'Gangnam Festival' Moves to Dosan-daero, Bringing a Parade and K-pop Performances

[Financial News] Seoul's signature festival, Gangnam Festival, is moving to a new home on Dosan-daero this year, leaving Yeongdong-daero behind. The festival will go beyond relocating its main stage, introducing a 1-kilometer street parade featuring residents from all 22 neighborhoods of Gangnam-gu for the first time. During the day, residents will create a street festival themselves, while at night, a large-scale concert featuring Psy and others will turn Dosan-daero into the hub of a festival bringing together Gangnam's K-pop, fashion and culinary offerings. Gangnam-gu announced on the 28th that it will hold the '2026 Gangnam Festival' on Dosan-daero and throughout Gangnam-gu from October 3 to 5.
The biggest change for the 15th Gangnam Festival is the relocation of its main stage to Dosan-daero. The plan is to turn the area into a festival venue that can be enjoyed all day, with a resident-led parade and street programs during the day followed by a large-scale concert at night.
The centerpiece of the festival will be the 'Grand Parade,' held at 4 p.m. on the 3rd along a roughly 1-kilometer stretch from Cheongdam Sageori Intersection to Dosan Park Sageori Intersection. This will be the first street parade in which residents from all 22 neighborhoods of Gangnam-gu participate. Residents will join the procession in costumes and carrying props that reflect the distinct character of each neighborhood.
The parade will feature seven themes corresponding to the seven letters of 'GANGNAM': noble heritage; childhood and family; innovation opening the way to tomorrow; global fashion and luxury; future education; the energy of the streets; and the finale. A traditional band and procession will lead off, followed in turn by giant character balloons, parade floats, robots and fashion models making their way along Dosan-daero. For the finale, residents from all 22 neighborhoods and the performers will gather, followed by a character parade featuring 32 Pikachu and a dance performance.
At night, Dosan-daero will be transformed into a large concert venue. The 'Family Concert,' beginning at 7 p.m. on the 3rd, will feature Nam Jin, Kim Won-jun, Roo'Ra, Space A, Im Chang-jung, Hong Kyung-min and Hong Ji-yun. The K-pop Concert at 6 p.m. on the 4th will feature Lun8, Say My Name, ALPHA DRIVE ONE (ALD1), ZEROBASEONE (ZB1), KiiiKiii and P1Harmony. Psy, the artist behind 'Gangnam Style,' will bring the festival to a close.
K-pop dance workshops, global cover dance challenges, fashion and beauty programs, a beer and food festival, and street performances will also take place at various points along Dosan-daero. Gangnam-gu plans to bring together content representing Gangnam—including K-pop, fashion and cuisine—in one place so visitors can enjoy it as they walk along Dosan-daero.
Large-scale traffic controls will also be in effect during the festival. Traffic restrictions on the section from Hakdong Sageori Intersection to Dosan Park Sageori Intersection, where the main event venue will be located, will begin at midnight on October 2. Vehicle traffic will be restricted in all lanes in both directions on October 3 and 4, with normal traffic expected to resume at 5 a.m. on October 5.
On the section from the southern end of Yeongdong Bridge through Cheongdam Sageori Intersection to Hakdong Sageori Intersection, where the parade will take place on the 3rd, six lanes on the north side will be closed, while six lanes on the south side will be used for two-way traffic. Buses around the venue will be rerouted via Apgujeong-ro and Hakdong-ro, among other roads. Gangnam-gu will deploy about 2,600 personnel—including safety professionals, public officials and traffic volunteers—to the festival site throughout the event to manage safety.
The festival will continue beyond Dosan-daero. On the 3rd, Maru Park will host 'KBS Gugak Hanmadang Commemorating the Founding of the Gangnam Gugak Orchestra.' On the 5th, the Gangnam International Peace Marathon, with 10,000 participants, and a temple music concert at Bongeunsa Temple will be held.
Kim Hyun-ki, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, said, "We will make this a festival in which residents from all 22 neighborhoods participate directly and people from around the world can enjoy Gangnam's diverse culture, including K-pop, fashion and cuisine. We will put safety first and prepare thoroughly so that both residents and visitors can enjoy the festival with peace of mind."

[email protected] Seong Cho-rong Reporter