Gangnam Festival to be held fully in person for 1st time since pandemic

SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- This year's Gangnam Festival, a popular music and arts extravaganza in southern Seoul, will be held wholly in person for the first time since the pandemic, organizers said Thursday.

The 11th annual festival will take place from Sept. 30 to Oct. 8 across Gangnam, the posh district in southern Seoul, with 19 programs that include K-pop, classical music, fashion, media art, film, food, taekwondo and a marathon, the ward office said.

The event was held online or with a limited attendance in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19. With the coronavirus subsiding, the festival comes back in full force this year.

The highlight of the festival will be a large-scale K-pop concert scheduled for Oct. 2. It will feature Psy, The Boyz, Highlight, Chungha, Weekly and other popular musicians.

Another pop music show combining performances by top ballad and trot artists, and a song contest for the public will be held on Oct. 7 and 8.

The festival will also offer on Oct. 1 a classical music concert by the Gangnam Symphony Orchestra and a fashion show where Gangnam residents will hit the runway showcasing clothing by designers from the district.

Other programs include the International Peace Marathon with 6,000 participants on Oct. 3, a media art show themed on flowers, people and dance to be screened on 21 large outdoor electronic boards from Oct. 5-8, a foreign nationals' taekwondo competition on Oct. 8, and a K-pop cover dance event on Sept. 30.
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