to the groups already mentioned, Greek black metal outfit Nightrage will scream their way onto the stage, bringing their own flavor to a well-established genre. Bands from around Asia will also come to town, including Solidal, one of China's most notable acts, and Mocking Bullet from Hong Kong. Japan's White Cats and Thailand's Paper Planes will also be taking the microphone in hand. 

Of course, numerous Korean bands will get the audience screaming. Jannabi is set to participate, as is Groove Overdose (stylized and pronounced "g.o.d"). The event also invited a duo and former winner of TV series "K-pop Star" Akdong Musician, Korean indie rock bands Nell and Romantic Punch and Baek Yerin, who stays busy by maintaining a solo career while also being a member of 15& and JYP Nation. 

The Busan International Rock Festival uses sounds, lighting, water and anything else it can think of to wow its audience.

● Day Pass: 66,000 won; Two-Day Pass: 88,000 won 

● Reservation: tkglobal.melon.com, ticket.yes24.com, ticket.hanatour.com

● How to get there: Sasang Station (Metro line 2) exit 3. Pass through the tree-lined street and cross the Riverside Bridge. Go straight for 15 minutes. 

● Information: busanrockfestival.com