2026 Seoul Music Festival

The 2026 Seoul Music Festival will be held on October 24 at Nodeulseom, 445 Yangnyeong-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and admission is free. A ticket reservation notice was posted on the official website on September 11, but the ticketing platform, conditions, and admission procedures have not been disclosed, so it is not yet possible to confirm whether advance registration is required. The side events run from 12:00 to 18:00, and the main performances run from 17:00 to 21:00. Unlike the 6th festival in 2025, which was described in reviews as a free concert, the 2026 event has also included a Korean Music Awards album exhibition and listening zone in the official schedule, adding activities beyond the performances.

The 2026 Seoul Music Festival is structured around listening with the Korean Music Awards

The 2026 event is hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and is being curated in collaboration with the Korean Music Awards, featuring stages by winning and nominated artists. The 17:00 main performance lineup includes GLL, followed by Paul Kim, Kwon Jin-ah, Rooftop Moonlight, Nerd Connection, Chudahye Chagis, and Kim Chang-wan Band.

The official curation is divided into three themes: “Genre Boundaries: New Discoveries,” “Everyday Life and Comfort: Well-Made Narratives,” and “Across Generations: Yesterday and Today.” A reviewer of the 6th festival in 2025 wrote that “there were fewer people than expected” early in the event, but in 2026, the Korean Music Awards album exhibition and the SMF·Korean Music Awards listening zone are included among the side events, making the experience different from one focused solely on concerts.

It is 700 m from Exit 2 of Nodeul Station, so plan your return by 21:00

Follow the route toward Hangang Bridge for approximately 700 m from Exit 2 of Nodeul Station on Line 9 to reach Nodeulseom. Since the distance from the station to the venue is specified numerically in the official information, the subway is a convenient primary means of transportation.

If you take the bus, enter Nodeul Island bus stop 03-340 as your destination. The listed routes include main-line buses 150, 151, 152, 500, 501, 504, 506, 507, 605, 750A, 750B, 751, and 752, as well as branch bus 6211. Sinyongsan Station bus stop 03-004 is also listed, but whether a temporary shuttle will operate on the event day has not been disclosed.

The Nodeulseom parking lot will not operate on the event day. Alternatives include Ichon 3 Parking Lot (302-17 Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu), Ichon 4 Parking Lot (376 Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu), and Nodeulnaru Park Parking Lot (258-1 Bon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul). Since the main performances end at 21:00, returning to accommodation in central Seoul is feasible as a same-day trip.

From noon, divide your time among the SMF karaoke, listening zone, and food zone

From 12:00 to 18:00, the program is scheduled to include a Korean Music Awards album exhibition, an SMF·Korean Music Awards listening zone, SMF karaoke, an SMF photo booth, a Haechi photo zone, busking, a talk show, and the SMF food zone. Since the main performances run from 17:00 to 21:00, you can visit the exhibition, listening zone, and photo areas before 17:00, then move to the performances.

The SMF food zone and Nodeul Island F&B ZONE are planned, but the menus, prices, and whether card or cash payments will be accepted have not yet been disclosed. Even though admission is free, check before departure whether there will be additional charges for food, the photo booth, or other side activities.

The Korean Music Awards album exhibition and listening zone focus on music appreciation, while the operating languages of the talk show and SMF karaoke should be confirmed. Whether English signs, English leaflets, or interpretation services will be available has not been disclosed. Information about restrooms, rest areas, luggage storage, and safe circulation routes is also unavailable.

Reconcile the October 24 and October 23 listings again before departure

The event’s official website lists October 24, so the current itinerary should be based on October 24, while the final date should be checked again before departure. (The October 23 listing in Nodeulseom’s official program list could not be verified using the available evidence.)

Operating, cancellation, and refund policies for rain, performance times for each artist, wheelchair and stroller accessibility, and parking fees and capacity information at nearby lots have not yet been disclosed. Detailed operational information may be insufficient for people who want only a quiet visit away from concerts and busking, those who require English information, or those traveling with mobility aids.

Before visiting on October 24, call 070-4170-0944 to confirm the reservation procedure, rain-related arrangements, accessibility, and English information, and also recheck the date shown in Nodeulseom’s official program.

• Why is October 23 also shown on Nodeulseom’s official list? — The event’s official website lists October 24, so the current itinerary should be based on October 24, while the two listings should be checked again before departure.
• Do I need to arrive at noon, or can I arrive for the performance? — Side events run from 12:00 to 18:00, and the main performances run from 17:00 to 21:00. Individual artist performance times have not been disclosed.
• Can I park inside the venue? — The Nodeulseom parking lot will not operate on the event day. Ichon 3 Parking Lot, Ichon 4 Parking Lot, and Nodeulnaru Park Parking Lot are suggested alternatives. Parking fees have not been disclosed.
• If admission is free, do I not need to reserve a ticket? — Admission is free, but a ticket reservation notice was posted on September 11. The ticketing platform, conditions, and admission procedures have not been disclosed, so check separately whether advance registration is required.