Seoul will hold the four-day Entertech, Seoul 2026 festival combining K-pop, gaming and immersive technology, from Thursday to Sunday at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), the Ihyeon Water Gate exhibition hall and the JW Marriott Dongdaemun hotel, the city government said Monday.
The event will let visitors experience virtual reality K-pop performances, design their own idol characters through a mock “debut” process and try artificial intelligence (AI)-generated music composition. K-pop group Fifty Fifty, known for its 2023 hit “Cupid,” which entered the Billboard Hot 100, will serve as the festival’s ambassador and be featured in a location-based virtual reality (VR) content experience built around the group.
A K-pop showcase on Saturday will spotlight eight rising acts from smaller Seoul-based entertainment agencies, paired with business meetings between the agencies and overseas concert promoters aimed at helping the artists break into international markets.
The gaming and esports portion of the event includes hands-on demonstrations from Blizzard Entertainment, an anniversary event for Com2uS’ Summoners War, the domestic debut of Sega’s Crazy Taxi and a Hyundai Motor sim-racing final using Gran Turismo 7, alongside esports tournaments in titles such as League of Legends and PUBG.
Running alongside the festival, the SPP International Content Market will bring together 874 companies from 30 countries, including 372 international buyers, for two days of one-on-one business meetings on Thursday and Friday covering games, animation, webtoons and film.
Outdoor programs at DDP will include taekwondo performances, busking, a Maker Faire Seoul showcasing 100 booths in fields such as AI and robotics, and freestyle K-pop dance sessions open to the public without registration.
“We invite everyone to visit DDP this weekend to experience firsthand the intersection of technology and entertainment, from K-pop VR and AI-generated music to simulated racing,” said Cho Hye-jung, director-general of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Creative Industry Planning Bureau. “We will continue building this into Seoul’s flagship content festival — one where everyday public enjoyment translates into new opportunities for artists and businesses alike.”
The opening ceremony will be held Friday at 3 p.m. and is open to those who register in advance online.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.
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