Seoul Festa 2022 should give a jump-start to tourism

Social Affairs

Published: 12 Jul. 2022, 18:00 Updated: 12 Jul. 2022, 19:09

Seoul Festa 2022 should give a jump-start to tourism

Poster of upcoming tourism festival Seoul Festa 2022 [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Seoul Festa 2022, which hopes to be the largest tourism festival hosted by the capital, will be held from Aug. 10 to 14 to attract more foreign travelers.

The festival will be held at Jamsil Sports Complex in southern Seoul, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced Tuesday.

It will feature K-pop concerts and an international electric car race championship, the first electric car competition to be held in Korea.

“From sports, culture, and sustainable mobility, Seoul Festa goes beyond the meaning of a simple festival and will present a new paradigm that contains the value and charm of Seoul,” Mayor Oh Se-hoon said at a press conference held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) on Tuesday.

“Seoul Festa will be the priming water for Seoul to start anew after overcoming the Covid-19 crisis, to revitalize the tourism industry and the local economy, and leap into the top five global cities,” said Oh, adding, “Using the festival as a springboard, Seoul will become a city attracting 28 million foreign tourists after four years.”

A computerized image shows what the opening concert will look like [SEOUL METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT]

Starting with a concert

The festival will kick off with an opening concert featuring K-pop stars and rappers Rain, NCT Dream, Le Sserafim, Tiger JK, Yoonmirae and Bizzy at Seoul Olympic Stadium in Jamsil, southern Seoul, from 7:50 p.m. on Aug. 10.

Admission is free of charge. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is giving special invitations to healthcare workers and employees in the tourism sector to honor their hard work during the Covid-19 pandemic. Tourists from overseas can reserve a specially organized tour package through a travel agency.

The 120-minute concert will be broadcast live to 118 countries via KBS World.

Oh Se-hoon, right, mayor of Seoul, and Jamie Reigle, CEO of Formula E, take a look at the official race car, GEN2, at a press conference held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in central Seoul on Tuesday. [FORMULA E KOREA]

Electric Formula E

On Aug. 13 and 14, the Seoul E-Prix 2022 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, a race of electric cars from the world's leading automakers, will take place with 22 drivers driving a 2,760-meter course in and around the Jamsil Sports Complex.

Seoul’s race will close Season 8 of Formula E, and also marks the 100th race for the championship.

“For me, Seoul feels like the future,” said Jamie Reigle, CEO of Formula E, at the press conference.

“When I talk to our teams and our manufacturers, they want us to be in cities that are progressive, that are future minded — and when you think of Seoul, it’s a leader in technology, digital services, energy and automobile,” he added. “Seoul was always on the top of the list, and everyone is excited to be here.”

In line with the Seoul E-Prix, entertainment programs will be prepared outside the sports complex to show visitors innovative technologies such as electric cars and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) through game zones and exhibitions.

The World DJ Festival, an electronic music festival featuring local and global artists, is also returning after a pandemic break of two years and will be held from August 11 to 13 at the Auxiliary Stadium in Jamsil Sports Complex.

Outside the stadium

Other events are scheduled outside of Jamsil and across the capital city.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will hold the Seoul Shopping Festa from Aug. 10 to 31, with over 3,000 department stores, duty-free shops, and online retail outlets offering discounts of up to 50 percent.

Water sports and movies will be offered at parks near the Han River, while special traditional performances such as the Changing of the Guard can be viewed at Deoksugung Palace and Sungnyemun Gate at night.

Seoul Festa 2022 is the capital’s first and biggest tourism event since the pandemic, according to Seoul City.

“Seoul Festa is taking place in Jamsil this year, but from next year, the electric vehicle race is expected to be held around Gyeongbokgung Palace,” Mayor Oh said.

“As for the schedule, the festival had to be held in August due to the pandemic,” Oh added, “but we will move it to May from next year so that visitors can feel the true colors of Seoul’s old downtown in a more pleasant climate.”

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]