Pentaport in Incheon (rock, late July or early August), the Busan International Rock Festival (the first weekend of October) and Jarasum Jazz on an island in the Bukhan River (October) anchor the calendar. Tickets are sold online in advance; Pentaport and Jarasum day passes run from about ₩88,000 to ₩120,000. Elsewhere the music is mostly free: concerts on Dadaepo Beach at the Busan Sea Festival between late July and mid-August, and Jeongseon Arirang, the county's own form of Korea's UNESCO-listed folk song, at the Jeongseon Arirang Festival in late September or early October. The Jeonju International Sori Festival of pansori, Korean traditional music and world music, planned for October in 2027, mixes ticketed indoor concerts with free outdoor programmes.
On now, coming up and expected
The Jarasum Jazz Festival is Korea's largest jazz festival, held every October on Jarasum, a river island beside Gapyeong Station about 70 km north-east of Seoul. The 23rd edition ran 9–11 October 2026, and the 24th is set for Saturday 9 to Monday 11 October 2027.
The Busan Sea Festival (부산바다축제) is Busan's city-run summer beach festival, held since 2024 at Dadaepo Beach in Saha-gu with a sunset fireworks show on opening night, a 2,000-seat beach pub, free concerts and a beach club. The 30th edition ran 7–13 August 2026; 2027 dates are not announced, but recent editions opened on a Friday between late July and mid-August.
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Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival (인천펜타포트 락 페스티벌) is a three-day festival of Korean and international rock acts at Songdo Moonlight Festival Park at the end of Incheon Subway Line 1. The 2026 edition ran 31 July–2 August with Khruangbin, Massive Attack and Pixies headlining; 2027 is expected on the same weekend.
The Jeongseon Arirang Festival (정선아리랑제) is a free four-day festival of Jeongseon Arirang, the Gangwon county's own form of Arirang, Korea's UNESCO-listed folk song, held around Jeongseon Public Stadium in Jeongseon-eup every year since 1976. The 51st edition ran 1–4 October 2026 with a mass Arirang chorus, drones and fireworks on opening night, a street parade and national singing contests; the 2027 edition is expected in late September or early October, with dates not yet announced.
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The Seoul Music Festival (서울뮤직페스티벌) is a free concert festival run by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Nodeul Island in the Han River; the 2026 edition is a single day, Saturday 24 October, from 12:00 to 21:00. The main concert, 17:00–21:00, is curated with the Korean Music Awards and features Paul Kim, Kwon Jin-ah, Okdal, Nerd Connection, Chudahye Chagis and the Kim Chang-wan Band.
Busan International Rock Festival is a three-day ticketed rock and indie festival in Samnak Ecological Park on the Nakdong River in Sasang-gu, Busan. The 2026 edition ran 2–4 October with Megadeth, The Libertines, CNBLUE and Jannabi on the bill; 2027 is expected on the first weekend of October.
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The Jeonju International Sori Festival is a five-day festival of pansori, Korean traditional music and world music, founded in 2001 and based at the Sori Arts Center (한국소리문화의전당) in Jeonju, with further stages across Jeonbuk State. After three August editions (the 25th ran 12–16 August 2026), the organizers plan to return it to October from 2027; no dates had been announced as of 19 October 2026.