The 2025 Ulsan Fireworks Festival: A Night of Delays and Dazzling Displays

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October is a month filled with festivals nationwide, much like May, the month of family. Ulsan also hosted various events in October.

Among them, the '2025 Ulsan Industrial Festival,' which began on October 16th, is a highlight. Alongside the main Industrial Festival events in the city center, one of the most anticipated associated events was the '2025 Ulsan Fireworks Festival.'

The 2025 Ulsan Fireworks Festival, initially scheduled to coincide with the closing ceremony of the 2025 Ulsan Industrial Festival, was to be held on October 19th at Gangdong Beach in Buk-gu.

While the Industrial Festival has previously included associated events in various locations beyond downtown Ulsan, this was the first time, to my knowledge, that an Industrial Festival event was held at Gangdong Beach in Buk-gu.

The fireworks festival began under the name 'Ulsan Fireworks Festival' in 2023. It was held at Ilsan Beach in Dong-gu as an associated event of the Ulsan Industrial Festival. Last year, it also took place at Ilsan Beach in Dong-gu.

Ulsan boasts many beautiful beaches along its east coast, not just Ilsan Beach in Dong-gu. Therefore, holding the fireworks festival against the backdrop of various regional beaches seems like a great idea. I cautiously speculate that this year's move to Gangdong Pebble Beach in Buk-gu might have been for regional balance.

However, this year's Ulsan Fireworks Festival faced an unexpected variable: the weather. On the originally scheduled date of the 19th, cloudy skies and strong winds prevented the barge carrying the fireworks from reaching Gangdong Pebble Beach.

As those who have visited Gangdong Pebble Beach in Buk-gu know, it's a true beach, not a swimming beach or a harbor, lacking breakwaters or tetrapods to shield against the waves. This environment makes it a place where the sea breeze blowing from the coast is quite strong.

Unfortunately, the event was postponed to the evening of the 24th due to the intensifying winds. However, it was canceled again on the 24th, once again due to the weather.

Finally, after two postponements, it took place on the evening of the 26th. Thanks to the calm weather on the 26th, the 2025 Ulsan Fireworks Festival was finally able to proceed.

The Ulsan Fireworks Festival on the 26th was scheduled to begin at 7:30 PM (originally scheduled for 8 PM on October 19th). In late October, the sun sets around 6 PM, making the weather quite chilly.

Waiting for an hour and a half after sunset on a beach exposed to the sea breeze is quite challenging. The organizers should consider the significant difference between 7:30 PM in May/June and 7:30 PM in late October.

Fortunately, test fireworks lit up the sky before it got too dark, alleviating the boredom of those waiting.

The drone show was presented first. Following the introduction of dignitaries from the distant beach and a countdown, spectacular fireworks soared into the sky. This was followed by a drone show.

I moved away from the beach to a higher vantage point to capture the overall scenery around Gangdong Pebble Beach, so I unfortunately couldn't see the drone show properly as it was obscured by apartments.

With the drone show concluded, the full-fledged 2025 Ulsan Fireworks Festival finally began.

When experiencing various fireworks festivals across the country, it's common to encounter fireworks that utilize the unique terrain and landmarks of each region. The 'Niagara Fireworks' using the Daewangam Suspension Bridge at the 2024 Ulsan Fireworks Festival held at Ilsan Beach in Dong-gu last year is a prime example.

Similarly, in nearby Pohang, the fireworks exploding against the backdrop of Yeongildae at Yeongildae Beach are symbolic of the Pohang Fireworks Festival.

The 2025 Ulsan Fireworks Festival held at Gangdong Pebble Beach in Buk-gu was somewhat lacking in this regard. Being a long, open coastline, there weren't any specific fireworks symbolizing the location.

Nevertheless, as it was the first Ulsan Fireworks Festival held in Buk-gu, cheers erupted from various places each time fireworks exploded in the sky.

The approximately 20-minute fireworks show, accompanied by the thunderous sound of fireworks echoing across Gangdong Beach, culminated in a finale that unleashed all the remaining fireworks, followed by cheers and applause.

After two unexpected cancellations and postponements, the 2025 Ulsan Fireworks Festival finally concluded safely on October 26th at Gangdong Pebble Beach in Buk-gu. The 2025 Ulsan Fireworks Festival will be remembered as the first year it was held at a new location, away from Ilsan Beach in Dong-gu.

Personally, I had some reservations when I heard that this year's fireworks festival would be held at Gangdong Pebble Beach due to its vulnerability to wind. However, after it concluded without incident, I thought it might be a good idea to change the location again next year and hold it at Jinha Beach in Ulju-gun.

Great job to everyone involved in the preparations!

※ This content is from a 'Ulsan Metropolitan City Blog Reporter' and may differ from the official position of Ulsan Metropolitan City Hall.