The 2026 Han River College Music Festival, which has discovered next-generation stars through original song competitions among university students, will be held at the multipurpose sports field in Jamwon Hangang Park on the evening of May 2.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government's Future Han River Headquarters announced on the 27th that it has released this year's festival schedule and will accept applications until March 22.
The festival will take place at 7 p.m. on May 2 at the multipurpose sports field in Jamwon Hangang Park near Sinsa Ramp. The event will be livestreamed online and broadcast nationwide through KBS recorded programming. Digital content including highlight videos will also be released sequentially, allowing those unable to attend in person to enjoy the performances.
This year's prizes and benefits are substantial. The grand prize winner will receive 20 million won and a performance opportunity in Jakarta, Indonesia. The gold prize winner will receive 10 million won and a chance to perform in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The silver and bronze prize winners will receive 5 million won and 3 million won respectively, while two teams will receive the Youth Empathy Award with 1 million won each. All winners will also receive music release opportunities.
Online preliminary applications open on the 27th. Any domestic or international university or graduate student with original compositions may apply individually or as a team, regardless of leave of absence status. Applicants must submit a basic application form along with an audio file, live performance video (YouTube link), enrollment or leave of absence certificate, and sheet music. Applications will be processed through the AI music production platform "Music on the Block."
The first preliminary round will be conducted through video evaluation immediately after the application deadline. Results will be announced on March 31 based on creativity, performance ability, and star potential, with online voting (50%) and expert evaluation (50%). Online voting will take place from March 23-27 on the Music on the Block website. The second preliminary round will be held as a live performance at the Mulbit Stage in Yeouido Hangang Park at 1 p.m. on April 11, with approximately 10 teams advancing to the finals to be determined on April 13.
Park Jin-young, Director of Seoul's Future Han River Headquarters, said, "Now in its third year, the Han River College Music Festival has established itself as a gateway for young musicians, drawing a peak crowd of 10,000 and total attendance of 40,000 last year. We encourage domestic and international university students to participate and showcase their musical dreams and talents."
Detailed recruitment guidelines, application procedures, and judging schedules for the 2026 Han River College Music Festival are available on the official application page and the Han River College Music Festival website.