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| A live music performance at last year's Seoripul Festival / Courtesy of Seocho-gu Office |
Seoripul Festival, the biggest cultural event of the year for Seocho-gu in southern Seoul, starts its eight-day run on Saturday.
For the past five years, festival organizers have been trying to position Seoripul as Asia's Fringe Festival. This year, they are hoping to finally make a lasting impression by scheduling more live music and nighttime events.
The parade, the main highlight of the festival, will be held in Banpo Street at night. Last year, the parade took place during the day by the Han riverside.
Wrapped in LED lights, 1,000 performers ― in marching bands, "gugak" or traditional music percussionists, flamenco dancers and people dressed as Avengers characters ― will make their way down the closed-off street from exits 2 and 3 of Seocho Station, around 300 of them Seocho residents.
This year's Seoripul will also be the largest to date, with a total of 3,800 performers slated to perform at 54 venues scattered around the district, according to the organizers, Tuesday.
Highlights include a rock performance by band YB at the opening concert and EDM DJing by comedian Park Myeong-su the following Saturday. Boy band 2pm's Jun-ho, currently carrying out?community service duties in Seocho-gu as an alternative to mandatory military conscription, will also perform at the Korea-France Music Concert on the last day alongside French jazz singer Florence Davis.
Seocho-gu is home to Seorae Village, an enclave of French residents.
Young artists will make up the bulk of the program. Some 120 street bands comprised of members in their 20s and 30s will perform live music, featuring indie, pop, folk, R&B, jazz, classic and traditional music. Several teams will put on magic shows, circus stunts and musical acts.
Venues include Banpo Bridge (site of the opening ceremony), Gangnam Station, Bangbae Station, Yangjae Station, Yangjae Stream and Montmarte Park in Seorae Village. Another 23 small indoor venues in the district will be used to host young classical musicians.
Students living in the neighborhood will also hold a show at an event called "Sounds of Seocho" in Banpo Street.
Other highlights include a B-boy dance show at Dwitbeol Children's Park on Sunday and a five-hour pet festival at Yongheori Neighborhood Park on Sept. 27.
