Busan's Gwangalli drone show partners with Pokémon, BTS and Spider-Man for free
Through the collaboration, companies can publicize their events without spending on advertising, and the district can secure globally recognizable content as show material without paying licensing fees.
Drones form the shape of a Pokémon during the Gwangalli M Drone Light Show at Gwangalli Beach in Suyeong District, Busan, on July 25.YONHAP
BUSAN — Busan’s Suyeong District has found a way to collaborate with Pokémon, Spider-Man and BTS for its weekly beach drone shows without paying a single won in licensing fees.
Suyeong District said on Sunday that this year’s Gwangalli M Drone Light Show, which takes place every Saturday evening, has collaborated multiple times with global intellectual property (IP) holders and distributors, including Sony Pictures Korea and Pokémon Korea. The district is now looking to expand such partnerships to draw more tourists to the show and help the local economy.
Notable past collaborations include “Pokémon’s Laid-Back Vacation in Gwangalli” (translated) in July, with 52,050 spectators; “BTS The City Arirang Busan” in June, with 34,464; and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day at Gwangalli” in May, with 46,635. A show themed around Pororo, an animated penguin children’s character, drew 28,845 visitors last November.
All these performances came about at the respective IP companies’ proposal.
During the shows, thousands of drones form the shape of characters — or, in BTS’s case, the members — above Gwangalli Beach, with the district and each IP company jointly deciding which characters and scenes to depict.
Suyeong District and the companies do not exchange any money. Instead, the shows allow the private companies to publicize new or upcoming events to Gwangalli Beach’s visitors without spending on advertising; meanwhile, the district can secure globally recognizable content as show material without paying licensing fees. A successful night can benefit nearby businesses as well.
The district believes that improving the shows’ production quality and safety management has boosted the weekly event’s profile and led to proposals from global IP companies.
Drones form the faces of BTS’s seven members during a special drone show at Gwangalli Beach in Suyeong District, Busan, on June 12.YONHAP
The Gwangalli drone show, which launched in April 2022 as the country’s first regularly scheduled drone show run by a local government, did not have a smooth start. Drones repeatedly malfunctioned or crashed, and the incidents at times injured spectators.
Suyeong District subsequently relocated the drone takeoff and landing sites farther from visitors. It also changed its operating procedures — so malfunctioning drones drop directly into the water instead of returning to their takeoff point — and added safety fences and security personnel. The shows have since become a signature event and big draw for tourists to the region and expanded from an initial 300 drones to 1,100.
People watch the Gwangalli M Drone Light Show at Gwangalli Beach in Suyeong District, Busan, on July 25.YONHAP
According to Suyeong District’s own analysis, based on a 2023 survey of 450 visitors to the show, the event also had a positive impact on nearby businesses. An analysis of spectators’ reasons for visiting and their spending over 38 weeks estimated that spending by those who came to Gwangalli Beach specifically to watch the drone show could generate an annual economic impact of up to 25.8 billion won ($19.2 million). Running the drone show costs 2 billion won annually, split evenly between the city and district governments.
“Collaborating with global IP is an opportunity to boost both the show’s competitiveness and its online reach,” a Suyeong District official said. “As collaborations and other special performances continue, we will also strengthen safety management on site, including reinforcing security personnel and closely managing the flow of spectators.”
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.
