K-pop, fashion and food festival runs Oct. 3–5; Nam Jin, Psy headline concerts
Grand parade marches 1 km from Cheongdam intersection to Dosan Park; road closures in effect
The Gangnam Festival moved to a new home this year, launching Saturday along Dosandaero with a street parade organized and performed by residents of all 22 neighborhoods in Gangnam-gu — a first for the annual event.
Now in its 15th edition, the festival shifted away from its traditional Yeongdong-daero setting, transforming Dosandaero into a street-festival venue blending K-pop, fashion and food.
The centerpiece was the "Grand Parade," held Saturday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. along a roughly 1-kilometer stretch between Cheongdam intersection and Dosan Park intersection. Residents from all 22 dong turned out in costumes and with props reflecting each neighborhood's distinct character.
The parade was organized around seven themes — traditional culture, family, innovation, fashion, education, street vitality and finale — each corresponding to one letter of "GANGNAM." Gaepo 4-dong, home to a national music high school, represented the traditional culture segment with a royal procession, while Gaepo-dong and Segok-dong, known for their large numbers of families with young children, took part in the family segment. The procession featured a military band and traditional marchers, followed by giant character balloons, game-themed parade floats, robots and fashion models. The finale brought together residents from all 22 neighborhoods and performers for a Pikachu character procession and dance show.
Evening concerts followed. A family concert Saturday at 7 p.m. featured Nam Jin, Kim Won-jun, Rula, Space A, Lim Chang-jung, Hong Kyung-min and Hong Ji-yun. Admission was free on a first-come, first-served basis, with no advance reservation required.
A K-pop concert Sunday at 6 p.m. will put Lunate, Say My Name, Alpha Drive One, ZeroBaseOne, Kiki and P1Harmony on stage, with Psy — the artist behind "Gangnam Style" — closing out the night. Elsewhere along Dosandaero, the festival program includes K-pop dance workshops, a cover dance challenge, fashion and beauty programs, a beer and food festa, and street performances.
Festival stages will extend across Gangnam. At Maru Park on Saturday at 6:50 p.m., KBS will broadcast a traditional music concert, "KBS Gugak Hanmadang," marking the founding of the Gangnam Gugak Orchestra. The free performance features nine acts, including the national music high school and artists Kim Yong-u and Park Ae-ri, and is scheduled to air on KBS 1TV on Oct. 24 at 12:10 p.m.
Monday at 8 a.m., the 23rd Gangnam International Peace Marathon will draw 10,000 runners to the area around Bongeunsa-ro, with races in four categories: full marathon, half marathon, 10 kilometers and 5 kilometers. From 10 a.m., a "Gangnam Global Master Chef Food Festival" will also be on offer. That evening at 6 p.m., Bongeunsa temple will host a mountain temple concert featuring Bicycle Scenery, Jang Ha-eun, Kim Min-jong, Yang Su-kyung and Jeon Young-rok, bringing the festival to a close.
Gangnam-gu has also invited delegations from five domestic sister cities — Cheongyang-gun, Naju, Jeungpyeong-gun, Wonju and Chilgok-gun — to take part in exchange events tied to the festival.
Traffic restrictions will be in effect around Dosandaero throughout the festival. The main venue stretch between Hakdong intersection and Dosan Park intersection has been closed to vehicles since midnight Friday, with normal traffic expected to resume Monday at 5 a.m.
On Saturday, when the parade takes place along the section from the southern end of Yeongdong Bridge through Cheongdam intersection to Hakdong intersection, six northbound lanes will be closed and the six southbound lanes will be opened to two-way traffic. Nearby bus routes will be diverted via Apgujeong-ro and Hakdong-ro.
The district plans to deploy about 2,600 personnel — including specialists, civil servants and designated safe-driving volunteers — at the venue. Organizers urged visitors to use public transportation, citing expected congestion around the festival grounds.
"We will make this a festival where residents of all 22 neighborhoods participate directly and share Gangnam's K-pop, fashion and food culture with people from around the world," Gangnam-gu District Mayor Kim Hyun-ki said. "We will put safety first so that both residents and visitors can enjoy the event with peace of mind."
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