Incheon Approves City Hall Plaza for Queer Culture Festival for First Time

Incheon has approved the use of the plaza outside City Hall for the city’s Queer Culture Festival for the first time since the annual event began in 2018.

The ninth Incheon Queer Culture Festival is scheduled to take place Saturday at Incheon Aetteul, the public plaza outside the municipal government complex. Organizers plan to hold the event from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. under the theme “A Rainbow by Your Side.” Police expect about 1,900 people to participate in the festival and its accompanying parade.

The city granted permission with conditions intended to protect the venue and limit disruption. Organizers may not install tents or other long-term structures on the lawn, must protect existing facilities and must comply with noise restrictions.

The approval comes after a legal dispute over the festival’s attempt to use the same plaza last year. In February, the Incheon District Court ruled in favor of the organizers in a lawsuit challenging the city’s rejection of their 2025 application. The municipal government has appealed that decision, according to a city official.

Festival organizers welcomed the latest approval, describing it as a breakthrough after what they viewed as discriminatory treatment by the local administration. The decision marks a significant change for an event that has operated in Incheon since 2018 without previously receiving permission to use the City Hall plaza.

Saturday’s parade is planned in two stages. Participants are scheduled to travel along Namdong-daero and Yesul-ro from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., then continue along Yesul-ro and Munhwa-ro until 6 p.m.

Police plan to deploy 110 officers to manage traffic and direct motorists toward alternative routes. Advisory banners will be installed near the venue and along the procession route, and authorities have urged visitors to use public transportation, including the subway.

The venue decision comes as queer culture festivals in other Korean cities have also faced disputes over access to prominent public spaces. Seoul’s festival began using Seoul Plaza in 2015 but moved to Euljiro in 2023 after the plaza was allocated to a Christian group’s youth event on the same day. Seoul again denied access in 2024 because of other scheduled events. This year’s Seoul parade was held near Jonggak Station in June.

Incheon’s approval therefore carries significance beyond logistics, placing the event at a central civic venue while the underlying court dispute between the organizers and the city remains under appeal.