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[Tour Korea = Reporter Kim Dong-hwan] Gunsan’s summer pops to life with beer foam and blues riffs. In the city’s charming historic downtown—where echoes of modern-era romance still linger—daytime is for sipping craft brews and tasting local eats, and nights are for live sets from acts like the Kang San-e Band, the Kim Jong-seo Band, and the Kim Kyung-ho Band.
Gunsan City will host the Gunsan Craft Beer & Blues Festival for three days, June 12–14, around the Gunsan Modern History Museum. Now in its fifth year, the festival has become a signature summer scene for the city, blending local beer, blues music, night tourism, and regional culture.
Fifteen local and international breweries — about 50 craft beers, all in one place
This year’s beer lineup is bigger and bolder. Four Gunsan breweries will participate, alongside five craft brewers from sister cities in China, Japan, the U.S., and Taiwan. Add six nationwide breweries that use Gunsan malt, and you’ve got 15 breweries from home and abroad pouring at the festival.
Expect roughly 50 different craft beers on-site. From hometown Gunsan pours to international favorites and distinctive brews from across Korea made with Gunsan malt, beer lovers can taste, compare, and find new favorites all in one spot.
Seventeen acts over three days — Gunsan’s nights go live
The music lineup ramps up the vibe. Over three nights, 17 acts will perform, including 13 blues bands from Korea and abroad, plus crowd-pleasing bands that many attendees will recognize.
On opening night, June 12, the Kang San-e Band headlines. Kim Jong-seo Band takes the main stage on June 13, and Kim Kyung-ho Band closes the festival on June 14. Representative Korean blues group Sinchon Blues will also perform, reinforcing the event’s musical identity.
Opening-day music starts at 4 p.m. with a set by jazz unit Jo Yoon. Jo Yoon—a Gunsan Jeil High School alum who studied jazz guitar at New York University—brings a hometown touch to the festival kickoff.
Live broadcasts at Gunsan Beer Port — the harbor night view becomes part of the show
The festival buzz stretches beyond the Modern History Museum area to Gunsan Beer Port. During the event, the Beer Port will livestream the main-stage performances, creating a space where Gunsan beer, live music, and harbor night views come together. It’s a smart way to expand the festival experience from the old downtown to the waterfront.
The festival site will feature around 5,000 table seats, centered on a Gunsan Beer Live Zone and a Riverview Zone. You’ll also find 30 local food stalls and 20 promotional booths from companies and institutions, so there’s plenty to eat and see between sets.
As the festival’s profile grows, institutional participation is rising too. Jeollabuk-do Special Self-Governing Province will promote its Summer Olympics bid, and organizations like the National Institute of Crop Science, local hotels, and food companies will operate booths to engage visitors.
Admission 6,000 KRW (about $4.50); attendees receive a 5,000 KRW (about $3.75) Gunsan Love voucher
The festival runs daily from noon to 10 p.m. Admission is ₩6,000, and each visitor receives a ₩5,000 Gunsan Love voucher. The voucher can be used both inside and outside the venue and at downtown businesses, helping festival spending benefit the local economy.
Gunsan City expects paid attendance to exceed 30,000 for the first time this year. Organizers say inquiries about the schedule, performances, participating breweries, lodging, and transportation have increased, and wider exposure through broadcasts, social media, and online communities is driving interest nationwide.
Park Yong-woo, head of the Food Policy Division, said, “The Gunsan Craft Beer & Blues Festival has grown into a signature Gunsan brand event that combines the local craft-beer industry with cultural and tourism content. This year, with flashier performances and diverse programming, we plan to show visitors all that Gunsan has to offer.”
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