Nine hundred drones will light up the night sky over Olympic Park in Seoul's Songpa District, where performances will range from classical music and traditional Korean music to K-pop. Visitors will also be able to try on Baekje-era costumes, take part in craft activities, let children use play facilities and browse a market offering a wide range of food.
Songpa District held a press briefing at the Korea Press Center in central Seoul on the 12th to unveil the main programs and operating plans for this year's Hanseong Baekje Cultural Festival. Held under the theme "Brilliant Culture, Deep Resonance, One Us," the festival will feature its largest stage yet, a 60-meter-long multi-level structure equipped with large light-emitting diode (LED) screens as well as lighting and sound systems.
The festival opens at 7 p.m. on the 23rd with a "Welcome Drone Show" featuring 900 drones. The Songpa District Symphony Orchestra and a large choir will perform the opera piece "O Fortuna," followed by a violin solo, a joint performance by tenors Yoon Jung-soo, Jin Sung-won and Lee Dong-myung, and a waltz set. After an original performance reinterpreting the festival theme as band music, hip-hop artist Loco and female duo Davichi will take the stage. The opening performance will close with 900 drones lighting up the night sky again.
At 11 a.m. on the 24th, a musical gala performance titled "Standing by the River," a modern reinterpretation of the Domi Naru folk tale from the Hanseong Baekje period, will be staged. From 4:50 p.m., residents from each neighborhood in Songpa District will showcase skills honed through community center programs at the "One Heart Gathering." On the final day, the 25th, the closing performance "Hanseong Culture Concert" begins at 7 p.m. It features an ensemble of 30 geomungo (a traditional Korean zither) players, a collaboration with a band and layered singing by master vocalists, followed by a fusion traditional music set by singer Lee Bong-geun. Girl group Kep1er and hip-hop duo Dynamic Duo will close out the festival.
During the festival, the site will operate a "Hanseong Baekje Kids Cafe" with a large air bounce, a block play area and a cypress-wood playground. About 20 programs, including Baekje costume experiences and craft activities, have also been prepared. The "Hanseong Baekje Market," with 17 participating groups, will sell a variety of food. The experience grounds will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, and the market from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Songpa District plans to deploy more than 200 safety staff per day at this year's festival, 70 more than last year. The move takes into account safety concerns stemming from a protest underway at the nearby Olympic Park Handball Stadium.
The district projected that visitor numbers would rise to about 600,000 this year from 500,000 last year. "The brand value is rising every year, so I think many people will come to see it," Songpa District Mayor Seo Kang-seok said. "This year we will deliver unforgettable moments through an ultra-large stage, high-quality performances and rich hands-on programs, so I hope many people come and enjoy the romance of an autumn day."