Families, couples flock to Yeosu World Island Expo for performances and exhibits

Visitors pour in during October holiday weekend to explore themed island pavilions and catch trot music concerts

The 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo drew large crowds over the October holiday weekend, pulling in visitors with performances and hands-on experiences.

According to the expo's organizing committee, families began streaming in from the opening at 10 a.m. Sunday, fanning out across the venue's themed pavilions — including the pyramid-shaped Theme Island, Future Island, Marine Ecology Island, Culture Island, International Exchange Island and Treasure Island.

Long queues also snaked through the grounds as visitors lined up to secure tickets for that evening's "Prime Concert," which featured trot music singers.

Singer Jang Min-ho served as MC for the roughly three-hour show, which featured trot competition alumni including Seong-ri, Son Tae-jin, Park Ji-hyeon, Kim Hui-jae, Park Hyeon-ho, Song Min-jun, Kim Tae-yeon, Ryu Won-jeong, Park Ji-hu, Bin Ye-seo, Jang Ha-on, Jeong Hye-rin and Hong Ji-yun.

The cast also toured the expo's exhibition halls before taking the stage, an appearance organizers hope will draw wider attention to the event's range of exhibits and interactive experiences beyond the concerts themselves.

Heo Min-u, a tourist from Changwon who visited with family at his in-laws' home in Yeosu, said he came partly out of curiosity. "I wanted to know what an island expo is and how islands are formed," he said. "I felt the core content was a bit lacking, but seeing urban air mobility demonstrated at Future Island as a potential transport link between islands — I think that would be genuinely useful for island residents."

Kim Yeong-seon, who came from Suncheon, said the seaside setting made the wait worthwhile. "Getting to see a singer I love on a stage right in front of the ocean — waiting a few hours is nothing," she said. "While I waited, I visited the exhibition halls and there were so many experiences to try. I'm going to do them all."

The heavy foot traffic kept lines moving throughout the grounds, and food trucks, other vendors and convenience stores all reported a boost in sales.

Visitors who toured the indoor exhibition halls said the coastal "Island Theme Zone," which overlooks the Gyeongdo tourism complex, felt better suited to an evening visit paired with a yacht tour.

The local community has also rallied behind the expo and Yeosu's broader tourism push. A fireworks display over the waters off Yeosu aboard the Minam Cruise drew crowds Saturday evening, and the show will continue every Saturday this month — Oct. 10, Oct. 17 and Oct. 24.

On Monday evening at 6:30 p.m., the substitute holiday for National Foundation Day, musical star Choi Jeong-won will perform in "Diva on Stage." On Friday, the Yeosu Jazz Festival will mark the Hangul Day holiday. On Saturday evening, musical star Ivy and broadcaster Park Gyeong-rim will co-host "Ivy & Park Gyeong-rim's The Big Show" for Yeosu residents and expo visitors.

"We hope visitors will spend their days discovering islands from around the world and their evenings enjoying performances and nighttime attractions — creating special autumn memories in Yeosu," an organizing committee official said.

The 2026 Yeosu World Island Expo, themed "Islands: Bridging the Sea and the Future," runs through Nov. 4 at the main venue in the Jinmo district of Dolsan, Yeosu. The venue will close for one day Tuesday for exhibition zone renovations and reopen Wednesday.