City pop festival to transform Seoul’s Mullae neighborhood into a music district

The industrial workshops, studios, restaurants and cafes of Seoul’s Mullae-dong will become a city-pop stage on the 20th, when the third Mullae City Pop Festival takes over the neighborhood.

Japanese musician Yasuyuki Horigome will headline the event. Known for his work with the city-pop band Kirinji and songs including “Aliens,” Horigome will return to South Korea for the first time in 22 years. He will perform in Korea as a solo artist for the first time, backed by a four-member band.

South Korean acts Jane Pop, Hwamok Band and Haya Jazz Quartet will also perform. The program will span city pop and related sounds including funk, pop, jazz and fusion. “Nandong,” the youth band from the Mullae Youth Center, will join the lineup.

The festival combines music with the distinctive character of Mullae Creative Village, where metalworking shops and artists’ studios operate alongside food businesses and cafes. First held in 2024, the festival drew about 2,000 visitors last year. Mullae-dong was also ranked sixth on Time Out’s 2025 list of the world’s coolest neighborhoods.

This year’s local-business program, called Mullaenomics, will expand from 10 participating stores to more than 40 restaurants, cafes and shops. Visitors who collect verification stamps at the festival can receive discounts and other benefits. Organizers said participating businesses recorded sales increases of 20% to 30% compared with the previous year.

A City of People program will add a music flea market selling LPs, CDs, cassette tapes, music books and magazines, artist merchandise, posters and vintage items. Local artists and residents will also take part. The market has no participation fee, and sellers will keep their proceeds. The festival runs from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., with the market from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and concerts from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. All performances are free.