Travel
What’s on in Busan: Aug. 3-9
Haps Magazine Korea
August 2, 2026
(Photo courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea)
Here is what’s going on around the city this week.
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N.Flying Live ‘&CON5: Into REM’ @ BEXCO Auditorium
One of Korea’s most beloved rock bands performs two nights at BEXCO Auditorium.
BEXCO Auditorium, Haeundae-gu | Saturday and Sunday (6:00 p.m. Saturday, 4:00 p.m. Sunday)
Balcony Music Show @ Gwangbokro
The first of the regular Balcony Music Show series — part of the 2026 Byeolbada Busan Night Festa. K-pop, fusion gugak, film OST, and jazz performances from the second floor balcony of the Busan Brand Shop on Gwangbokro, every second and fourth Saturday through December.
Gwangbokro, Jung-gu | Saturday, first edition | Free
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.
Beach Summer Operations @ City Beaches
All beaches are open for summer operations.
Citywide | Through August 31, Haeundae — September 15
Busan International Buddhism Expo 2026 @ BEXCO
A major international expo showcasing Buddhist culture, heritage, and contemporary practice from across Asia. Featuring exhibitions, performances, cultural experiences, and hands-on programs open to the public.
BEXCO, Haeundae-gu | Thursday through Sunday, August 6–9
30th Busan Sea Festival @ Dadaepo Beach
The 30th edition of one of Busan’s most beloved summer festivals returns to Dadaepo Beach with live performances, beach events, and summer activities. Running through August 13.
Dadaepo Beach, Saha-gu | From Friday August 7 – August 13
IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2026 @ BEXCO
The world’s largest gathering of library and information professionals, bringing 3,000+ delegates from 140 countries to BEXCO. Several public cultural events and exhibitions run alongside the formal sessions.
BEXCO, Haeundae-gu | Monday through Thursday, August 10–13
2026 Splash Festival @ ClubD Oasis Spa & Water Park
A week of water-themed entertainment, live performances, and summer activities at ClubD Oasis Spa & Water Park in Haeundae. Running through August 12.
ClubD Oasis Spa & Water Park, Haeundae-gu | Through August 12
Suyeong Fortress Youth Cinema: That Summer of Ours @ Suyeong Fortress
A free outdoor film screening programme running weekdays through August at the historic Suyeong Fortress. Three screenings daily at 10:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. Advance registration required.
Suyeong Fortress, Suyeong-gu | Weekdays through August 31, 10:00 a.m. / 1:30 p.m. / 3:30 p.m. | Free (registration required)
2026 Geumjeong Splash Festival @ Spo 1 Park Geumjeong Sports Park
A free outdoor water festival for children aged 3–12 (ages 3–13 in Korean age), running through August 9. Adult accompaniment required.
Spo 1 Park Geumjeong Sports Park Outdoor Plaza, Geumjeong-gu | Through Sunday August 9, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Free
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. Final days this week.
Busan Cinema Center, Haeundae-gu | Through Sunday August 9
Busan International Photo Festival 2026 @ Busan Port International Passenger Terminal
Korea’s leading international photography festival continues, showcasing works from Korean and international photographers. Running through August 18.
Busan Port International Passenger Terminal, Jung-gu | Through August 18
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
Yeongdo Bridge Night Openings @ Yeongdo Bridge and Yurari Plaza
Busan’s iconic Yeongdo Bridge will host its annual Night Bridge Opening every Saturday from August 1 to August 29, giving visitors a chance to see the historic drawbridge raised after sunset.
Yeongdo-gu | Every 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
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. — Canceled
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
Nuances: Archaeology of the Present @ Alliance Française Busan Art Space
A debut group exhibition from Nuances, a multidisciplinary collective of French-speaking artists living in South Korea. Through photography, drawing, film, installation, music, and performance, the show explores Korea’s rapidly changing society as if uncovering an archaeological site — revealing layers of history, tradition, and modern life. Presented as part of the 140th anniversary of French-Korean diplomatic relations.
Alliance Française Busan Art Space, GoEun Museum of Photography, Haeundae-gu | August 6–30 | Free
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
Lotte vs. Kiwoon @ Sajik Stadium
Kiwoom comes to Busan for a weekday series.
Dongnae-gu | Tuesday through Thursday 6:30 p.m.
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 | Through August 9