KOREA
Gwangalli Beach with buildings and a bridge at night.

(Photo courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea)

Here is what’s going on around the city this week.

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Music events

2026 11 O’Clock Film Music Concert @ Busan Cinema Center

A late-night outdoor film music concert at Busan Cinema Center, featuring live performances of beloved film scores under the summer sky.

Centum City | Wednesday

2026 Dureraum Saturday Outdoor Concert × Ppangtastic Market @ Busan Cinema Center

An outdoor Saturday concert series paired with a bakery market featuring local artisan breads and baked goods. A relaxed summer afternoon of live music and food.

Centum City | Saturday

BCC Film Music Festival: Silent Film 2026 @ Busan Cinema Center

The Busan Cinema Center’s Film Music Festival presents a special silent film programme with live musical accompaniment — a unique cinematic experience.

Centum City | Wednesday through Sunday

Hyun In Song Festival @ Songdo Beach

The 22nd edition of the popular summer song festival takes place on a special night stage at the beach

Saha-gu | Saturday and Sunday

Live Music Nights @ Ol’55

A relaxed weekend vibe with open-stage performances featuring local musicians and guest acts. Expect an easygoing mix of genres and spontaneous sets every weekend.

Nam-gu | Friday–Saturday, After 7 p.m.

Events

Beach Summer Operations @ City Beaches

All beaches are open for summer operations.

Citywide | Through August 31, Haeundae — September 15

Pokémon Mega Festa @ Citywide

Visitors can enjoy themed photo zones, a stamp rally, limited-edition QR transit tickets, Pokémon-themed subway trains and buses, a pop-up store, drone shows, and a variety of family-friendly activities throughout the festival.

Busan Station, Beomnaegol, Jeonpo, Gwangalli, and Centum City Metro Stations | Through August 9

Pungnyu Garden Special Exhibition @ Busan National Gugak Center

A free summer-long look at Korea’s traditional gugak culture inside the Gugak Experience Hall.

Yeonje-gu | Tuesday–Saturday, through August 29

Heritage of Busan as the Wartime Capital @ Busan Modern and Contemporary History Museum

A free exhibition tracing the city’s pivotal role as Korea’s wartime capital.

Jung-gu | Daily except Mondays, through September 27

Busan International Photo Festival 2026 @ Busan Port International Passenger Terminal

One of Korea’s leading international photography festivals opens this week, showcasing works from Korean and international photographers across the Busan Port terminal’s exhibition spaces. Running through August 18.

Jung-gu | From Tuesday, July 29 | Through August 18

2026 Yeongnam Dance Festival @ Busan National Gugak Center

Korea’s premier traditional dance festival returns to Busan, showcasing the finest performers of Yeongnam-style traditional dance across a two-week run. Opening weekend this week.

Yeonje-gu | Through August 8

Cinematheque Together 2026: Digitized… @ Busan Cinema Center

A special film programme screening newly digitised Korean and international classic films. Running through August 6.

Centum City | Through August 6

48th Session of the World Heritage Committee @ BEXCO

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee’s flagship annual gathering continues at BEXCO with approximately 3,000 delegates from 196 countries. Several public cultural events run alongside the formal sessions.

Haeundae-gu | Through July 29

Pokémon Card Game 2026 Busan Transportation Corporation Battle Tournament @ BEXCO

Some of the best players from around the nation compete in this one-day tournament.

Centum City | Saturday

Illusta Fest @ BEXCO

A comprehensive subculture event created together by everyone interested in illustration.

Centum City | Saturday and Sunday

The Greatest Colorist: Michel-Henry @ Busan Cultural Center

A vivid new exhibition spotlighting the French colorist’s work, with free docent tours running through summer.

Nam-gu | Through October 25

Culture Camping @ Millak Waterside Park

The 2026 Millak Culture Camping offers weekend visitors a mix of relaxation spaces, hands-on activities, and live performances through early October.. Busanjin-gu | Through October 5

Free Movie Screenings @ Busan Cinema Center

Enjoy a free movie screening on select Tuesdays through the beginning of September. Centum City | Through September 1

40 Steps Flea Market @ 40 Steps Culture & Tourism Street

A recurring creative market featuring handmade goods, accessories, and craft items in a historic downtown setting. Nampo-dong | Tuesdays & Thursdays through November, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Gorilla Running Club @ Gorilla Beach

Community coastal run from Haeundae toward Gwangalli, bringing runners together along the seaside route. Haeundae-gu | Monday

Trivia @ HQ

Midweek pub quiz night featuring rotating categories and a lively Gwangalli crowd. Nam-gu | Wednesday, 9 p.m.

Gwangalli M Drone Light Show @ Gwangalli Beach

The drone show returns to its regular schedule. Gwangalli Beach | Saturday, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Dadaepo Dream Sunset Fountain @ Dadaepo Beach

Enjoy the nightly fountain and music shows at one of the city’s unique attractions. Saha-gu | Through September 30

Cultural events

Waves Never Stop Writing on the Sand @ Democracy Park

A youth artist exhibition marking the anniversary of the June Democracy Movement through works exploring democracy, labor, memory, and the environment.

Democracy Park | Through August 2

Lingering Silence @ Johyun Gallery Haeundae

Artist Choi Byung-hoon transforms silence and Korean scholarly traditions into sculptural furniture works.

Johyun Gallery Haeundae | Through August 2

Breath of Threads @ Johyun Gallery Dalmaji

A retrospective of Kim Hong-seok’s experimental use of thread, hanji, and monochrome abstraction.

Johyun Gallery Dalmaji | Through August 2

One Stitch, One Act of Devotion @ Beomeosa Seongbo Museum

A special exhibition celebrating the artistry and spiritual tradition of Korean embroidery.

