Pohang, the Marine Leisure Sports Capital, to Host the Nation's Largest Marine Sports Festival in August
Unique Festivals Including Wolporak Festival, Songdo Barat Festa, and Yeongildae Sand Festival
From July to August, Pohang hosts various festivals enjoyed alongside the sea, attracting visitors taking their first summer vacation since the endemic declaration.
First, the largest-scale event in Korea, the ‘National Marine Sports Festival,’ which promotes the status of Pohang as a marine cultural tourism city, will be held for four days from August 11 to 14 at Yeongildae Beach and Songdo Beach.
Promotional poster for the 16th National Marine Sports Festival.
Held for the first time in two years since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2021, this event will declare Pohang as the ‘National Capital of Marine Leisure Sports’ and showcase Pohang’s status as a city specialized in the sea, based on its diverse marine resources and marine leisure infrastructure, both domestically and internationally.
Main events include yacht racing, canoeing, underwater and fin swimming, and triathlon, with additional events such as dragon boat racing, sea swimming, rubber boat racing, beach soccer, jet skiing, and flying disc competitions.
Moreover, experiences such as motorboat rides, dinghy sailing, jet skiing, kayaking, yachting, surfing, paddling boats, and boarding experiences will be expanded, offering thrilling activities for people of all ages to enjoy.
Additionally, in early August, the ‘8th Wolpo Rock Festival’ will take place at Wolpo Beach, allowing visitors to enjoy the hot summer of Pohang.
At the special performance stage at Wolpo Beach, various music performances centered on rock will be held, creating a festival atmosphere where summer night vacationers from across the country and local residents can come together and enjoy a lineup that combines the festival’s identity and popularity.
Earlier, on July 21 and 22, the ‘1st Songdo Barat Festa’ will be held around Songdo Beach, which is gaining new attention as the ‘emotional hot place’ Songdo Cafe Culture Street.
Named after the old Korean word for sea, ‘Barat,’ the ‘Songdo Barat Festa’ was planned with a dual meaning of hoping for the revival of the old Songdo Beach, which attracted over 100,000 vacationers nationwide annually until the early 1980s, and will be held for the first time this year. The event will showcase the past, present, and future of Songdo Cafe Culture Street.
In addition, various participation events such as Pohang’s specialty food booths, the Songdo Night Sea Concert, and a flea market will captivate many visitors to Songdo Beach on summer nights. Notably, unique menus using food tech, such as robot-served ice cream and robot-made ade drinks, will add fresh enjoyment.
Alongside this, on July 22 and 23, the ‘7th Yeongildae Sand Festival’ will be held around Yeongildae Beach under the theme ‘Feel the Waves! Enjoy Pohang!’ featuring sand sculpture exhibitions that capture the dynamic image of Pohang as a marine capital.
Various experience booths will attract vacationers, including the ‘Soaking Water Village Water Fight’ to cool off the midday heat, the ‘Sand Sculpture Contest’ to encourage family participation, the ‘Challenge Golden Bell’ quiz to learn about Pohang, and the ‘Let’s Play with Sand: Squish and Smoosh’ sand play activity for parents and children to enjoy together.
Six beaches in the Pohang area (Yeongildae, Chilpo, Wolpo, Hwajin, Dogu, and Guryongpo) will be open for 44 days from July 15 to August 27. The city plans to conduct thorough safety inspections to ensure that visitors can enjoy their time safely and comfortably, anticipating a large influx of vacationers this year due to the endemic.
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