"Come See the Cherry Blossoms in Changwon" ... Changwon Special City to Open the 64th Jinhae Gunhangje Festival on the 27th

Held Throughout Jinhae-gu: A Festival of Participation, Trust, and Emotion

The 64th Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, South Korea's largest cherry blossom festival and the prelude to spring nationwide, will officially open with a ceremony on March 27, 2026.

The Gunhangje Festival will be held for 10 days, until April 5, across the entire Jinhae District of Changwon Special City. This year's festival, under the slogan "The Beginning of Spring," is designed not only as a traditional viewing event but also as an immersive, participatory festival where tourists can stay, experience, and directly engage in various activities.

This year's Gunhangje Festival is more than just enjoying the flowers. Visitors can stay among the cherry blossoms and take part in a range of experiential, performance, and nighttime events.

A diverse lineup of flagship programs will be held, including the opening ceremony, the Jinhae Military Band and Honor Guard Festival, the Memorial Ceremony and Victory Parade for Admiral Yi Sun-shin, the Victory Celebration Multimedia Fireworks Show at sea, military base open house events, the Black Eagles Air Show, the Cherry Blossom Music Festival, the Gunhang K-POP Dance Competition, the Yeojwacheon Starlight Festival, and the Gunhangje Song Contest.

The official events marking the start of the festival will take place on March 27. Beginning at 6 p.m. at Jinhae Public Stadium, the joint opening ceremony for the 64th Jinhae Gunhangje Festival and the Jinhae Military Band and Honor Guard Festival will feature performances by military bands and honor guards, as well as congratulatory performances by singers Lee Saebyuk and Enoch, signaling the official launch of the festival.

On April 1 at 8 p.m., the "Admiral Yi Sun-shin Victory Celebration Multimedia Fireworks Show" will be held, combining spectacular fireworks and music over Jinhae Bay with the nighttime cherry blossom scenery. As one of the most anticipated programs during the Gunhangje Festival, Changwon City expects large crowds and will prioritize visitors' safety by deploying sufficient safety and order management personnel, and cooperating with relevant agencies such as the police and fire departments.

This year, the traditional night market area will be completely revamped, introducing the new "Gunhang Brand Fair" and "Gunhang Village." The Gunhang Brand Fair will be organized as an expo selling domestic small business products, while Gunhang Village will operate as a seating-style food zone combining cherry blossoms with famous local delicacies. The sentimental food stalls, which proved popular at the Masan Gagopa Chrysanthemum Festival, will also operate by the beach near Sokcheon Port, enhancing the nighttime festival atmosphere.

The Cherry Blossom Music Festival, now in its second year, will be held over three days from April 3 to April 5. The festival will kick off with "Trot Day," featuring performers from "Mr. Trot 3," followed by "Music Day" with ballad and retro performances suiting the spring mood, and another "Music Day" with popular bands favored by Millennials & Gen Z. With this diverse lineup, the festival is expected to appeal to a wide range of audiences across generations and tastes.

This year, an AI Video Contest was held for the first time. The contest invited the public to create and submit videos capturing the cherry blossom scenery and urban charm of the Gunhangje Festival using artificial intelligence. Anyone, whether a citizen or tourist, could participate, and the winning entries will be used as promotional content at the opening ceremony and on social media.

To ensure smooth traffic and convenience for visitors, the city has prepared 5,950 temporary parking spaces. On weekends, three free shuttle bus routes—Blue, Yellow, and Red—will operate, while during weekdays, a free shuttle bus will circulate between Gyeonghwa Station, Jinhae Station, and Bukwon Rotary. Additionally, on weekends, a 3.2 km bus-only lane will be implemented between Bukwon Rotary, Jinhae Station, Central Market, and Gyeonghwa Station to make it easier for festival visitors to move around.

In addition, paid temporary city bus routes will operate to improve access to military base open house events and major tourist attractions. The routes will connect Bukwon Rotary to the Naval Base Command, and from the 3rd Main Gate (Naval Academy Main Gate) to the 11th Pier and the Naval Academy. These routes will operate on both weekdays and weekends to support convenient transportation for visitors to the military bases.

To ensure order within the festival grounds and a fair business environment, a focused crackdown on illegal business activities will be conducted. The city has designated the areas around Gyeonghwa Station and Yeojwacheon as key management zones and has formed a dedicated task force with related departments, police, and organizing bodies to enforce against illegal business activities. The main targets are illegal street stalls, unlicensed food sales, and unauthorized road occupation. The city has also strengthened interdepartmental cooperation to ensure rapid response to violations reported by the public.

Jang Geumyong, acting mayor of Changwon Special City, stated, "Through thorough preliminary inspections and flawless on-site management, we will create a festival where both citizens and tourists can enjoy themselves with peace of mind. I hope everyone can fully savor the romance of cherry blossoms with their loved ones at the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, which marks the beginning of spring."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.