Spectacle of Brilliant Fireworks to Embroider Busan’s Night Sky… The 21st Busan Fireworks Festival to Be Held!
KO YONG-CHUL Reporter
korocamia@naver.com | 2026-11-02 10:34:08
The Busan Metropolitan Government (Mayor Jeon Jae-su) announced that the "21st Busan Fireworks Festival" will be held from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM on November 7 across the areas of Gwangalli Beach, Igidae, and Dongbaek Island.
Celebrating its 21st anniversary this year, the Busan Fireworks Festival is Busan's representative tourism festival unfolded against the backdrop of Gwangwandaegyo Bridge and the Busan sea. It features three-dimensional firework displays utilizing three points (Gwangalli, Igidae, and Dongbaek Island) along with Busan-exclusive contents.
The event will proceed in the following order: Part 1, the "Overseas Invited Fireworks Show" by SUNNY of China (19:00–19:15); Part 2, the "Busan Multi Fireworks Show" by Hanwha Corp. (19:25–19:55); and the "Curtain Call Fireworks" (19:55–20:00) to express gratitude to citizens and on-site staff members.
Notably, the Busan Multi Fireworks Show, themed "Busan's Dream," consists of three acts: Act 1 "Flutter," Act 2 "Bold," and Act 3 "Joy." It plans to provide a richer spectacle by combining Busan-specific productions—such as 25-inch ultra-large fireworks, Niagara falls, and wave fireworks—with the multimedia lighting of Gwangwandaegyo Bridge.
Prior to the main event, various pre-events will be held for citizens and tourists to enjoy together.
During daytime hours, the Republic of Korea Air Force Black Eagles Air Show (16:00–16:10) will take place, alongside a Beach Book-nic, chalk art and scratch book experiences, and busking by Busan-local indie bands.
Starting at 6:00 PM, the "Fireworks Prologue" will introduce stories and requested songs submitted in advance by citizens, heightening the festival mood with three preview firework displays and the broadcasting of Gwangwandaegyo Bridge citizen messages. From 6:50 PM, the event will announce its start through a countdown and a touch-button ceremony alongside specially invited guests: a captain who led the Arctic route pilot operation, an Asian Games sailing gold medalist, and the first foreign ticket purchaser.
Expanding Global Tourism and Citizen Benefits with Paid Seating
The city will operate approximately 17,000 paid seats, striving to attract foreign tourists and expand citizen viewing opportunities.
About 3,000 seats added compared to last year will be operated entirely as tourism product seats for foreign tourists. By diversifying sales channels through overseas travel agencies and Global Online Travel Platforms (OTAs), and expanding products linked with Busan tourism, the city aims to commercialize the festival and vitalize the local economy.
This year, for the first time, a 10 percent (%) discount benefit for paid seats (R and S seats) will be provided to Busan citizens, and Youth Culture Pass seats will be expanded to double last year's scale.
Furthermore, 1,300 invitation seats will be operated for culturally underprivileged groups and local community contributors. In cooperation with the Naval Operations Command, the city has also arranged a special opportunity for multi-child families to board a naval warship (LS-II class) to view the fireworks festival from the sea.
Thorough Safety Management System in Preparation for Massive Crowds
To prepare for massive crowd congestion, the city will deploy around 7,000 safety management personnel and operate a joint inter-agency safety management system by designating a total of 42 areas as key management zones.
Public officials, police, firefighters, transportation corporation employees, facility corporation staff, and volunteers will be deployed across all areas of the event venue, and a joint inter-agency general control room will be established to respond in real-time to field situations in sectors such as crowds, traffic, and maritime affairs.
In the 42 key management zones (7 zones at Gwangalli Beach, 9 hazardous viewing areas, 6 subway stations, 16 major access roads, and 4 other areas such as restrooms), real-time congestion levels will be monitored using closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs), and a phased quota system will be operated along the sandy beach and coastal paths.
Congestion guidance LED vehicles will also be increased from 11 vehicles last year to 12, alongside securing 8 emergency medical booths, 32 ambulances, and 4 emergency passages. Prior to the event, a joint inter-agency safety inspection hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will be conducted to check the implementation status of safety measures by sector.
In addition, for the safety and convenience of visitors, the "KakaoMap" app will provide real-time congestion guidance, a "Find Friends" service to check the locations of companions, convenience facilities such as restrooms, and major event information.
Phased Traffic Control on Gwangwandaegyo Bridge and Surrounding Roads
To secure smooth event preparation and visitor safety, the city is implementing traffic controls on certain sections of Gwangwandaegyo Bridge starting today (the 2nd), and will expand controls in phases on Gwangwandaegyo Bridge and surrounding roads on the day of the event, November 7.
For Gwangwandaegyo Bridge, upper-deck traffic lanes will be controlled starting at 8:00 PM today (the 2nd) for the installation and dismantling work of structures, lighting, and pyrotechnic facilities, with partial control on the lower deck beginning November 4.
On November 7, the day of the event, Gwangwandaegyo Bridge is scheduled to be fully controlled on the upper deck from 3:30 PM and on the lower deck from 6:30 PM until midnight. However, if facility dismantling is completed early, the control time will be shortened.
For roads around Gwangalli Beach, the Gwanganghaebyeon-ro section between Eonyang Samgeori and Mannam Plaza will be controlled first starting at 10:00 AM. From 4:00 PM, control sections will be expanded to Haebyeon-ro and the Marine City area, and from 5:00 PM to Gwangnam-ro and Millak Waterside Road, operating flexibly according to on-site conditions.
After the event ends, the city will guide visitors to disperse and return home mainly through key entry and exit routes, supporting safe returns by implementing special public transportation transit measures such as increased subway runs and focused city bus deployment.
Detailed information regarding the festival can be found through the official Busan Fireworks Festival website (busanfireworks.com).
For citizens and tourists unable to visit the venue in person, online live streaming will also be promoted through the city's official YouTube channel "BusanTube," Busan Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), and KNN.
Mayor Jeon Jae-su stated, "We will closely cooperate with relevant organizations to ensure thorough safety management from event preparation to conclusion so that both citizens and domestic and international tourists can enjoy the festival with peace of mind. Based on this, we will do our utmost to make the Busan Fireworks Festival shine even brighter as a world-class festival."
[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]
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