'Grand Mint Festival' Cancels All Outdoor Shows on Day 2; Offers Full Refunds for Star-Studded Lineup Featuring Younha, CNBLUE, Roy Kim and Jung Seung-hwan

Safety comes first: Outdoor stages damaged; full refunds to be issued

The 'Grand Mint Festival' (GMF), a signature fall music festival, has abruptly canceled all outdoor performances on the second day of the event because of severe weather and heavy rain, and decided to issue '100% refunds' to all ticket buyers. Organizer 'Mint Paper' announced the decision on its official social media accounts on the 18th, saying it was not realistically possible to deliver the performances as planned while severe weather continued.

According to a follow-up announcement, damage to some production equipment from the heavy rain forced the cancellation of all remaining events at the outdoor '88 Lawn Garden' stage. Organizers also closely monitored conditions and considered whether to resume performances at the '88 Lake Stage', but ultimately shut it down. Indoor performances at 'KSPO Dome', however, will proceed as scheduled. The organizers are preparing for the possibility of 'admission restrictions' based on venue capacity as many concertgoers are expected to head indoors, and are taking extensive safety precautions.

Indoor shows to operate with limited capacity as organizers prioritize artist and audience safety

The festival was originally scheduled to take place over two days beginning on the 17th in and around Olympic Park in Seoul's Songpa District. The canceled outdoor performances on Day 2 were set to feature major acts including 'Younha', 'CNBLUE', 'Roy Kim', 'Jung Seung-hwan' and 'Sunwoojunga', but fans had to turn back disappointed. Indoor performances will feature 'Sibran' (10cm x Soran), 'Thornapple' and 'N.Flying', among others.

Ahead of the forecast downpour, organizers had prepared by distributing raincoats to concertgoers and setting up large tents. But record-breaking autumn rain raised the risk of serious 'safety accidents', including stage equipment being flooded and electrical leakage, prompting them to act preemptively. Music industry insiders say water entering equipment at an outdoor venue can lead to fatal accidents. They have praised 'Mint Paper' for choosing the safety of concertgoers and artists, despite the substantial financial losses involved in issuing full refunds.