A summer festival where you can enjoy cold craft beer on the white sands of Gyeongpo Beach is opening. It's fine even if you don't drink beer. Performances and food with the sea as a backdrop and a rest area in the pine forest are enough to soak in the summer-night atmosphere.
Gangneung said on the 1st that it will hold the 2026 Gangneung Beach Beer Festival for three days from July 3 to 5 at Gyeongpo Beach Central Plaza and nearby areas. The festival will open to coincide with the opening of Gyeongpo Beach.
Marking its sixth year, the festival is notable for greatly expanding the event space. In the past, it centered on the central plaza, but this year the stage extends to the beach and the pine forest. It is designed so visitors can enjoy both the energy of Gyeongpo's sea and the leisure of the pine grove.
The venue is divided into Blue Wave, covering the central plaza and beach area, and Green Wave, covering the pine forest area.
As its name suggests, Blue Wave is a cool and dynamic space. DJ and EDM performances, water-gun battles, and a beer Olympics will take place. On the 3rd, Wishlist, Haevichi Band, and The Fix will take the stage, and on the 4th, Nam Ga-young, Deokho C Band, DJ DAMI and CATO, and Solbi & Gunjo will perform.
There are also programs that visitors can join directly. Every day during the festival from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., a water-gun battle will be held in the standing zone. Thirty people will participate, 15 on each of the blue and red teams, with on-site first-come, first-served registration.
Unusual contests using craft beer will also unfold. In the beer chugging contest, the participant who empties a glass the fastest will be chosen. The beer Olympics will feature lighthearted games such as running, stacking beer cups, and lifting beer kegs.
Green Wave is a place to take a breather. A "Solmeong zone" will be set up among the pine trees. You can cool off while listening to music in rest areas with picnic spaces and air conditioning. It is the festival's signature rest zone where you can enjoy the sea, forest, and beer all in one place.
Dusk performances are also hard to miss. Performances unfolding with the sea as a backdrop and the Noul are a program that draws strong responses from visitors every year. To get a good spot, it's best to secure your place before 5 p.m. If you plan to sit on the sand to watch the show, bring a picnic mat or a folding chair for comfort.
A total of 83 businesses will take part in this year's festival. In addition to 20 booths of craft beer from across the country, popup stores, a local flea market, and food booths will operate. A limited-edition beach beer available only during the festival period will also be unveiled.
A Gangneung official said, "This year's festival goes beyond simply enjoying beer and is being prepared so visitors can experience both the energy of Gyeongpo Beach and the leisure of the Gangneung pine forest," adding, "We will do our best to make it Gangneung's unique summer festival where you can have fun at the sea during the day and rest in the pine forest in the evening."