The fireworks show begins at 8 p.m.

A fireworks and drone show held Friday at Yeouido Han River Park in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, marks the eve of the Seoul International Fireworks Festival 2026. [Yonhap]
A fireworks and drone show held Friday at Yeouido Han River Park in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, marks the eve of the Seoul International Fireworks Festival 2026. [Yonhap]

Hanwha Group's Seoul International Fireworks Festival, one of the country's most popular annual events drawing about 1 million visitors, takes place Saturday at Yeouido Han River Park.

This year's edition stands out for being held roughly three weeks earlier than usual, a scheduling shift made with the Chuseok holiday period and foreign tourism demand in mind. Held under the theme "Find Your Light," the festival features pyrotechnic teams from three countries — South Korea's Hanwha, the United States and the United Kingdom.

The show kicks off at 8 p.m. sharp. The British team opens with specially crafted fireworks set to "Soda Pop" and other tracks from KPop Demon Hunters, a Netflix animated series. The American team follows with a display evoking the grandeur of light piercing the darkness, set to "Carmina Burana: O Fortuna" and other pieces.

Hanwha's own performance draws inspiration from Vincent van Gogh's "The Starry Night." This year's highlights include so-called "tower fireworks" launched from Wonhyo Bridge and an enhanced "bridge sequence" featuring a wider variety of patterns.

A signature element of the Seoul International Fireworks Festival is the "decalcomania" display, in which fireworks burst symmetrically on both sides of the sky above the Han River, centered on Wonhyo Bridge, allowing large crowds spread across a wide area to enjoy a sweeping panoramic show.

Given the massive crowds expected, safety and crowd management measures have been reinforced. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is setting up a joint safety command center with the fire department, district offices, police and Hanwha Group to oversee crowd control, traffic management and emergency response. A total of 6,800 safety and crowd-management personnel will be deployed.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency will impose a full vehicle ban on Yeouido-ro — between the southern end of Mapo Bridge and the 63 Building — from 3 p.m. to midnight. Wonhyo Bridge will also be closed to traffic in both directions from 9 a.m. Saturday through 3 a.m. Sunday to accommodate event setup and teardown.

Yeoui-naru Station, expected to see the heaviest foot traffic, will be bypassed by trains without stopping for three hours from 7 to 10 p.m. For those unable to attend in person, Hanwha plans to livestream the Yeouido fireworks show on its official YouTube channel, Hanwha TV.


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