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FestivalWinter 2026

Gwangalli M (Marvelous) Drone Light Show

광안리 M 드론라이트쇼

This edition · Data as of · Published · Compiled by

Every Saturday evening on Busan's Gwangalli Beach, about 1,100 drones draw pictures in the sky in front of the lit-up Gwangan Bridge — Korea's first permanent drone light show, run by Suyeong District. In 2026 it runs all year, Saturdays only, twice a night: 7pm and 9pm from October to February, 8pm and 10pm from March to September, about 12 minutes each. It's free and there are no tickets — you watch from anywhere on the beach. The theme changes every week; on the first and third Saturdays of the month lasers open the show (24 minutes in all), and for Lunar New Year, Chuseok and the New Year's Eve countdown up to 3,000 drones fly. We read Korean blog posts by people who watched in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Gwangalli M (Marvelous) Drone Light Show
2025 광안리 M(Marvelous) 드론 라이트쇼 (4)2025 광안리 M(Marvelous) 드론 라이트쇼 (3)2025 광안리 M(Marvelous) 드론 라이트쇼 (2)2025 광안리 M(Marvelous) 드론 라이트쇼 (1)
Photos: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type3). Shown uncropped, as supplied.

What’s on

This is the official 2026 programme (checked 23 October). Themes are announced month by month. The November programme is now out and lists no show on Saturday 7 November. This year's New Year's Eve countdown has not been announced yet. Last year there was also no show on the night of the Busan Fireworks Festival (15 November).

Gwangalli Beach

Saturday drone light showWalk-inFree
Saturdays (except the 1st and 3rd of the month) · Oct–Feb 7pm & 9pm / Mar–Sep 8pm & 10pm
About 1,100 drones, roughly 12 minutes, lift-off on the hour. A new theme every week.
Drone × laser showWalk-inFree
1st and 3rd Saturday of each month · Oct–Feb 7pm & 9pm / Mar–Sep 8pm & 10pm
Six minutes of lasers, about 14 minutes of drones, then four more of lasers — 24 minutes in all. The drones lift six minutes after the start.
October themesWalk-inFree
3 Oct A Glorious Heritage (laser) · 10 Oct October in Busan · 17 Oct Station Between Dimensions (laser) · 24 Oct Melody of the Forest (cancelled) · 31 Oct The Legend of Troy · 7pm & 9pm
Both shows on Sat 24 Oct (7pm and 9pm) were cancelled because of a rain forecast for Busan (official notice).
November themesWalk-inFree
14 Nov Autumn-Lit Forest Village · 21 Nov Guardian of the Castle (with lasers) · 28 Nov Avengers: Doomsday in Gwangalli · 7pm & 9pm
No show is listed for Saturday 7 November. The 21 November show includes lasers.
Lunar New Year specialWalk-inFree
Sat 14 Feb — over · 8pm (one show only)
2,500 drones; beach road closed 7–9pm; streamed live on the “Suyeong-gu TV” YouTube channel.
Chuseok special: Moonlit FeastWalk-inFree
Sat 26 Sep — over · 8pm (one show only)
3,000 drones plus lasers; beach road closed 7–9pm, public Wi-Fi off 5–9pm.
New Year’s Eve countdownWalk-inFree
Thu 31 Dec, late — not yet announced for this year · Last year: lift-off 11:56pm (one show)
Last year (31 Dec 2025): 2,500 drones, beach road closed 11pm–1am, public Wi-Fi off 9pm–1am, metro running late. This year’s details are not out yet.

Sources: the official Gwangalli M Drone Light Show website (overview, programme and notices, checked 23 October 2026) and Korea Tourism Organization data. The organisers note that shows may be cancelled or delayed the day before or on the day for weather or signal problems.

