▲ A special "Star Wars"-themed performance during the "Drone Light Show" held at the Han River
As the nighttime drone show staged over the Han River gains popularity, it has drawn 125,000 visitors in the first half of this year alone.
One out of every three attendees was a foreigner, and with crowds flocking to the nighttime drone show, sales in nearby commercial districts surged by nearly 40% compared to usual.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that a total of 125,358 people attended the five sessions of the "2026 Hangang Light Show" (Drone Light Show) held in the first half of this year, averaging about 25,000 spectators per session.
The drone light show kicked off in April at Yeouido Hangang Park with a BTS theme, and subsequently continued performances at Ttukseon Hangang Park (three times) and Jamsil Hangang Park (once).
The number of visitors to the event locations on the days of the performances increased by approximately 97% compared to the average of the same days of the week over the preceding four weeks.
Foreigners accounted for 34.6% of all spectators, totaling 43,395 people.
This represents a nearly threefold increase (191%) in foreign visitors compared to normal times.
During the premiere performance in April, half of the audience (49.6%) consisted of foreigners.
The increase in visitors also translated into consumer spending in adjacent commercial areas.
Card sales in the commercial districts surrounding the venues on the day of the drone show increased by an average of 17% compared to usual, with sales around Ttukseon Hangang Park notably surging by 39%.
The drone light show also drew significant attention online from overseas and other platforms.
The video of the special performance themed around "Star Wars" in the first half of the year surpassed 770,000 views on the official Seoul Metropolitan Government YouTube channel alone, with viewers recorded from 97 countries.
Overseas views accounted for 93.4% of the total views for this video, with the United States making up 44.0% of the views by country.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will continue holding performances three more times in the second half of the year at Ttukseon Hangang Park on September 12, October 9, and October 31.
For the "Marvel" special performance in collaboration with The Walt Disney Company Korea scheduled for October 31, the city plans to deploy 2,000 drones, the largest scale ever, to bring Marvel characters and stories to life in the night sky.
As many visitors arrive early at the performance venues, the city is also collaborating with Baemin (Baedal Minjok) and holding discount events so that foreign visitors can enjoy delivered food at Hangang Park.
(Photo courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government, Yonhap News)
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