As autumn settles over Korea’s southern port city, Festival Shiwol is set to turn Busan into a vibrant stage for creativity and culture, with events spanning drone competitions, live concerts, film screenings, gourmet dining on a bridge and even a cycling tour.
Running from Sunday through Oct. 3, the festival acts as Busan’s integrated exhibition-and-convention project, bringing together the city’s diverse cultural events under one banner. Now in its second year, Festival Shiwol highlights Busan’s growing ambition to establish itself as a global cultural hub.
A still from director Park Chan-wook's film ″No Other Choice,″ the opener of the Busan International Film Festival on Sept. 17 [BIFF]
Expanded Scale and Reach This year’s edition has expanded to 26 festivals across 10 sectors — including film, music, food, culture, technology and business — along with four new additions: leisure, local, insight and networking. Last year’s inaugural edition featured 17 festivals across six sectors. The program has also been extended to 13 days, five days longer than last year.
Unlike its debut, which was concentrated mainly in Haeundae District, this year’s celebrations will be spread throughout the city, ensuring a wider Busan experience.
Gwangan Bridge as a Festival Stage Opening day on Sunday will spotlight Gwangan Bridge, one of Busan’s most recognizable landmarks, which will temporarily open to the public. Two new programs will debut there: the “2025 Seven Bridges Tour” cycling event and the “Brunch on the Bridge” gourmet experience.
The cycling tour begins at 7 a.m., with participants from around the world riding either a 77-kilometer or 33-kilometer course across Busan’s bridges. Before the start, a 10-minute drone parade will light up the sky above the bridge at 6:50 a.m.
At 10 a.m., Michelin Guide–listed restaurant Le Dorer will serve a special brunch on the bridge, offering diners a unique meal against the city’s coastal backdrop.
New Drone Festival and Jazz Concerts Among this year’s new highlights is the Busan World Drone Festival, a two-day competition held at North Port Waterfront Park. On Saturday, the eve of the official opening, 2,000 LED drones will illuminate the night sky at 10 p.m. The main contest follows on Sunday at 9 p.m., with teams from the United States, China and Vietnam competing to create the most dazzling aerial light shows.
The drone festival will be staged alongside Busan Jazz Festa, which brings a picnic-style music experience to the same waterfront venue on Saturday and Sunday. The lineup includes Sunwoojunga, SHINee’s Onew, Daybreak, Italian duo Pasquale Stafano & Gianni Iorio and Argentine pianist-composer Pablo Ziegler. Tickets range from 99,000 won ($71) to 150,000 won via NOL InterPark, with an additional 10,000 won fee for pets.
What Else to Expect Festival Shiwol also incorporates several of Busan’s major cultural events:
Busan International Film Festival (Sept. 17–26, Haeundae) Busan International Rock Festival (Sept. 26–28, Samnak Ecological Park) Busan Craft Beer Master Challenge (Sept. 14–24, BEXCO outdoor plaza), offering local craft beer tastings Busan Global Webtoon Festival (Sept. 25–28, Busan Cultural Content Complex) By combining these diverse programs under one umbrella, Festival Shiwol underscores Busan’s ambition to become more than a festival city — positioning itself as a global cultural destination.
As autumn settles over Korea’s southern port city, Festival Shiwol is set to turn Busan into a vibrant stage for creativity and culture, with events spanning drone competitions, live concerts, film screenings, gourmet dining on a bridge and even a cycling tour.
Running from Sunday through Oct. 3, the festival acts as Busan’s integrated exhibition-and-convention project, bringing together the city’s diverse cultural events under one banner. Now in its second year, Festival Shiwol highlights Busan’s growing ambition to establish itself as a global cultural hub.
A still from director Park Chan-wook's film ″No Other Choice,″ the opener of the Busan International Film Festival on Sept. 17 [BIFF]
Expanded Scale and Reach This year’s edition has expanded to 26 festivals across 10 sectors — including film, music, food, culture, technology and business — along with four new additions: leisure, local, insight and networking. Last year’s inaugural edition featured 17 festivals across six sectors. The program has also been extended to 13 days, five days longer than last year.
Unlike its debut, which was concentrated mainly in Haeundae District, this year’s celebrations will be spread throughout the city, ensuring a wider Busan experience.
Gwangan Bridge as a Festival Stage Opening day on Sunday will spotlight Gwangan Bridge, one of Busan’s most recognizable landmarks, which will temporarily open to the public. Two new programs will debut there: the “2025 Seven Bridges Tour” cycling event and the “Brunch on the Bridge” gourmet experience.
The cycling tour begins at 7 a.m., with participants from around the world riding either a 77-kilometer or 33-kilometer course across Busan’s bridges. Before the start, a 10-minute drone parade will light up the sky above the bridge at 6:50 a.m.
At 10 a.m., Michelin Guide–listed restaurant Le Dorer will serve a special brunch on the bridge, offering diners a unique meal against the city’s coastal backdrop.
New Drone Festival and Jazz Concerts Among this year’s new highlights is the Busan World Drone Festival, a two-day competition held at North Port Waterfront Park. On Saturday, the eve of the official opening, 2,000 LED drones will illuminate the night sky at 10 p.m. The main contest follows on Sunday at 9 p.m., with teams from the United States, China and Vietnam competing to create the most dazzling aerial light shows.
The drone festival will be staged alongside Busan Jazz Festa, which brings a picnic-style music experience to the same waterfront venue on Saturday and Sunday. The lineup includes Sunwoojunga, SHINee’s Onew, Daybreak, Italian duo Pasquale Stafano & Gianni Iorio and Argentine pianist-composer Pablo Ziegler. Tickets range from 99,000 won ($71) to 150,000 won via NOL InterPark, with an additional 10,000 won fee for pets.
What Else to Expect Festival Shiwol also incorporates several of Busan’s major cultural events:
Busan International Film Festival (Sept. 17–26, Haeundae) Busan International Rock Festival (Sept. 26–28, Samnak Ecological Park) Busan Craft Beer Master Challenge (Sept. 14–24, BEXCO outdoor plaza), offering local craft beer tastings Busan Global Webtoon Festival (Sept. 25–28, Busan Cultural Content Complex) By combining these diverse programs under one umbrella, Festival Shiwol underscores Busan’s ambition to become more than a festival city — positioning itself as a global cultural destination.
