Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival opens amid sweltering weather

The annual Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival, one of the biggest summer music festivals in South Korea, kicked off Friday for a three-day run amid the scorching heat.

Hosted by the Incheon metropolitan government, the festival has been held every year in Songdo, Incheon, about 30 kilometers west of Seoul, since 2006.

This year’s edition will feature about 50 teams of rock musicians from home and abroad, including The Strokes, an American rock band considered one of the leading groups of the early-2000s indie rock revival, the British rock band Ride and the Japanese band Ellegarden.

The lineup will be divided into three stages on each day.

Among the established Korean musicians in the lineup are the Kim Chang-wan band, Kim Yuna of Jaurim, Chang Kiha of Kiha & The Faces, Cherry Filter and No Brain.

There will also be performances by up-and-coming young bands in the rock music scene, such as Se So Neon, Silica Gel, The Volunteers and SURL.

With daytime temperatures forecast to go up to 35 C for the city during the festival period, the festival authority said it has additionally installed a large canopy, and a resting place equipped with an air conditioner and a misting fan at the festival venue.

The festival returned to its in-person format last year after being held online for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic and drew about 130,000 visitors, according to the city government.