An AI-generated image created by the Gangnam District Office depicts the 2026 Gangnam Festival parade scheduled for Oct. 3 in Dosan-daero area in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.GANG NAM GU
Gangnam District, southern Seoul, is shutting down the road and turning up the volume.
A 10-lane road usually jammed with traffic will be turned over to a huge street parade, concerts and beer for the annual Gangnam Festival. Psy, the "Gangnam Style" (2012) star, will headline the event, which runs over the coming long weekend, Saturday through Monday.
Until last year, the annual festival was held along nearby Yeongdong-daero in the Samseong-dong neighborhood of the district.
But ongoing construction in the area, such as work on the high-speed commuter rail network Great Train eXpress and Hyundai Motor Group’s Global Business Complex headquarters, has pushed the festival to the nearby Dosan-daero area this year.
Now in its 15th year, the Gangnam Festival will feature its first large-scale street parade with local residents participating.
The parade will begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday and run about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from Cheongdam Intersection to Dosan Park Intersection. Residents from Gangnam’s 22 neighborhoods will join the procession in costumes and with props reflecting the characters and themes of each area.
The highlight of the parade will feature appearances of 32 Pikachus.
“We want to steadily develop the parade into an event that can rival the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan,” said Kim Hyun-gi, head of the Gangnam District Office.
A concert is held during 2025 Gangnam Festival in Yeongdong-daero area in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, in October 2025.GANG NAM GU
Once the parade ends, the music will start.
A Family Concert featuring performances by veteran singers such as Nam Jin and Im Chang-jung will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Coed bands Roo’ra and Space A will also perform on stage. Admission is free on a first-come, first-served basis, with no advance reservation required.
A traditional Korean music show marking the launch of the Gangnam Gugak (traditional Korean music) Orchestra will also take place at Maru Park in Irwon-dong that day.
Psy, who put Gangnam District on the global map with his mega hit “Gangnam Style,” will take the stage at a K-pop concert on Dosan-daero on Sunday. Boy band ZeroBaseOne and girl group KiiiKiii will also perform.
Singer Psy, center, performs at his "Summer Swag" concert in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, on July 27.NEWS1
The festivities continue at Bongeun Temple in Gangnam District on Monday with a roughly 120-minute concert.
The Bongeun gugak ensemble will open the show, followed by performances from acts such as acoustic folk rock trio Jatanpung and singer-songwriter Jang Ha-eun.
Admission is free, and the concert will be livestreamed on the YouTube channels of the Gangnam District Office and Bongeun Temple.
Participants run along Bongeunsa-ro for the 21st Gangnam International Peace Marathon in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, on Oct. 3, 2024.YONHAP
The 23rd Gangnam International Peace Marathon will also take place around Bongeunsa-ro on Monday.
The race will draw 10,000 participants and is hosted by the Gangnam District Office and U.S. Eighth Army and organized by the Gangnam Sports Council. Runners can choose between a full marathon, half marathon, 10-kilometer race and 5-kilometer race.
The party won’t stop at the stage.
A global food zone will serve dishes from 10 countries, along with a K-Spicy Zone that offers visitors a chance to cook Buldak spicy instant noodles themselves.
Gangnam-based liquor company Hitejinro will sell beer from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. over the weekend.
Other attractions along Dosan-daero include K-pop dance workshops, a global dance cover challenge, fashion and beauty programs, a beer and food festival and street performances.
Actor Park Sang-won, best known for appearing in the SBS TV Drama “Sandglass” (1995) and the current co-chair of the Gangnam Festival organizing committee, speaks about the festival during a press briefing on Sept. 28 in Seoul.GANG NAM GU
“We hope Gangnam District residents, Seoul citizens and visitors from around the world can enjoy the wide range of culture and festivities on the streets of Gangnam District,” said actor Park Sang-won, best known for appearing in the SBS TV drama series “Sandglass” (1995) and the current co-chair of the Gangnam Festival organizing committee.
To keep the crowds safe, parts of the district will be shut to traffic during the festival.
The stretch between Hakdong Intersection and Dosan Park Intersection will be fully closed until 5 a.m. on Monday.
Six north-side lanes from the southern end of Yeongdong Bridge through Cheongdam Intersection to Hakdong Intersection will be closed on Saturday as well. The six lanes on the south side will carry traffic in both directions.
Buses around the festival site will be rerouted along roads including Apgujeong-ro and Hakdong-ro.
About 2,600 safety and traffic management personnel will be deployed during the festival to handle large crowds and road closures.
“Safety can never be emphasized enough,” Kim said. “We will concentrate safety personnel in areas where crowds could create bottlenecks on sidewalks and passageways so everyone can enjoy the festival with peace of mind.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
