The 2026 Seoripul Jazz Festa runs Oct. 14 through Nov. 25, with four performances on alternating Wednesdays at Banpo Simsan Art Hall — featuring artists spanning New Orleans jazz, bebop and jazz standards.
Seoul's Seocho-gu will host the 2026 Seoripul Jazz Festa from Oct. 14 through Nov. 25, with performances held every other Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Banpo Simsan Art Hall inside the Simsan Memorial Cultural Center.
Seoripul Jazz Festa is the flagship jazz series of the Seocho Cultural Foundation, designed to welcome audiences ranging from first-time listeners to devoted fans. Last year's edition ran four performances, and concert footage posted on YouTube has since accumulated about 14,000 views.
This year, four acts will take the stage in succession — Jo Woon and Good Friends, October Jazz Collective, the Kim Dae-gyeong Quartet and Maria Kim Trio — tracing the breadth of jazz from New Orleans roots to bebop and jazz standards.
The series opens Wednesday with Jo Woon and Good Friends performing "A Night in New Orleans," a program centered on the genre's New Orleans origins. On Oct. 28, October Jazz Collective follows with "Golden October," a set evoking the mood of autumn. Nov. 11 brings the Kim Dae-gyeong Quartet's "Remembering Bud Powell," shining a light on the bebop master's legacy. The final concert, on Nov. 25, features jazz vocalist and pianist Maria Kim leading the Maria Kim Trio in "Timeless Jazz," reinterpreting beloved jazz standards through her own artistic sensibility.
The performances are open to elementary school students and older. Tickets are priced at 20,000 won ($15) for R-class seats and 15,000 won for S-class seats. Further details are available on the Seocho Cultural Foundation's website or by contacting the foundation's performance operations team.
Seocho-gu District Mayor Jeon Seong-su said he hopes the festival will give jazz lovers — and those who have had little chance to encounter the genre — an opportunity to experience its many charms. "We will continue to expand our cultural programs so that residents can enjoy music and the arts as part of their everyday lives," he said.
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