Seoul is seeking the next generation of drummers who will captivate the world at “The Drummer,” a signature contest of the 27th Seoul Drum Festival.

Applications will be accepted from March 17 through April 11.

This year’s Seoul Drum Festival will take place at Nodeul Island from May 10 to May 11, under the theme “TOUCH MY SOUL.”

The event will feature performances by domestic and international musicians, a citizen-led parade, upcycling instrument workshops, and more.

Launched in 2017, “The Drummer” has grown into a premier drum competition in Korea, with three categories: Youth, General, and Percussion.

After a video-based preliminary round, finalists will be invited to an in-person audition on April 26 at the Nodeul Island Live House, where judges will determine the ultimate winners.

A panel of five experts will select roughly twice as many finalists as there are awards, and final scores will be calculated by combining an 80% jury evaluation and a 20% audience vote. Winners will be honored on May 10 during the festival’s opening ceremony.

Funk, rock, and disco competition tracks have been composed by the renowned Jeon Yong-jun, who is famous for writing Zion.T’s “Yanghwa Bridge” and BigBang’s “Last Dance.”

Jeon will also serve as a preliminary judge. Drum contestants should submit a combined three-minute video featuring the required piece (1.5 minutes) and a freestyle selection (1.5 minutes). Percussion entrants should submit a video of up to three minutes of freestyle performance.

A total of 13 participants across all divisions will receive the Seoul Mayor’s Award, including one grand prize winner each in the Youth and General categories. The top performers in the Percussion division will also be named “Best Players,” and these winners will have the chance to perform on the “2025 Rising Star” stage during the festival. Additionally, from May 1 to May 8, a special popularity award—sponsored by Yamaha Music Korea—will go to the contestant who garners the most “likes” on the festival’s official YouTube channel.

In line with its focus on citizen engagement, this year’s festival is recruiting participants for the “Seoul March 25” parade, offering the chance to learn a variety of percussion instruments and perform in the festival parade.

The festival is also seeking volunteers for “DrumFan,” a promotional and archival group tasked with running social media channels and documenting the event. Applications for DrumFan will be open on the festival website until March 23 (Sun), and volunteers will serve from April to May.

Further information on “The Drummer” competition and the 27th Seoul Drum Festival can be found on the official festival website at www.seouldrumfestival.com.

USAG Yongsan