The family culture and arts festival runs Saturday from 2 to 7 p.m. at the waterfront stage on the east lake of Seokchon Lake, featuring residents' heartfelt family stories alongside live pop opera, jazz and classical performances.
Songpa-gu in Seoul will hold "2026 Songpa Nangman Festa," a family culture and arts festival, at the waterfront stage on the east lake of Seokchon Lake on Saturday from 2 to 7 p.m.
Songpa Nangman Festa is a family festival modeled on an outdoor live broadcast. This year's edition is themed around "warm stories of precious bonds formed with people met in Songpa-gu." Six resident groups selected through advance applications will share their stories of family and neighbors, followed by a live concert of romantic performances conveying comfort and love.
The festivities kick off at 2 p.m. with a handcraft flea market organized by seven workshops affiliated with the Songpa Craft Workshop Association — featuring ceramics, leather goods and more — along with nail art and a four-cut photo booth. Food stalls offering fish cake, popcorn and coffee will add to the autumn festival atmosphere.
A pre-show begins at 4:30 p.m., with the Muse Orchestra and Hertz, cultural volunteer ensembles from the Songpa Women's Culture Center, performing pieces suited to the festival's theme.
The main program opens at 5 p.m., hosted by comedian Kim Jong-seok, known for the EBS show "Ddukddaki Dad," who will introduce the first resident story of Part 1. Classical, opera and musical ensemble Charme will then take the stage with an emotionally resonant autumn set, followed by a duet from pop opera singer Seo Ye-jun and soprano Kim Seo-young.
Part 2 begins at 6 p.m. with more resident stories, then a range of genres — jazz, ballad and traditional Korean song. Jazz band Beluzia opens the set, followed by a ballad performance by up-and-coming Songpa-born singer Kwon Seul-gi and a traditional song set by singer Lee Jeong-ok, offering audiences a musical respite on an autumn evening.
Between the two parts, a stage-changeover event called "Life Four-Cut" adds a playful interlude. Visitors who take photos at the four-cut booth and submit a memory, a short poem or a three-line acrostic with family, friends or neighbors will be entered into an on-site draw, with selected participants introduced on stage and invited to share their stories. The segment is designed to evoke the feel of an outdoor autumn night concert and give both story applicants and general visitors an unusual and memorable experience.
In addition, the district will deploy safety personnel to ensure visitors can enjoy the festival without incident, maintaining order at key entry and exit points, in the seating area and at booth zones while managing crowd flow. A central operations center will also handle lost children, lost property and emergency situations.
Songpa-gu District Mayor Seo Gang-seok said he hoped the festival would give residents a chance to unwind and soak in the deepening autumn atmosphere through stories and music. "We will continue to create opportunities for all residents to enjoy culture and the arts in their everyday lives," he added.
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