In October of each year, various styles and forms of music flow along the Cheonggyecheon stream in downtown Seoul, where people of all ages can freely come by and enjoy the delightful melodies. As in previous years, the KF Cheonggyecheon Music Festival was presented on an outdoor stage at the Hanbit Park, alongside the Center 1 Building, over the three days of October 1-3, 2016.

This year's program featured prominent jazz groups from Israel, France, Macedonia, Malaysia, Germany, Norway, and Lithuania, which had also performed at the Jarasum International Jazz Festival. In addition, there were also performances by a Bulgarian rock band, group of accordion players from Ukraine, traditional music group of Georgia, Polish music ensemble, and traditional Korean music performers. The unique lineup of these artists from diverse backgrounds made the KF Cheonggyecheon Music Festival all the more colorful and entertaining.

Shalosh from Israel opened the Festival with an elegant piano performance on October 1, under clear and breezy skies. This was followed by the Dainius Pulauskas Band from Lithuania. The jazz group from Lithuania, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, received a most hearty reception from the audience for their dynamic sounds.

A couple of distinctive groups from France performed in the evening when the autumn atmosphere reached its peak of splendor. The audience stood and danced along to the bands' rousing music. Marching band, La Fanfare Saugrenue, performed while strolling among the audience for added effect, while La Caravane Passe captivated the audience with their passionate performance and comical gestures. The audience’s enthusiasm was naturally heightened by the group’s outpouring of energy.

Despite rain spells on the second day, the Festival program went on as scheduled. Under the cover of umbrellas, people donned raincoats provided by the Foundation while dancing about to the lively accordion music of Rvanye Meha from Ukraine. The delightful music played by Vladimir Cetkar Septet of Macedonia mingled gracefully with sounds of the rain, giving the audience a sufficient reason to remain in their seats until the end of the performance.

The rain suddenly disappeared before the start of the evening performance, during which the audience enjoyed impressive performances by the Gee Hye Lee Trio, Elephant 9, and Tube Hedzzz amidst a comfortable and leisurely atmosphere.

The clear skies returned on October 3 for the Festival’s final day performances. Malaysian jazz band Jumero staged a highly animated performance, while the Georgian folk band Bani's uplifting music and passion resonated well with the audience. The Maria Pomianowska Ensemble from Poland and the traditional Korean music group Pungnyujiak presented a joint performance of music and dance, against a luxuriant autumn setting of high skies, cool breezes, and crisp air. The joint performance of the two countries' musicians provided a truly grand finale for another successful KF Cheonggyecheon Music Festival.