Incheon Metropolitan City will hold the "2025 Incheon New Year's Eve Festival" at the outdoor plaza of Incheon Culture & Arts Center on December 31, welcoming the new year together with citizens.
The festival will run from 9 p.m. until after midnight. Billed as a "year-end festival with direct citizen participation," the event features performances, interactive experiences, and official ceremonies.
Citizen participation programs form the centerpiece of the festival. Twelve citizens from all walks of life—including recipients of citizen and culture awards, promising athletes, volunteers, firefighters, police officers, and local elders—will take part in the bell-ringing ceremony that marks the arrival of 2026. They will ring the bell 33 times to signal the start of the new year.
A "Citizen Light Performance" involving approximately 1,000 participants will also draw attention. Citizens will personally choreograph a display conveying the message "A bold new year like a horse—we are the protagonists."
The entertainment lineup is extensive. Starting with citizen participation stages, local arts groups Gugaknori and Lunaflow, along with soprano Yoon So-jung, will perform. Guest singer Jung Dong-ha and Performanz will add to the year-end excitement. After midnight, a fireworks show will mark the beginning of the new year.
The venue will offer interactive programs including AI tarot readings, a wish tree for messages, and traditional yut board games. A large-scale media art photo zone standing 7 meters tall will also be installed.
"This is not an event where people simply watch performances, but a festival where citizens directly participate to welcome the new year together," Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok said. "I hope this becomes an opportunity for families, couples, and friends to warmly close out the year and make a vigorous start to 2026."
