Gyeongsan holds first festival committee meeting for 2026 Gatbawi Wish-Fulfillment Festival

Gyeongsan City in North Gyeongsang Province held its first festival planning committee meeting of 2026 on Wednesday, reviewing a draft action plan for the 2026 Gyeongsan Gatbawi Wish-Fulfillment Festival.

About 20 people attended the meeting at the city hall annex conference room, including committee members, staff from the city's culture and tourism division, and the festival tourism team of the Gyeongsan Culture and Tourism Foundation.

The 2026 Gyeongsan Gatbawi Wish-Fulfillment Festival is scheduled to run for two days, from Sept. 19 to Sept. 20, at the area around Gatbawi Public Parking Lot No. 3.

Organized and hosted by the Gyeongsan Culture and Tourism Foundation, the festival will center on "wish fulfillment" — the defining image of Gatbawi — and feature a range of programs linking the region's cultural and tourism resources.

The committee focused its discussions on broad strategies to strengthen the festival, including developing differentiated content that draws on Gatbawi's symbolic association with wish fulfillment and its distinctive cultural and tourism assets, expanding participation among residents and tourists, building ties with local businesses, and improving visitor convenience and safety management.

Participants also stressed that, as the festival marks its 25th edition this year, organizers should build on its accumulated history and symbolism to sharpen the event's identity and continue developing differentiated content that raises visitor satisfaction and encourages longer stays.

Gyeongsan City plans to incorporate the committee's feedback into the festival action plan and work closely with the Gyeongsan Culture and Tourism Foundation to deliver a well-rounded event where both residents and tourists can participate safely and enjoyably.

"Through this committee meeting, we shared a wide range of ideas for strengthening the competitiveness of the Gatbawi Wish-Fulfillment Festival," a city official said. "We will build on Gatbawi's unique cultural value and its symbolism of wish fulfillment to develop it into a signature Gyeongsan festival that people want to visit again and again."