The essentials

Dates2026-01-01 – 2026-12-31
WhereGwangalli Beach, Suyeong-gu, Busan (219 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro)
CostFree · no tickets or booking
OrganisersSuyeong District, Busan · Tourism and Sports Division (+82 51-610-6518)
Address부산광역시 수영구 광안해변로 219 (광안동)
Contact051-610-6518 · www.gwangallimdrone.co.kr/
ProgrammeSaturday shows with 1,100 drones, drone-and-laser shows on the first and third Saturdays, and Lunar New Year, Chuseok and New Year's Eve specials with up to 3,000 drones — see “What’s on” below.

What 30 visitors said

We searched Naver, the blog platform most Koreans use, for posts about the regular Saturday shows and the Lunar New Year, Chuseok and countdown specials, spread across each year (32 posts for 2024, 40 for 2025, 42 for 2026), read every one to the end and kept only people who actually watched that year (30, 36 and 28), then picked 10 a year. Each year starts with the countdown named after it (the night of 31 December before). Sponsored and copy-paste info posts were dropped, and no writer is counted twice. Every number counts the posts that mentioned something.

What people liked

Bigger and more 3-D than expected13 of 30 posts

The drones fill the sky like a screen, and the pictures move and turn 24-02 24-09 24-22 24-31 25-04 25-18 25-24 25-25 25-30 26-07 26-22 26-25 26-29

You can see it from anywhere on the beach4 of 30 posts

It flies high — no need to fight for the front row 24-06 24-12 24-30 26-05

Lots of visitors from abroad7 of 30 posts

One writer guessed half the crowd was foreign; another found visitors filming from the front row in her way 24-14 24-17 24-31 25-24 26-18 26-26 26-29

Short enough for children4 of 30 posts

Ten to twenty minutes keeps children happy; settle on the sand early 24-02 25-24 25-34 26-17

Easier from upstairs3 of 30 posts

From a restaurant or hotel above the beach: no craned necks, an easier way home 24-24 24-31 25-15

What people struggled with

From the side the pictures warp5 of 30 posts

Away from the centre (Starbucks / Meeting Square) some images are hard to read 24-17 25-10 26-05 26-25 26-32

A long wait for a short show6 of 30 posts

An hour or two of waiting for about ten minutes 24-17 24-24 25-24 25-25 26-07 26-32

Getting away afterwards is hard9 of 30 posts

No taxis, an hour to drive out, the first bus full 24-17 24-22 24-24 24-30 25-24 25-30 26-07 26-17 26-29

Winter nights on the beach are cold7 of 30 posts

Sea wind made even March cold; New Year's Eve was below freezing 24-09 24-30 25-07 25-30 26-01 26-05 26-18

Delays and date changes5 of 30 posts

Signal trouble, a rain delay, a Saturday show moved to Sunday 24-02 24-06 25-04 25-15 25-23

These are raw counts, not percentages. Someone who did not mention something is not someone who disagreed.

Who goes, and when

Mostly people visiting Busan who timed a Saturday evening for it — families with children, couples, solo travellers — plus locals who live nearby, and plenty of international visitors. Twenty-seven of the 30 posts call it crowded; special nights (Lunar New Year, Chuseok, the countdown, character tie-ins like Spider-Man or BTS) are the busiest.

Who they went with

With friends1 of 30 posts
With children5 of 30 posts

16 of the 30 posts did not say.

Time of day

Evening24 of 30 posts
Night6 of 30 posts

Visiting from abroad

No ticket and no booking — just turn up on the beach on a Saturday evening. The official website has English pages, and cancellations are posted in English on its Notice page too, so check it on the day. Many writers noticed lots of visitors from abroad: at the Spider-Man show on 2 May one guessed about half the crowd was foreign, and one family found visitors standing at the very front filming, blocking their view. One writer mentions spoken narration; we couldn't confirm in what language, but the pictures need no words. On special-show nights the public Wi-Fi along the beach is switched off (official notice), so download what you need beforehand. Afterwards taxis are scarce — walk to the metro.

