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The Korea Night Light "Bam Bam" Festa Candlelight Concert held at the Busan Cinema Center on July 18. / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization

Korea Night Light "Bam Bam" Festa, a festival showcasing local night tourism content, has returned.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) announced on July 20 that they will host the "2026 Korea Night Light 'Bam Bam' Festa Season 2" across 10 specialized night tourism cities nationwide until October 10.

The Korea Night Light "Bam Bam" Festa is an event designed to extend tourists' duration of stay and revitalize local economies by linking regional culture, arts, and festivals with night tourism content. Marking its second iteration this year, the festival kicked off in Busan on July 18. It will subsequently move to Tongyeong (July 25), Gangneung (August 1), Jeonju (September 5), Gongju (September 12), Daejeon (September 19), Incheon (October 3), Yeosu (October 3), Jinju (October 8), and Seongju (October 10).

Tongyeong will feature DPIRANG along with local musical fountains, while Gangneung links Anmok Beach with the nighttime opening of Ojukheon. Jeonju will showcase content connected to the Korea Reading Festival and Yeonhwajeong Library; Gongju will tie in Gongsanseong Fortress and Jemincheon Stream; and Jinju will link the Namgang Yudeung (Lantern) Festival with the Jinju National Museum. Detailed schedules, programs for each city, and online events can be found on the KTO's "대한민국 구석구석 (Korea Everywhere)" travel website (korean.visitkorea.or.kr).

The KTO will run shared programs, including Candlelight Concerts, Bam Bam Travel Libraries, and book talks. Additionally, it will expand the nighttime operations of municipal art museums and private exhibition facilities, while launching various programs linked to online stamp tours and local commercial districts to boost regional economies. Following the conclusion of the event, the organization plans to pursue social contribution activities by collaborating with local libraries to donate books used during the festival to welfare facilities.

Kang Yu-young, head of the Regional Tourism Development Team at the KTO, stated, "The Korea Night Light 'Bam Bam' Festa is a relay project that connects the nights of 10 specialized night tourism cities into a single tourism brand." She added, "We will actively push forward so that the enthusiasm for night tourism that started in Busan last weekend carries over across the country, not only extending tourists' duration of stay but also contributing to the revitalization of local tourism spending."

                                                                                                            Lee Jang-won