Korean music festivals in 2025 - our HUGE guide to the biggest events in Korea

The Korean music festival scene is currently having a bit of an explosion, with there being seemingly more and more announced weekly. But luckily for you, we’re here to sort through the list and give you our dead honest opinion about each one. 

With that said, what each person wants from a festival is entirely different. As a music magazine, we base our picks for the best ones on lineups and atmosphere mostly. Festivals in Korea are generally not like ones in places like Europe and North America. For better or worse, they’re calmer, safer, cleaner affairs. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t some mischief to be had.

It’s by no means an exhaustive list. For starters, we’re an indie mag, so we won't be covering the festivals that focus on pop, EDM, or hip-hop. It’s just not our bag, baby.

Also, we’re sure there’ll be loads coming out in the next few weeks as things get a bit warmer. We’ll try and stay on top of this and keep updating it.

The list is in chronological order of when they will happen or when we think they’re likely to happen. Again, we’ll try and change it if we hear anything.

Where is it: Jamsil Olympic Park
When is it: April 26-27
Who's Playing: 10CM, Hanroro, Glen Check
How much is it: 110,000 KRW for 1 day

Reasons to go: If you're somewhere between a pop lover and an indie kid, this might be your guy.
Reasons to skip: A lot of the artists are at other festivals, can’t really dance.

Where is it: Nami Island
When is it: 23-25 May
How much is it: 100,000 KRW to 170,000 KRW, depending on nights and package
Who's playing: Babo, Jambinai, Cifka, about 50 DJs

Reasons to go: Great atmosphere, good lineup of DJs, band/live lineup is great
Reasons to skip: If you're not a fan of electronic music, this isn't for you. Also, they do several a year so if you miss one, you could catch the next.

The Air House is a tonne of fun, especially for beat heads. The whole thing has a tribal feel and has been celebrated for its atmosphere. The upcoming one sees the organisers continue to branch out and include live bands. 

The only downside for this one is that it has been known the get fucked up by rain. So bring some wellies.

Where: is it: Nanji Hangang Park
When is it: 24-25 May
How much is it: 110,000 KRW per day
Who's playing: Jaurim, Glen Check, Idiotape.

Reasons to go: Nice lineup, it’s outdoors and its the perfect time for it.
Reasons to skip: It’s a bit like if a K-pop event had indie bands.

A nice festival in the sun. Not that much else to say about this one.

Where is it: Jamsil, Seoul
When is it: May 30 - June 1
How much is it? 1-day tickets are 187,000 KRW. 3-day tickers are KRW… 👀

Reasons to go: Chill day, very cool lineup, it's well-organised, you're a bazillionaire
Reasons to skip: Very expensive, not especially jazzy

If you're looking for a calm, chill afternoon watching interesting musicians from abroad and closer to home (some of which may actually be jazz), and you're comfortable spending like a week's salary on tickets - Seoul Jazz Festival might be for you.

Look, there's no sugarcoating it. It's an expensive festival. But the really cool lineup makes it (almost) worth it.

Debaser Magazine Top Pick

Where is it: Busan
When is it: June 6-7
How much is it: 40,000 KW for 2 days
Who's playing: Leenalchi, Kim Oki, Lionclad

Reasons to go: Great atmosphere and a good dissection of Korean music. Party goes late into the night.
Reasons to skip: There are none.

As you might have guessed, this is our festival. It’s the first time we’ve done it, but it already promises to be a great party. With a mix of genres from electronic to indie to jazz, Debaser Festival plans to live up to its keywords: MUSIC, DRINK, DANCE.

Debaser Magazine Top Pick

Where is it: Cheorwon, Gangwon-do
When is it: June 13-15
How much is it: 88,000won/99,000 (1 day), 1430,000won (3 day)
Who's playing: Kula Shaker, Goonam, Lambrini Girls

Reasons to go: Diverse, unique lineup, international acts, top-notch atmosphere. Also, they’ve added a third day
Reasons to skip: Tricky to get to

DMZ is a socially conscious outdoor festival with an awesome lineup. Every year, the organisers bring a specially curated set of artists from all over with the plan to send a message of peace through music out into the world. It's always an absolute riot and is widely considered to have one of the best atmospheres of any festival. They’ve even added a third day for this year, and the event will open on Friday.

It can be a little tricky to get to, especially if their shuttle bus sells out. But it's worth it.

