Busan transforms into a 'city of festivals' throughout October

Busan will host "2026 Festival October" across the city throughout October, a monthlong integrated festival project that brings together cultural, tourism and MICE events under a single brand to encourage domestic and international tourists to visit and stay longer.

This year's edition carries the slogan "October, Go to Busan" and features 22 events across three categories: music and culture, film and arts, and business and innovation. Anchoring each category are the Busan International Rock Festival (Sept. 2–4), the Busan International Film Festival (Sept. 6–15) and the Asia startup expo FLY ASIA (Sept. 7–8). A wide range of performances, cultural and arts programming, dining, festivals and industry events is designed to offer domestic and international tourists broad entertainment options.

The Busan city government and the Busan Tourism Organization will operate an integrated Festival October promotional hub at Busan Eurasia Platform from Sept. 1 through Sept. 18. The hub will provide visitors with comprehensive festival information and run hands-on events to encourage individual participation.

A stamp tour connecting major event venues will allow visitors to explore festival sites across Busan. Participants can scan QR codes at major venues to collect stamps and earn rewards and prizes based on the number accumulated.

The city and the tourism organization plan to promote "Busan in October" to domestic and international tourists through the Visit Busan tourism portal and social media, sharing event schedules, themed content and short-form videos. They will also run targeted marketing campaigns in partnership with major online travel agencies to attract visitors from home and abroad. Earlier, advance promotions were held at "Busan Super" in Insadong, Seoul, to reach tourists from the Greater Seoul area.

On Monday, a networking reception bringing together event organizers and representatives from the tourism and MICE industries will be held to strengthen collaboration among events, foster exchanges and build a foundation for sustained cooperation.

Na Yun-bin, director of the city's tourism content industry bureau, said October in Busan offers something special — the chance to experience a wide range of content all in one place. "We will work to extend visitors' stays and invigorate local tourism," Na said.