This year's Ulsan Industrial Festival brings industry, history and culture together ... sEODo BAND to headline the finale

【Financial News, Ulsan—Reporter Choi Soo-sang】This year's industrial festival will take a step beyond the traditional industry-centered event, bringing together Ulsan's industry, history and culture. The parade has been dropped, and the event venue has been consolidated in the riverside area of Taehwagang National Garden in Nam-gu to create a more focused festival. 
According to Ulsan Metropolitan City on the 6th, the 2026 Ulsan Industrial Festival will be held from the 8th to the 11th along the Taehwa River in Nam-gu, Ulsan.
The opening ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. on the first day. Starting with the themed performance “Time Asks,” the program will comprise six chapters, including “From Memory to Record,” “All In: Industrial Heroes,” “The Door of Time,” “Greetings from Ulsan” and “Ulsan, a Land to Be Envied!” Together, they will tell the story of Ulsan's industrial development and the value of its history and culture. Guest musicians will give congratulatory performances, alongside a drone show featuring a fleet of 1,000 drones and a fireworks display.
During the four-day festival, the “Ulsan Citizens' Gathering,” in which residents can take part directly, will be held. Every day from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., local artists, young people, office workers and others will present music and performances on the main stage. 
Other related events are also planned, including a labor-management-government-community unity walk on the 8th, the finals of an office workers' singing contest on the 9th, a workers' sports festival on the 10th, performances by university clubs from across Ulsan, and the “U-Culture Festival,” featuring K-pop performances. 
Visitors should note that there will be no events on the main stage from 1 to 5 p.m. on each of the first three days of this year's festival.

Instead, visitors can enjoy exhibitions and hands-on activities. At the AI experience zone near the main stage, they can try making their own storybooks with generative AI, virtual-reality racing, AI caricatures, AI health experiences, robot soccer, 3D printing and more.
The Ulsan Future Expo, where visitors can see, experience and try out cutting-edge technologies of the future, including AI, robotics and extended reality (XR), will also run during the festival. Promotional and hands-on booths will showcase a range of fields, including Ulsan Metropolitan City, businesses, master craftspeople, social enterprises, promising small businesses, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, culture and tourism.
After exploring the exhibition and experience zones, visitors can sample a variety of fare at the food court, the Sulgorae Madang drinking area and the food trucks. 
On the festival's final day, the 11th, a range of cultural programs will bring residents and local artists together. From 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., the youth artists' project “Gaeunpo Silla Pop Concert” and the citizen-led project “Dancing Carnival” will take place. The performance piece is drawing anticipation for its fresh interpretation of Cheoyong. It will give residents the opportunity to participate and enjoy the event together. 
Starting at 7:30 p.m., sEODo BAND, dubbed the “founder of Joseon pop” for blending elements of traditional music with pop, will perform for Ulsan residents. The closing performance that follows will feature a variety of traditional cultural performances, including dance, Samul nori, Namsadang nori, tightrope walking and Ganggangsullae.


[email protected] Choi Soo-sang Reporter