Incheon Songdo Festival: Pentaport Rock Festival

August 7, 2023 322 Views

Every summer in Incheon, a rock festival takes place. Held in Songdo, Incheon Metropolitan City, from July to August each year, the Bellie Rock Festival, which was organized by CJ E&M and took place since 2018, has not been held. Consequently, the Pentaport Rock Festival is considered one of the largest rock festivals in South Korea, alongside the Busan International Rock Festival.

“The name ‘Pentaport’ signifies five ports”

Pentaport refers to five ports, which are Incheon Airport, Incheon Port, Information Port, Business Port, and Leisure Port. It’s also a part of Incheon Metropolitan City’s urban development strategy.

Originally, Pentaport started in 1999 under the name “TrypPort Rock Festival.” It featured a powerful lineup including Deep Purple, Rage Against the Machine, The Prodigy, Dream Theater, and Mad Capsule Markets. Unfortunately, due to heavy rain that year, the festival was canceled for safety reasons. Since its restart in 2006, it has been held continuously and celebrated its 18th edition in 2023.

“Festival held at Songdo Moonlight Festival Park in Incheon”

The location for the Pentaport Rock Festival has changed over the years. It was held at the Daewoo Construction site in Dongchun-dong until 2009. However, starting from 2010, the performances took place at the Dream Park lawn in the northwest of Incheon. In 2012, it was held at Ara Waterway Path in Jeongseojin, but from 2013 onwards, it has been consistently held at the Songdo Moonlight Festival Park.

With the introduction of Incheon Subway Line 1’s “Songdo Moonlight Festival Park Station,” accessibility has improved. Thanks to this, it’s now easy to reach the festival venue via subway.

“2023 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival”

The 2023 Pentaport Rock Festival took place from August 4th to 6th. Artists such as Kim Yuna, The Black Skirts, The Strokes, Cherry Filter, Jang Kiha, Car, the Garden, and Lee Nayoung participated.

I had the opportunity to attend the Pentaport Rock Festival for the first time this year, accompanying U.S. Department of State scholarship recipients. However, we couldn’t stay until late hours, and I couldn’t fully enjoy the performances as I needed to guide the students.

Moreover, I only visited for one day on August 4th, and this summer was unusually hot. It was still a scorching day with a heatwave warning in effect. Since I visited during the daytime, I couldn’t fully immerse myself in the festival atmosphere, which was regrettable. If I have more time next year, I hope to enjoy the performances leisurely.

The Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival is relatively accessible as it’s a rock festival that can be found in the greater Seoul area. The festival organizers even operate shuttle buses for travel to and from Seoul. With subway access, it’s a convenient event for rock enthusiasts to attend.

“Incheon Pentaport Music Festival”