Busan Int'l Rock Festival goes big with 99-act lineup
A poster for the Busan International Rock Festival / Courtesy of Busan Metropolitan City
The Busan International Rock Festival will bring 99 musical acts to Samnak Ecological Park this October, backing a massive lineup with international travel packages, late-night stages and regional transit links to attract fans from overseas.
The festival, scheduled for Oct. 2-4, will feature British rock band The Libertines as its final headliner, alongside Korean artists including Jang Beom-jun, Broccoli, You Too, N.Flying, Kwon Jin-ah, Say Sue Me and Lucy.
Japanese artists Aina the End and Hanabie also join previously announced performers including Avenged Sevenfold, Megadeth, Songgolmae, Jannabi, Creepy Nuts, Suchmos, Hanroro and WOODZ.
Busan said it is expanding overseas ticket sales through global travel platforms including Klook, KKday and Trip.com, with packages combining festival admission and local tourism products.
Round-trip shuttle buses will connect Gimhae International Airport and Busan Station with the festival grounds, while guides will assist international visitors.
Foreign visitors can also purchase packages combining festival tickets with round-trip transportation between the Seoul metropolitan area and the festival through Kakao Mobility’s foreigner-focused k.ride platform.
KakaoMap will provide information on festival facilities and nearby restaurants in Sasang District, with participating businesses offering discounts and other benefits to festivalgoers.
After performances end, visitors will be encouraged to stay nearby through Bu-long Night, a late-night program at Sasang Indie Station organized with the Busan Cultural Foundation.
The festival will also host “Rookies on the BU-ROCK,” a competition for emerging artists at its Hidden Stage, which will be free to attend without a festival ticket.
The competition will offer total prize money of 15 million won ($11,000), with the top three acts receiving opportunities to perform at the 2027 festival and the top two receiving opportunities for overseas performances.
Na Yoon-bin, Busan’s tourism and MICE bureau chief, said organizers were working to make this year’s festival more accessible to international visitors while connecting music with tourism and local businesses.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.