Han River drone show draws 125,000 visitors, emerges as global night tourism draw

The "2026 Han River Drone Light Show" has established itself as a global night tourism attraction for Seoul, drawing domestic and international visitors in such numbers that one in three attendees is a foreign tourist.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said more than 125,000 people attended the first-half performances, averaging about 25,000 visitors per showing. Foreign tourists were a particularly striking presence: 43,395 of all first-half attendees — 34.6 percent of the total — were from overseas, a 191 percent surge compared with normal levels.

The show's appeal spread globally online. A special Star Wars-themed performance that generated buzz in the first half surpassed 770,000 views on the city's official YouTube channel and was watched in 97 countries, with 93.4 percent of total views coming from outside South Korea.

Audience foot traffic also translated into spending at nearby businesses. Card sales in commercial areas around the venue rose 17 percent on performance days compared with normal days. The effect was especially pronounced near Ttukseom Hangang Park, where sales rose 39 percent and transaction counts climbed 38 percent, confirming a tangible boost to the local economy through food, beverage and retail spending.

Building on the first-half results, the city will stage three more performances at Ttukseom Hangang Park in the second half of the year — on Sept. 12, Oct. 9 and Oct. 31. The Oct. 31 show will be a special Marvel-themed performance produced in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company Korea, featuring 2,000 drones — the largest fleet deployed to date — painting the night sky with characters and storylines from the Marvel universe to deliver an immersive, cinematic experience.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is also partnering with Baemin to make online food delivery more accessible for foreign visitors attending the second-half shows at Ttukseom Hangang Park, with improvements to the ordering experience and discount promotions planned.

The Han River Drone Light Show launched in 2023 and, buoyed by strong public response, now runs as a regular biannual event.

"We will continue to develop differentiated content that can only be experienced in Seoul, building the city into an attractive night tourism destination that people from around the world will want to visit," said Jo Seong-ho, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Tourism and Sports Bureau.