Announcement
- Announcement
2024. 08. 20
From September 30 to October 8, 2024, the dynamic city of Busan will host Festival SHIWOL
Korea's first hybrid festival of its kind, centered in Haeundae and expanding across various venues throughout the city. The festival, orchestrated by the City of Busan, will feature 17 diverse events, ranging from music and film to technology and entrepreneurship, marking a milestone in the city’s cultural evolution.
Inspired by the globally renowned South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, Festival SHIWOL is poised to become a key player on the global stage of creative industry events. Combining music, film, technology, food, and startup culture, this nine-day extravaganza will bring together local and international participants, offering an unparalleled blend of creativity, innovation, and cross-industry synergy.
Go Mi-ja, Director of Tourism and MICE Industries at Busan City, explained, “Much like SXSW, our goal with Festival SHIWOL is to merge seemingly unrelated industries—such as music, film, culture, and technology—under the common themes of creativity and innovation. By doing so, we aim to generate new synergies and position Busan as a global creative hub.”
SXSW, which began in 1987 as a small music festival in Austin, has since grown into the largest creative industry event in the world, attracting between 300,000 to 500,000 participants annually. Festival SHIWOL seeks to emulate this success by fostering creativity and innovation while celebrating Busan's unique identity.
The 17 events integrated into Festival SHIWOL include the Busan International Film Festival, Busan International Rock Festival, Global Webtoon Festival, Asia Startup Expo (FLY ASIA), and more. Each event, which has traditionally been held independently, will now be aligned in terms of timing and location, creating a cohesive festival ecosystem under the SHIWOL banner.
A central feature of the festival will be the “SHIWOL Village,” located in the outdoor parking area of BEXCO. This village will host various networking opportunities and exhibitions, including national pavilions representing participating countries, theme houses showcasing Busan's cultural content, and dedicated spaces for film, music, food, startups, and design industry professionals to connect and share knowledge.
Lee Yeong-gi, from Busan's Tourism and MICE Team, noted, “We are developing a dedicated app to provide information on major events and activities happening in SHIWOL Village, and to facilitate interaction between visitors and participants, ensuring a seamless experience.”
To further enhance the visitor experience, three types of integrated festival passes will be offered, granting access to all 17 events as well as special activities held in SHIWOL Village. Collaborative marketing efforts will promote bundled tourism packages, including hotel stays, and exclusive offerings tailored to Chinese tourists during their National Day holidays, developed in collaboration with China’s leading online travel platform, Ctrip.
Park Geun-rok, Director of Tourism and MICE at Busan City, stated, “Festival SHIWOL is an unprecedented venture and a bold challenge for us. Our ambition is to see this festival grow beyond Korea, evolving into the SXSW of Asia.”
