The 5th Bangbae Festival runs Saturday from 3 to 8 p.m. in the Bangbae cafe alley area, bringing together residents from five neighborhoods in the Bangbae district — themed "The Alley Is a Cafe," the event revives the retro spirit of the alley's 1980s–90s heyday, with performances by Song Ga-in and others, vintage games and a food road.
Bangbae Cafe Alley — once the defining street of Seoul's youth culture in the 1980s and '90s — is set to transform into a retro cultural festival for all generations.
Seocho-gu announced it will hold the "2026 Bangbae Festival" in the Bangbae cafe alley area on Saturday from 3 to 8 p.m., under the theme "The Alley Is a Cafe."
Now in its fifth year, the Bangbae Festival is a resident-led event organized jointly by the residents' autonomy committees of five neighborhoods in the Bangbae district: Bangbae Bon-dong and Bangbae 1, 2, 3 and 4-dong. This year's edition aims to revive the atmosphere of the alley's golden era, when it served as a hub of youth culture and socializing, evoking nostalgia for those who came of age in the '80s and '90s while offering younger visitors a fresh taste of retro.
A variety of performances and hands-on programs will fill the alley throughout the day. Starting at 3 p.m., the cultural performance street will feature a children's neighborhood concert — with taekwondo, jump rope, choir and musical performances — followed by a residents' singing competition, building the festive mood ahead of the evening. After the opening ceremony at 6 p.m., trot music singer Song Ga-in will headline a celebratory stage alongside Kim Da-na and Lee Hyeon-seung, promising to light up a Bangbae-dong autumn night.
Elsewhere, the vintage games street will offer retro amusements including mini arcade machines, hopscotch and a ddakji (paper-flipping card) competition. The photo street will let visitors create lasting memories with a 360-degree rotating photo booth and retro composite portraits. A hands-on experience street will round out the offerings with caricature drawing, balloon art and keyring-making workshops.
A food street will add to the festivities, featuring dedicated food booths from each of the five Bangbae neighborhoods alongside a "Bangbae Cafe Alley Gourmet Road" with participation from 22 businesses in the alley's merchant association.
The district hopes the festival will breathe new life into the alley's local economy by reviving its cultural heritage as retro festival content, while bringing together residents from across the five Bangbae neighborhoods and the area's merchants.
"The Bangbae Festival, which residents of the Bangbae district have nurtured together, returns this year with a special retro spirit," Seocho-gu District Mayor Jeon Seong-su said. "We hope many people will come out to the Bangbae cafe alley on Saturday and fill the streets."
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