Ending the year with music in Busan: 7 concerts

If you want to catch a concert in Busan on one of the earlier year-end weekends, check out AKMU's 〈Paradise of Rumors〉 tour. It's held at BEXCO Exhibition Center 1 on Saturday, December 19 at 5 p.m. and Sunday, December 20 at 4 p.m. The official running time is 150 minutes, so leave plenty of room around the show when planning dinner and travel.

Standing and VIP seats are 176,000 won, R seats 165,000 won and restricted-view seats 154,000 won. First decide between standing and seated sections, and for restricted-view seats, read the notes about that location as well as the price. The official rating is all ages, but the standing area separately requires attendees to be 12 or older (international age) and accompanied by a guardian. If you have a young companion, look closely at the rules for each section. Set your destination to Exhibition Center 1 so you don't confuse it with BEXCO Exhibition Center 2 or the Auditorium.

For Lee Mu-jin's 〈Winter Greetings: From Winter〉 in Busan, you can choose between Christmas Day and the day after. It starts at 5 p.m. on December 25 and 4 p.m. on December 26 at the Grand Theater of Busan Citizens' Hall. It's worth a look for anyone who wants a winter date at a solo concert focused on melodies and voice. The start times also work well for having dinner together after the show.

R seats are 154,000 won and S seats 143,000 won, and the show runs 120 minutes. The official booking information lists admission as ages 8 and up, and every audience member needs a ticket. Busan Citizens' Hall is on Jaseong-ro 133beon-gil in Dong-gu, a different part of the city from BEXCO and Busan Cinema Center in Centum City. If you're traveling, work out the time from your accommodation to the venue separately. Double-checking your actual show date along with your seat choice helps you avoid mixing up the start times of the Christmas Day show and the Saturday show.

This is a chance to hear Kwon Jin-ah live in Busan around Christmas. The Busan shows of her 〈THIS WINTER〉 tour are at KBS Busan Hall on Friday, December 25 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, December 26 at 5 p.m. These Busan dates are separate from the Seoul and Daegu shows of the same winter tour, and suit anyone who wants to spend a year-end evening centered on one artist's voice and music.

R seats are 143,000 won and S seats 132,000 won, and admission is for ages 8 and up by international age. That differs from the plain "ages 8" used by other shows on this list, so if you have a young companion, check the international-age requirement. KBS Busan Hall is at 429 Suyeong-ro, Suyeong-gu, a different venue from Busan Citizens' Hall or Busan Cinema Center. Keep in mind when making plans that the Friday and Saturday start times are an hour apart. Check the seating layout and ticket pickup method, and visit on the date you booked.

Lee Seung-chul's 40th anniversary concert 〈THE VOICE〉 celebrates his long career while showcasing his live singing today. The Busan show is on Christmas Eve, December 24, at 7 p.m. at BEXCO Exhibition Center 1. The official introduction highlights its Flying Sound System, making it worth a look for audiences who want an experience centered on voice and sound.

Tickets are FS seats 198,000 won, VIP 187,000 won, R 165,000 won and S 154,000 won. FS is a separate class officially called FLYING SOUND SYSTEM SEAT, so compare its location and conditions with other sections on the seating chart. Admission is for ages 8 and up, and the official notice lists about 120 minutes plus a 20-minute intermission. Allow plenty of time from entry to exit. It overlaps with other year-end shows around Centum, so plan your travel including dinner and the trip home.

Kim Kyung-ho's Busan show, titled 〈A Time for Ballads〉, is held at the Haneul Theater of Busan Cinema Center. There are two shows on Saturday, December 26, at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., so you can see the afternoon show and then enjoy the evening, or spend the day out and head to the theater afterward. It's a good one to compare if you want to spend a year-end weekend focused on one artist's vocals.

The official running time is 120 minutes, and admission is for ages 8 and up. R seats are 110,000 won and S seats 99,000 won. Even on the same date, tickets for the two shows are separate, so check whether you chose 3 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. The venue is the indoor Haneul Theater inside Busan Cinema Center, not the events on the outdoor plaza or the movie screens. If you're adding a meal or a stroll in Centum City, plan your route around the show's start and end times for a more relaxed day.

If you want to hear jazz vocals on Christmas Eve, Woongsan's 30th anniversary concert 〈Here’s To Life〉 is a good fit. The Busan show is on Thursday, December 24 at 7 p.m. at the Haneul Theater of Busan Cinema Center. As a solo show marking a milestone in her career, it suits people who'd rather follow one vocalist's musical journey than move between acts at a festival.

The show runs 120 minutes and is open to ages 8 and up. Tickets are R seats 99,000 won and S seats 77,000 won. It starts at the same time as Lee Seung-chul's Christmas Eve show at BEXCO, so you can't really see both back to back. It's better to compare the music and seat budget and pick one. The seasonal events on Busan Cinema Center's outdoor plaza are separate from entry to the theater, so plan your day around your Haneul Theater ticket.

If you're looking for a music date to close out the year in Haeundae, check out the year-end concert with the Kim Chang-wan Band. It's held on Wednesday, December 30 at 7:30 p.m. in Haeun Hall at Haeundae Cultural Center. Since it comes after Christmas week, it's a separate option for anyone with other Christmas plans or looking for a show on the last weekdays of the year.

The show runs 90 minutes, and admission is for ages 8 and up. Regular prices are VIP 50,000 won, R 40,000 won and 2nd-floor S 30,000 won, which makes it easy to compare budgets within this Busan list. However, the cultural center's official notice says the ticket sale date will be announced later, so you can't assume tickets are available now. If you're interested, watch for further notices from Haeundae Cultural Center. Your destination is Haeun Hall at 97 Yangun-ro, Haeundae-gu, a different venue from Busan Cinema Center in Centum City.