Beomeosa Seongbo Museum | Through August 2

Lingering Silence @ Johyun Gallery Haeundae

For more than four decades, Choi Byung-hoon has pushed the boundaries between sculpture and furniture design. This exhibition presents recent works from his “Afterimage of Beginning” series, inspired by the spirit and aesthetics of traditional Korean scholar culture.

Johyun Gallery Haeundae | Through August 2

Where Threads Breathe @ Johyun Gallery Dalmaji

A survey of the work of the late Kim Hong-seok, one of Busan’s notable monochrome artists. Using thread, Hanji paper, and ink rather than conventional paint, his works explore space, texture, and the beauty of restraint.

Johyun Gallery Dalmaji, Haeundae | Through August 2

Reverie @ space bv

Kim Choon-ja creates dreamlike forests filled with organic forms, sound, and memory.

space bv | Through August 9

Garden of Pungryu @ National Busan Gugak Center

Visual artist Nanan reimagines flowers and nature found in traditional Korean songs and poetry through intricate paper flower installations. The exhibition blends contemporary art with the beauty of Korean musical heritage.

Gugak Experience Hall, National Busan Gugak Center | Through August 29

Seed Stories @ GoEun Museum of Photography

A photography exhibition tracing themes of origin, growth, and transformation through the lens of seeds as a metaphor for life, memory, and the natural world.

GoEun Museum of Photography | Through August 30

Moon Journey: Busan Moon Jars @ Haeundae Dalmaji Park & Busan Museum

An exhibition celebrating the iconic Korean moon jar — the round, white ceramic vessels of the Joseon Dynasty — displayed across two locations including the scenic hillside setting of Haeundae Dalmaji Park overlooking the sea.

Haeundae Dalmaji Park & Busan Museum | Through August 30

The Black Trilogy @ GoEun Gibson Photo Museum

More than 120 gelatin silver prints from Ralph Gibson’s iconic photographic series.

GoEun Gibson Photo Museum | Through August 30

Beyond the Edge of Vision: Media Art of Lee Lee-nam @ Beomeosa Seongbo Museum

A media-art exhibition blending traditional Korean landscapes with digital technology.

Beomeosa Seongbo Museum | Through August 30

Textile Hands, Women’s Time: ASEAN Textile Traditions @ KF ASEAN Culture House

A survey of textile traditions from 11 Southeast Asian countries.

KF ASEAN Culture House | Through August 30

Awakening @ O Gallery

Park Cheong-yong explores spirituality, reflection, and inner awareness through painting.

O Gallery | Through August 30

Alice Dalton Brown Retrospective: Briefly, and Forever @ Village de Ananti

The first Busan exhibition by renowned American artist Alice Dalton Brown, known as the “Painter of Light and Wind.” The retrospective features approximately 120 paintings and 40 drawings spanning nearly seven decades, highlighting her masterful depictions of sunlight, movement, and everyday landscapes.

Culture Club, Village de Ananti, Gijang | Through September 27

Busan, Maritime Capital 2050: Beyond the Waves to the Future @ Geumgo Art Museum

Created to mark the 150th anniversary of the opening of Busan Port, this exhibition imagines the future of Busan in a world shaped by climate change and rising sea levels. Through contemporary art, visitors are invited to explore floating cities, Arctic shipping routes, and the future of Korea’s leading maritime city.

Geumgo Art Museum, Busan Museum of Modern and Contemporary History | Through September 27

Alice Dalton Brown: For a Moment, Forever @ Village de Ananti

The first Busan retrospective of the acclaimed American painter known for luminous depictions of light and water.

Village de Ananti | Through September 27

2050 Maritime Capital Busan: Beyond the Waves, Toward the Future @ Busan Modern & Contemporary History Museum

An exhibition imagining floating cities, Arctic shipping routes, and Busan’s future as a global maritime hub.

Busan Modern & Contemporary History Museum | Through September 27

Again, the Age of Romance @ Museum One

A contemporary reinterpretation of Romanticism featuring artists from four countries working across multiple media.

Museum One | Through October 11

ART WALK Project @ BNK Busan Bank Headquarters

A rotating exhibition series showcasing emerging and established Busan artists.

BNK Busan Bank Headquarters | Through October 16

Jaesoo’s Sketchbook @ Dong-gu Cultural Platform

A large-scale exhibition by Busan-born illustrator Jaesoo featuring thousands of drawings, comics, and original works.

Dong-gu Cultural Platform | Through October 25

Arte Museum Busan

Immersive media art exhibition themed “CIRCLE,” highlighting the nature and culture of Busan. Yeongdo-gu | Ongoing

Sports events

Lotte vs. Samsung @ Sajik Stadium

The Lions come to Busan for a weekend series.

Dongnae-gu | Friday 6:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 6 p.m.

Busan IPark vs. Seoul @ Gudeok Stadium

The always dangerous Seoul FC head to Busan for a match with the IPark.

Dongnae-gu | Sunday, 7:30 p.m.

2026 Night Race in Busan @ Gwangalli Beach

A spectacular night running event along one of Busan’s most iconic beaches, with the Gwangan Bridge as the backdrop.

Suyeong-gu | Saturday

Korea International Marine Leisure (KIMA) Festival @ Dadaepo Beach

A major marine leisure festival at Dadaepo Beach featuring water sports, marine exhibitions, and coastal activities. Running through August 2.

Saha-gu | Thursday through Sunday

North Port SUP FESTA 2026 @ North Port Waterfront Park

A stand-up paddleboard festival at Busan’s North Port Waterfront Park, featuring SUP races, water activities, and a seaside festival atmosphere. Running through August 9.

Jung-gu | July 31 – August 9

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