The Busan International Rock Festival has been selected as a preliminary global festival by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, marking a new step in its development as an international music event.

The designation is part of a national program aimed at identifying festivals with strong potential to attract global audiences as South Korea works toward its goal of welcoming 30 million international visitors. The program provides focused support to festivals considered capable of growing into world class cultural events.

With the new designation, the Busan International Rock Festival will receive 250 million won in government funding along with consulting and promotional support. Additional assistance will include overseas marketing, tourism product development linked to the festival, and improvements such as multilingual services.

The selection follows the festival’s recent designation as a national cultural tourism festival for 2026 and 2027, further strengthening its position as one of the country’s leading music events.

Busan officials say they aim to develop the festival into a globally recognized event comparable to major international music festivals such as Glastonbury in the United Kingdom and Fuji Rock Festival in Japan.

First launched in 2000, the Busan International Rock Festival is one of Korea’s longest running rock music festivals and regularly features both domestic and international artists.

In 2025, the event hosted 81 bands from six countries, including Suede, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Korean band Jaurim, drawing about 70,000 attendees.

Fleet Chinhae

USAG Daegu