Weather and crowds

Shows are cancelled for rain or strong wind, sometimes the day before, sometimes on the day (official notice). Counting this year's notices, seven Saturdays between January and October had no show at all (five for wind or rain, two for other events on the beach), and on two more only the 10pm show was rained off. Winter evenings on the sand are cold — one writer was cold even in March, and New Year's Eve was −2 to −3°C — though one February night felt mild. In high summer the sky isn't fully dark at 8pm; the 10pm show looks sharper.

Getting there and access

Take Busan Metro Line 2. Geumnyeonsan (exit 3) and Gwangan (exit 3) stations are each about ten minutes' walk from the beach; buses stop at Gwangalli Beach, three minutes away (official guide). There are six public car parks but they fill early on show nights, and the Suyeong District Office car park has been closed since 6 August 2026. When the show ends everyone leaves at once: writers could not get a taxi, took an hour to drive out, or found the first bus full. On Lunar New Year and Chuseok show nights the beach road (Gwanganhaebyeon-ro, from the SUP zone junction to Millak Raw Fish Town) is closed 7–9pm, and on New Year's Eve 11pm–1am; last year the metro ran late for the countdown.

There is an official wheelchair and pushchair viewing area opposite Starbucks Gwangalli (247 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro), set up 40 minutes before each show. It is not set up on some big event days — the organisers said so for the Eobang Festival and for 15 August. One family with a nine-month-old found the crowd too dense for a pushchair and carried the baby throughout. We couldn't find official information on beach toilets; on New Year's Eve the queues were very long.

Year by year

Winter 2024

The 2024 countdown on New Year's Eve 2023 was called off after a 30-minute delay because of signal trouble, and re-staged with 2,000 drones at 7pm on 1 January (20 minutes late again). Lunar New Year (10 February) brought a single 1,500-drone blue-dragon show and Chuseok (14 September) a 2,000-drone special. Weekly themes included White Day, baseball, cheering on Korea's Paris Olympic team and Christmas.

Winter 2025

The 2025 countdown was cancelled for a national mourning period (official notice). The Lunar New Year special moved from Saturday to Sunday 26 January. Lasers were added for the first time on 5 July — one writer found them thin and out of step with the music, while a November visitor loved the way they used the whole bridge. The 80th Liberation Day show was rained off and held the next day, Sunday 10 August, and Chuseok (4 October) brought 2,500 drones.

Winter 2026

The 2026 countdown on New Year's Eve 2025 went off on time — 2,500 drones lifted at 11:56pm and a red horse galloped in the new year in front of a crowd writers put at about 70,000. Lunar New Year (14 February) brought a single 8pm show with 2,500 drones; 2 May a Spider-Man drone-and-laser show; 13 June a BTS special; and Chuseok (26 September) 3,000 drones plus lasers in one show. Now the first and third Saturdays of each month open with lasers.

Tips from people who went

  • Check the official Notice page (English available) before you set off — cancellations happen on the day
  • For the clearest pictures stand front-on, between Starbucks Gwangalli and the Meeting Square, or in front of the Suyeong Culture Centre
  • Arrive 30–60 minutes early for a regular show, earlier for specials; a picnic mat helps
  • It starts exactly on the hour — arrive late and you miss the opening
  • Both shows of the night are the same; the later one is less crowded, and darker in summer
  • On the first and third Saturdays lasers come first for six minutes, then the drones
  • Leave just before the end, or wait 20–30 minutes before heading for the metro
  • A table at an upstairs restaurant or a beachfront room is the comfortable option
  • In winter bring a blanket and a hot drink; in summer, mosquito repellent