Where is it: Binary Studio Manwon
When is it: June 28-29
How much is it: 15,000 KRW (1 day) 25,000 (2 days)
Who's playing: Low High Low, Peach Truck Hijackers, …Whatever That Means

Reasons to go: Fun lineup that features artists that don’t generally play fests. Also, cheap as chips.
Reasons to skip: Indoor? Limited tickets too.

This *technically* doesn’t meet our criteria for being a festival, having just one stage, which explains the “Not A Fest” name. However, we want to include it anyway.

Unfortunately, the annual punk bash, It’s a Fest, will not be happening this year due to logistical issues. The duo behind the project, though, are still determined to make an event with the same energy. They’ll be opening their studio space to a limited number of people. The lineup reflects the It’s a Fest ethos of cool, alternative punk and punk-adjacent bands. It’ll no doubt be a great weekend, and for under 30 bucks, it’s an absolute bargain.

Debaser Magazine Top Pick

Where is it: Paradise City, Incheon
When is it: June 21-22
How Much is it: 1 day is 110,000, 2 days is 176,000
Who's Playing: Mono No Aware, Dabda, Bek Hyunjin

Reasons to go: Really great lineup of local and international acts. At a resort.
Reasons to skip: There isn’t one really. The lineup may not be quite as good as last year? But it’s still good, so ignore that. It rained last year. That’s the best we can do.

Last year’s Asian Pop Festival was their first-ever event, and it was one of the most well-received festivals of 2024. Their second instalment promises to be just as good, with a really cool lineup that brings together incredible artists from around Asia. 

Where is it: Jamsil Olympic Park
When is it: June 28-29
Who's playing: Jaurim, Dynamic Duo, jisokuryCLUB
How much is it: 99,000 for Pak Stage, 110,000 for all stages

Reasons to go: Chill atmosphere
Reasons to skip: It's a pretty calm festival, so if you're looking to go nuts, it might not be for you. It’s quite poppy this year.

Park Music Festival is organised by BEPCTANGENT, a group known for putting together big EDM and K-pop festivals. Surprisingly, the vibe of Park Music Festival is very different to what you might expect. The aim here is to create a really chill live music experience that is open to people of all ages (well, over 12 years old, anyway). The lineup this year is a bit more pop-focused than previous events, but there’s still plenty to love here, such as jisokuryClub, Dynamic Duo, and Jaurim.

Debaser Magazine Top Pick

Where is it: Incheon
When is it: August 1-3
How much is it: Blind tickets coming out this week at about 170,000 KRW
Who's playing: Pulp.

Reasons to go: The most iconic indie rock festival in the country celebrates its 10th birthday. Pulp.
Reasons to skip: Erm, does it get a bit hot? There are not many reasons not to go tbh.

Pentaport is the Mac daddy of Korea's current festival scene. It's not the biggest one, but its reputation in the indie community here is unparalleled. It's always a fun time, too.

Pentaport has not announced its headliner yet, but by now, we’ve all seen the video of Pulp talking on British radio about how they’re playing at a festival in Korea. So the safe money is on this year’s headliner being Pulp.

Where is it: Jeonju, obviously
When is it: August 15-16
Who's playing: The last two have been a mix of big names from indie and pop
How much is it: They haven’t announced yet, but we’d guess full price will be about 100,000-130,000.

Reasons to go: Usually fun lineup, is outside of Seoul, Jeonju has the best choco pies. It’s their 10th anniversary.
Reasons to skip: You don’t live near Jeonju.

Jeonju Ultimate Music Festival is very much a hybrid, with 50% of the performers being from the world of indie and rock (and even punk), and the other 50% being pop. The atmosphere here is actually better than you might expect, and the people in Jeonju come to party. Also, choco pies.

Where is it: Gwangju, Jeolla-do
When is it: Unconfirmed, but likely the end of August
Who's playing: An assortment of Korean and international artists playing music inspired by folk tradition
How much is it: Unconfirmed but cheap as chips. The last one was 30,000-50,000 won for three days.

Reasons to go: A unique lineup of international musicians. You live in Gwangju.
Reasons to skip: Limited available tickets might make it tricky.

The ACC (Asian Culture Complex) is the absolute crown jewel of Gwangju. The ambitious art project in Gwangju’s downtown district puts on a shit tonne of interesting events, the most famous of which is their World Music Festival. Attendees will get to see a really impressive lineup of creative musicians from all over the world.

