Seoul's night sky was brilliantly illuminated on Saturday, September 27th, as over one million people gathered for the 'Seoul International Fireworks Festival 2025 with Hanwha'. The massive annual event, now in its 21st year, lit up the Yeouido Hangang Park area with unforgettable displays from three international teams.
Each team brought a unique flavor to the evening with carefully curated soundtracks:
- The show kicked off with Italy, who presented a sophisticated and cinematic display set to a mix of classic rock from Pink Floyd, opera by Luciano Pavarotti, and iconic film scores from Ennio Morricone.
- Next, the Canadian team thrilled the audience with a high-energy, action-packed show inspired by blockbuster movies. Their set featured epic themes from 'The Avengers' and 'Star Wars', mixed with powerful rock anthems from Led Zeppelin and AC/DC.
- The finale from South Korea (Team Hanwha), themed "Golden Hour", celebrated a wide range of popular Korean music. The sky lit up to K-Pop hits from RIIZE ("Get A Guitar") and NMIXX members, hip-hop from Dynamic Duo & Lee Young Ji ("Smoke"), and indie from JANNABI. The display also included the previously mentioned songs from IU ("A Giver's Dream") and the movie 'K-Pop: Demon Hunters', as well as a track from the 'Squid Game' OST.
For the first time, the show was expanded across a wider section of the Han River, creating a massive, symmetrical decalcomania effect. This allowed more people to enjoy the view from various locations, helping to naturally disperse the enormous crowds.
The festival is a flagship social contribution event for its host, Hanwha Group. Hanwha is one of South Korea's largest companies, with businesses ranging from aerospace and chemicals to finance. Its history in the pyrotechnics industry makes the world-class festival a perfect fit for the company's community efforts.
The event was also a masterclass in public safety. A total of 3,700 staff from Hanwha and another 5,000 personnel from the city of Seoul, police, and fire departments were on-site to manage the crowd. Hanwha also utilized a smart-app called 'Orange Safety' to monitor crowd density in real-time and ensure safety. Thanks to the thorough planning and the mature civic awareness of the attendees, the event concluded without any major incidents. After the show, 1,200 employee volunteers from Hanwha stayed late into the night for a 'Clean Campaign' to restore the park.
The night ended with a 'DJ After Party' near the river, providing extra entertainment and encouraging a safe, gradual departure for the attendees.
Check out clips from each country's incredible display below!
Team Italy:
Team Canada:
Team South Korea:
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