Car-free Jamsu Bridge festival draws 1.17 million visitors in two months

The 2026 Car-Free Jamsu Bridge Walking Festival wrapped up its first-half run with about 1.17 million cumulative visitors — an average of 146,000 per showing — after taking place every Sunday along Jamsu Bridge from April 26 through June 14. That marks a roughly 13 percent increase from the 1.03 million visitors recorded during the same period last year.

A satisfaction survey of 2,943 participants conducted during the festival found that 96.8 percent said they were generally satisfied with the event, and an equal share — 96.8 percent — said they intended to return. Notably, 26.9 percent of respondents reported having visited the festival at least twice.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government attributed the high satisfaction and return-visit rates to the unique experience of walking freely on a road cleared of traffic while enjoying the Han River, as well as a fresh lineup of special programs offered each week.

Participatory programs organized by the city included "Easy Morning," "Walking Parade," "Jamsu Bridge Spring Sports Day," "Seoul Plage Vacances" and "Sunset Yoga — Namaste, Han River," offering something for visitors of all ages.

Spectator-oriented programs also drew strong crowds — among them "Rainbow Live Stage: Spring," "Romantic Han River Guitar Flash Mob" and "Jamsu Bridge Summer Cinema."

Street artists from across Seoul performed regularly in a series called "Live in Every Corner," while a silent disco party was held four times during the festival period, adding to the overall atmosphere.

Food and shopping vendors — "Moonlight Restaurant" (food trucks), "Moonlight Shop" (handcrafted goods) and "Seoro Market" (a direct-sale farmers market) — together recorded combined sales of 1 billion won (about $656,000) over the course of the festival.

The 2026 Car-Free Jamsu Bridge Walking Festival is set to return for its second-half schedule every Sunday from Sept. 6 through Oct. 25.

"We will pay close attention to every detail so that citizens can enjoy the festival even more safely and joyfully in September and October," said Park Jin-young, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Future Han River Bureau. "We look forward to your continued interest and participation in the Car-Free Jamsu Bridge Walking Festival, which will be back in autumn with new things to enjoy."