Busan International Rock Festival
부산국제록페스티벌 · Sasang-gu, Busan
– Confirmed dates
Festival dates move every year — confirm on the organizer's own site before booking.
Last verified: 2026-08-22.
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Korea's first and longest-running international rock festival, held on Samnak riverside park in Busan since 2000.
Who it suits: Rock and festival-camping fans — Korea's oldest running international rock festival, on the Nakdong riverside.
Where it is
Where it is in the country — 320 km south-east of Seoul
About 108 km across — 11 other places we cover sit inside it. The pick of them is listed below.
320 km south-east of Seoul, in Sasang-gu, Busan (straight-line distance from Seoul City Hall, calculated from the venue's official coordinates).
We have not timed these connections ourselves, so rather than print a number we have not checked, here is the route on the two apps Koreans actually use — the venue as the destination, already filled in:
- Directions on Kakao Map — live bus and train times, and which platform
- Naver Map — the stronger of the two in English
From Seoul, journeys to Sasang-gu start at Seoul Station (KTX and regular rail) or the Express Bus Terminal. Which of the two wins depends on how many cities you are stringing together — our rail pass guide works through the break-even, and getting around Korea covers why these two apps beat Google Maps once you are on the ground.
Getting there and staying
For a bed near the festival, Klook's accommodation search for Sasang-gu is the quickest way to see what is left — festival weeks fill local rooms earlier than you would expect.
Outside the big cities, wifi is not something to plan around. Shuttle stops, stage times and the day's program are posted on the organizer's Korean-language page or a Naver Map pin, and they change on the day. A Korean eSIM is the cheapest way to have it working before you land.
Planning a trip around it
On at the same time
If your dates are fixed, these run within ten days of Busan International Rock Festival and are worth checking before you commit to a route.
- Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung Palace — 2026/09/10 – 10/17, Seoul, 2 km from Seoul.
- Andong Maskdance Festival — 2026/09/24 – 10/04, Andong, North Gyeongsang, 192 km from Seoul.
- Gimje Horizon Festival — 2026/10/01 – 10/05, Gimje, North Jeolla, 202 km from Seoul.
- Jeongseon Arirang Festival — 2026/10/01 – 10/04, Jeongseon, Gangwon, 150 km from Seoul.
- Geumsan World Insam Festival — 2026/10/02 – 10/11, Geumsan, South Chungcheong, 170 km from Seoul.
- Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival — 2026/10/03 – 10/18, Jinju, South Gyeongsang, 282 km from Seoul.
Other festivals in Busan
Same province, different times of year — useful if you are choosing when to visit Busan rather than when to leave home.
- Dongnae Eupseong History Festival — October, Dongnae-gu, Busan
- Gwangalli Eobang Festival — June, Suyeong-gu, Busan
- Haeundae Sand Festival — May, Haeundae-gu, Busan
Our own guide to the area
- Busan — Korea's second city, and cherry blossom reaches it two weeks before Seoul.
Other museums within reach
- Gimhae National Museum — Gimhae, South Gyeongsang, about 12 km away.
- National Maritime Museum of Korea — Yeongdo, Busan, about 15 km away. Sea and ecology rather than history.
The coast from here
- The Namparang Trail — Oryukdo, Nam-gu, Busan, about 17 km away. The trail itself runs 1,470 km along the south coast, so it likely passes closer than this.
Filmed near here
- Busan K-Pop Locations — Gamcheon, Saha-gu, Busan, about 9 km away.