Gwangalli Beach 광안리해수욕장

Gwangalli Beach is free and open all year, and its main event is at night: a free drone light show every Saturday at 19:00 and 21:00 from October to February (20:00 and 22:00 from March). The Busan Fireworks Festival fills the beach on 7 November 2026. Take Line 2 to Gwangan Station Exit 3, about 10 minutes away.

Gwangalli is Busan’s second beach after Haeundae: a crescent of fine sand facing the Gwangan Bridge, which crosses the bay and is lit after dark. The seafront road behind it is lined with cafes, bars and raw-fish restaurants, and the beach is busier in the evening than in the day. Allow an hour or two for a walk and a meal, or a full evening on a Saturday.

When is the drone show, and where do you watch?

The Gwangalli M Drone Light Show is run by the Suyeong district every Saturday, all year. Each show lasts about 12 minutes and uses around 1,100 drones over the water in front of the bridge. On the first and third Saturdays of the month, lasers join the drones. There are no seats or tickets.

	Time (Saturdays)	Notes
October–February	19:00 and 21:00	Winter schedule, now in force
March–September	20:00 and 22:00	Summer schedule
Next shows	10, 17, 24 and 31 October 2026	17 October with lasers
Cost	Free	Watch from anywhere on the sand

Drone show schedule from the official Gwangalli M Drone Light Show site (Suyeong-gu), checked 7 October 2026. If you are in Busan for one Saturday night only, the 21:00 show is the easier one to reach after dinner. In summer, the shows run an hour later.

• Stand on the sand, not the pavement. Suyeong-gu marks the central and southwestern part of the beach as the recommended viewing area and asks people to keep the promenade clear.
• The northeast end closes. The small Millak beach park, where the drones take off, is closed to visitors from 40 minutes before each show until it ends.
• Wheelchair and stroller area. A dedicated viewing zone opens 40 minutes before each show opposite the Starbucks at 247 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro.
• Shows do get cancelled. Rain, strong wind or communication problems can delay or cancel a show, sometimes on the day itself. The official site posts notices; check it in the afternoon.

Busan Fireworks Festival on 7 November 2026

The 21st Busan Fireworks Festival takes place on Saturday 7 November 2026. Gwangalli Beach is the main stage, with Igidae and Dongbaekseom as other viewing areas. It is one of the biggest events of Busan’s year, so expect very large crowds, closed roads and full trains on the night.

Option	Cost	Notes
Free viewing	Free	From the beach and the surrounding shoreline; arrive early
R seat	₩100,000	Table and chair on the sand, in front of Hotel Aqua Palace and Homers Hotel
S seat	₩70,000	Chair on the sand, same area

Prices from Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Fireworks Festival site, checked 7 October 2026. Paid seats are sold on NOL Ticket (NOL World in English) until 6 November, 17:00, up to four per person. If you plan to stay near the beach that weekend, book your room well ahead. The 2026 programme times had not been published by 7 October; check the festival site closer to the date.

Getting to Gwangalli Beach

Take Busan Metro Line 2 to Gwangan Station (Exit 3 or 5) or Geumnyeonsan Station (Exit 3). From either, the beach is about 10 minutes on foot. City buses 38, 41, 42, 49, 51, 62, 83, 83-1 and 108-1 stop at Gwangalli Beach, about 3 minutes from the sand. Suyeong-gu advises public transport on show nights, as parking is limited.

From Busan Station, where the KTX from Seoul arrives, ride Line 1 to Seomyeon and change to Line 2 toward Jangsan. Haeundae Beach is further east on the same line, so the two beaches pair well in one day. A T-money card works on the metro and buses. For taxis, show the address 부산 수영구 광안해변로 219.

Swimming season and things to do by day

	2026	Notes
Swimming season	1 July–31 August	Lifeguards and marked swimming zones only then
Swimming hours	09:00–18:00	Busan city schedule; jellyfish nets installed for the season
Admission	Free	All year

Season dates from Busan Metropolitan City, checked 7 October 2026. Gwangalli’s season is shorter than Haeundae’s, which ran from late June to mid-September in 2026. Outside it, Busan asks visitors not to go in the water.

By day, Gwangalli is a place for a walk along the promenade and a coffee facing the bridge. Busan city promotes stand-up paddleboarding here, and Suyeong-gu runs outdoor stages along the beach for buskers and performances. The tourist information centre on the beach lends wheelchairs and strollers and has limited luggage storage.

Tips for visiting

• Plan a Saturday night here. The drone show is the reason most visitors come, and it runs only on Saturdays.
• Eat before the show. Suyeong-gu counts around 300 raw-fish restaurants and seafood halls around the beach, plus streets of cafes; they fill up on show nights.
• Leave slowly. After the show, staff guide crowds back along the pavements, and the stations get busy. Waiting on the sand until the crowd thins is often easier.
• Stay nearby for night views. Hotels on the seafront face the bridge; see where to stay in Busan.

Around Gwangalli Beach

The Gwangalli and Suyeong district also covers the Oryukdo cliffs and skywalk to the south, where the Haeparang coastal trail begins. To the east lie Haeundae Beach and the Busan X the Sky observatory. For the old harbour, Jagalchi Market and Gamcheon Culture Village sit on the far side of the city, so plan them for a different half of the day. For day trips and the wider area, see the Busan region page.