The 30 posts we read

  1. 24-02 · 2024-01-02 광안리 M드론 라이트 쇼 2024 카운트다운 후기
  2. 24-06 · 2024-01-02 2024 카운트다운 광안리 드론쇼 관람후기(위치 및 주차)
  3. 24-09 · 2024-02-11 부산 광안리 2024 설날 청룡 드론쇼 후기 시간 주차 꿀팁
  4. 24-12 · 2024-03-14 2024 3월 광안리 드론쇼 시간 일정 명당 후기
  5. 24-14 · 2024-04-17 광안리 해수욕장에서 드론쇼 야구테마를 즐기고왔다 밤에는 역시 ....
  6. 24-17 · 2024-05-11 [부산 여행] 부산 광안리 '드론쇼' 일정, 명당, 주차, 시간 후기 2024 5....
  7. 24-22 · 2024-08-02 광안리 해변에서 매주 열리는 [광안리 드론라이트쇼] 후기
  8. 24-24 · 2024-09-18 토요일 광안리 드론쇼 : M드론라이트쇼 추석특별공연
  9. 24-30 · 2024-12-24 부산 광안리 드론쇼 관람 후기
  10. 24-31 · 2024-12-31 부산 광안리 2024 크리스마스 드론쇼 켄트호텔 명당 꿀팁 후기 - 루프....
  11. 25-04 · 2025-02-04 설날 특별 2025대 드론, 광안리 드론쇼 명당 직관 후기 / 사진 꿀팁, ....
  12. 25-07 · 2025-02-12 광안리 드론쇼 첫관람후기 위치/명당/꿀팁/일정
  13. 25-10 · 2025-04-21 광안리 M 드론라이트쇼 - 내 마음의 이모티콘
  14. 25-15 · 2025-06-15 [부산/광안리] 광안대교 드론 쇼 _ 시간/위치 및 일정 확인 방법부터 ....
  15. 25-18 · 2025-07-08 25년 7월 광안리 드론 레이저쇼 관람 후기 및 일정 안내(약간의 허무)
  16. 25-23 · 2025-08-13 부산 광안리 드론쇼 8월 일정 정보 광복절 기념 드론쇼 후기
  17. 25-24 · 2025-08-04 아이와 광안리 드론쇼 7월 관람후기 명당자리와 주차장 남은 8월 공....
  18. 25-25 · 2025-09-16 부산 광안리 드론쇼 일정 2025년 9월 6일 HELL GATE 후기
  19. 25-30 · 2025-10-11 광안리 드론쇼 2025 후기｜명절 밤하늘을 수놓은 2500대의 빛
  20. 25-34 · 2025-11-26 2025 광안리 단 하루 스페셜 드론쇼 & 레이저쇼 후기
  21. 26-01 · 2026-01-09 [2026새해] 드디어 처음으로 새해 카운트 다운 드론쇼 직관 광안리 카....
  22. 26-05 · 2026-01-01 부모님과 함께하는 여행 (광안리 드론쇼 명당 + 일출까지 완벽한 연....
  23. 26-07 · 2026-01-01 2026년 병오년 새해 카운트다운 광안리 드론 쇼
  24. 26-17 · 2026-02-15 부산 광안리 드론쇼(M 드론 라이트쇼) 후기｜시간·장소·관람 팁 총....
  25. 26-18 · 2026-03-22 [부산 광안리] 토요일 드론 라이트쇼, 관람 명당
  26. 26-22 · 2026-04-26 부산 광안리 드론쇼 후기｜토요일 8시 정각 시작, 웅장하지만 9개월 아기랑은 아직 무리
  27. 26-25 · 2026-05-04 광안리 드론쇼 레이저쇼 스파이더맨 : 브랜드 뉴 데이 관람 후기 위....
  28. 26-26 · 2026-05-02 부산 광안리 드론 라이트 쇼 스파이더맨 브랜드뉴데이 관람 후기
  29. 26-29 · 2026-06-14 광안리 BTS 드론쇼 밤하늘에 수놓인 BTS멤버들 얼굴 2026 방탄소년단 ....
  30. 26-32 · 2026-08-01 포켓몬 드론쇼! 광안리 M 드론라이트쇼 후기

All posts are in Korean. We summarise them in our own words rather than quoting.