From a parade of 22 neighborhoods to K-pop, fashion and fine dining — a festival that turned the whole district into a stage
166,000 people attended the 2026 Gangnam Festival in person, with 450,000 more joining online
Gangnam-gu wrapped up the 2026 Gangnam Festival, held from Oct. 3 to 5, to strong turnout.
This year's festival moved its main stage from Yeongdong-daero to Dosan-daero for the first time, transforming a busy road into a public celebration space. A total of 166,000 people attended in person over the three days, while 450,000 more joined online.
Now in its 15th edition, the Gangnam Festival brought together a street parade featuring residents from all 22 neighborhoods along Dosan-daero, alongside K-pop performances, fashion and beauty showcases, and food programming. Performances and sports events at Maru Park, Bongeunsa and other venues across the district extended the festival's reach beyond the main stage.
On the opening day, the Grand Parade filled Dosan-daero with processions representing each neighborhood's distinct character. Sixteen large balloons took part — including the magpie-tiger mascot Beomdungi, Pororo, Brad the Barber, and a 10-meter-tall "Gangnamdol" figure. The parade closed with a procession of about 30 Pikachu balloons that drew cheers from the crowd.
That evening, a family concert featured Im Chang-jung, Nam Jin, Kim Won-jun, Rula, Space A, Hong Gyeong-min and Hong Ji-yun, followed by a fireworks display to close out the first night. Maru Park also hosted a KBS traditional music concert marking the founding of the Gangnam Korean Traditional Orchestra.
The second day centered on the area around Dosan Park, blending food, fashion, beauty and K-pop. The Beer & Food Festa offered chicken, beer, hansik and dishes from around the world, while a Fashion & Beauty Festa, hair and beauty show, and hands-on experience booths rounded out the day's programming.
The evening K-pop concert featured Lunate, Say My Name, Alpha Drive One, Zerobaseone, Kiki and P1Harmony, with Psy closing out the night. Even a sudden downpour at the start of Psy's set did not dampen the crowd, with audiences staying on to enjoy the performance through the rain.
On the final day, the 23rd Gangnam International Peace Marathon and the Gangnam Global Master Chef Food Festival were held. The three-day event concluded that evening with a mountain temple music concert at Bongeunsa.
Despite large-scale street events and traffic controls running simultaneously, the festival passed without major incident, thanks to coordination with the Gangnam Police Station and other agencies and on-site safety management throughout the three days.
Gangnam-gu District Mayor Kim Hyun-ki said Gangnam has established itself as the home and spiritual center of K-pop, and that the Gangnam Festival has grown into a celebration that residents build together and take pride in. "Going forward, we will elevate Gangnam's cultural standing as a city that leads not just K-pop but the full breadth of K-content," he said.
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