Nodeul Island's Hangang Bitseom Festival Draws 300,000 in Four Days

Packed during holiday weekend after opening... Seoul's signature nighttime festival
Linked with Sinyongsan and Noryangjin... Supporting local businesses
World-renowned artists take part... Laser art draws attention

A total of 300,000 people visited the Seoul Light Hangang Bitseom Festival, the country's largest waterfront light festival. Now in its fourth year, the festival is one of Seoul's signature nighttime media art events, connecting art, nature and the city through light.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on October 8, approximately 299,000 people visited the festival during the four days from its opening through October 5.

A view of the Seoul Light Hangang Bitseom Festival. Seoul Metropolitan Government

After being held on Seorae Island in 2023, Yeouido in 2024 and Ttukseom Hangang Park in 2025, the festival has moved to a transformed Nodeul Island this year, in conjunction with the "Nodeul Global Art Island" project, which is turning the island into a cultural arts space. Featuring a variety of light artworks that draw on the Han River's waterfront scenery and Nodeul Island's distinctive spaces, the festival offers visitors a novel nighttime landscape and a special cultural experience.

"Open Sky" by Italian artist duo Quiet Ensemble, making its Asian debut, and AKA Chang's "Layered Immersion" and "Ripples," installed on a waterfront barge, are winning over visitors with light displays that blend with the Han River's natural surroundings. A member of Quiet Ensemble, whose work is being shown in Asia for the first time, said, "An artwork changes depending on the place where it is displayed and the audience," adding, "I'm delighted to present our work in Seoul, a city I have observed with great curiosity."

Other attractions drawing visitors include "Brilliantly Shining Nodeul Willows," which adds light and illumination to the waterfront willows; the "Pavilion of Light," which welcomes visitors at the festival entrance with vertical lasers, smoke, bubbles and festive music; and light sculpture and light-play programs developed in collaboration with universities.

To make the festival more convenient for visitors, nine food trucks are operating on-site. The festival is also linking nearby commercial districts in Sinyongsan and Noryangjin Mannaro with the event, working with local merchants to create a festival that benefits the community. Visitors can receive discounts in the Noryangjin Mannaro commercial district through the Seoul Local Brand BC Card Promotion, encouraging them to explore businesses near the festival.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is also running shuttle buses connecting the festival grounds with major nearby commercial districts, aiming to help revitalize local businesses. From October 9 to 11, during October's second holiday weekend, a range of programs—including talks and performances such as "Donghaeng Light" and "Bitseom Lecture," as well as a fashion show, yoga and outdoor reading—will offer visitors plenty to enjoy.

Choi Ingyu, Director General for Design Policy at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "The Seoul Light Hangang Bitseom Festival is establishing itself as a signature nighttime event where people can enjoy the Han River's night views and light art." He added, "I hope many residents and tourists will visit Nodeul Island during the remainder of the festival and enjoy the Han River illuminated on an autumn night."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.