Where is it: Bupyeong Arts Centre
When is it: Unconfirmed but likely end of August
Who's playing: Unconfirmed, but some decent indie bands played last time
How much is it: Free as a bird

Reasons to go: Free, family-friendly, decent enough lineup
Reasons to skip: Finishes about 9pm

Music Flow Festival is the kind of event where you could take your kids, your grandparents, and your pet (maybe) and have a pretty great time. The music is sometimes a mixed bag, but last year was really great—Windy City, Goonam, Chang Kiha, Balming Tiger, and Hypnosis Therapy. Also, it’s free. I can’t complain about that.

Where is it: Gangwon-do
When is it: Unannounced but likely early-to-mid September.
How much is it: Full tickets are about 130,000
Who's playing: Unannounced, but some of Korea’s coolest bands

Reasons to go: Great music, offers camping.
Reasons not to go: You don’t like camping. You’re not grateful for camping.

The Grateful Camp is one of the newer events on the list, having debuted in 2023. Already, though, it’s established itself as one of the coolest festivals in Korea. With a cutting-edge lineup of artists and a great atmosphere, The Grateful Camp is a hot ticket, as long as you’re up for camping.

Debaser Magazine Top Pick

Where is it: Itaewon, Haebangchon
When is it: ???
How much is it: One day, usually around 40,000. Two days, around 60,000-70,000
Who's playing: Who isn't?

Reasons to go: This is our festival, and we're really lovely people? Also, we have lots of non-music stuff like drag, comedy, wrestling, etc.
Reasons not to go: You hate fun

🤐

Where is it: Gyeongju
When is it: Unconfirmed, likely end of September
How much is it: Free
Who's playing: Unannounced, but expect a few big Korean names.

Reasons to go: Great lineup. Free.
Reasons to skip: If you don’t live near Gyeongju and are also incapable of riding a bus.

Gyeingju’s Golden Carnival is a great chance to go to a festival in one of Korea’s most underrated cities. Last year’s event had a brilliant lineup featuring Kim Sawol, CHS, Balming Tiger, and loads more. While you’re there, go to Gyeonju World, it’s so good.

Where is it: Busan, obviously
When is it: October 4-6
How much is it: Unconfirmed, usually 110,000 for one day, 170,000 for two days.
Who's playing: Unannounced, but expect a few big international names and some of the best of Korean indie.

Reasons to go: Great lineup, big international names. It is in Busan
Reasons to skip: The last couple of years, there have been a few technical issues

Busan Rock Festival is probably the most iconic festival in the southern half of Korea. It's been known to attract some awesome acts as well as some of Busan's best emerging bands. The last few outings have had their issues, though. Hopefully, they have worked all that out now, because if they have, this will be a great event.

When is it: Unconfirmed but likely early to mid-October.
Where is it: Various bars around Hongdae
How much is it: Usually around 70,000 KRW
Who is playing: It'll have some of Korea's coolest acts as well as some international acts. Loads of French bands.

Reasons to go: Diverse and interesting lineup. Cheap tickets. It's a showcase festival, so it's good for networking.
Reasons to skip: This is sort of like a music insider thing, so everything feels a bit professional; it's good for networking.

Zandari Music Festival is a Hongdae-based showcase festival. It also gets some really great acts and is a great place to communicate with people from Korea’s music scene. It can be a little schmoozy at times, with networking being one of the key features of the fest. That’s not to say that there aren’t loads of fun times here, though. We’ve danced our ass off at Zandari. But you will go home with a wedge of business cards.

Where is it: Olympic Park, Jamsil, Seoul
When is it: Unconfirmed, but the last one was in mid-October
Who's playing: International pop acts and some cool Korean stuff.
How much is it: Unconfirmed. Loads though.

Reasons to go: It'll have some famous names.
Reasons to skip: It costs a fortune. Doesn’t have many artists.

Slow Life Slow Live is a music festival organised by Private Curve, the same people who run Seoul Jazz Festival. Their aim is to create a boutique music festival. Which is fine, but with that comes boutique prices. Slow Life Slow Live came in last year at about 170,000 per day. But for that, you get to see the likes of Jessie J, Alan Walker or Aminè.

Where is it: Jarasum, Gyeonggi-do.
When is it: October 17-19
Who's playing: A mix of international and local jazz and jazz-adjacent artists
How much is it: Unannounced but about 80,000 KRW for a day and 140,000 for 3 days

Reasons to go: If you're a serious jazz fan, you will love this.
Reasons to skip: If you're not a serious jazz fan, you might not.

This is one for the real jazz heads, as it’s lineup boasts jazzy talent from all around the world, with some really well-respected names taking their stage over the years.