Twice-yearly event HBC Fest will return to Haebangchon in Seoul’s Itaewon-dong this weekend for two days of music.

Beginning 9 p.m. Friday, venues on the main road of Haebangchon will provide stages for a variety of acts.

Venues on the first night are the Orange Tree pub, the VFW, and Phillies, which will have stages upstairs and downstairs. The last acts begin at midnight at Orange Tree and Phillies.

The same venues will open the following afternoon, joined by FIX Pub, Bonny’s Pizza Pub and Camarata Music Company Studio.

The music starts at 3 p.m. on Saturday and the last acts are due on at 2 a.m.

There will be a preview night on Thursday at 9 p.m. at the Orange Tree.

HBC Fest takes place each spring and fall, usually in May and late September, and is sponsored by local businesses and music equipment suppliers. It has been running since the spring of 2006, when it was set up by Lance Reeghan-Diehl and James Gaynor.

While there have been no serious incidents, traffic and noise issues, among other things, have led to tensions with local authorities in the past, and organizers are working with police to prevent such problems.

To get to the area, leave Noksapyeong Station Exit 2 and walk straight bearing left up hill on the first turning. The first venues are about 200 meters up the road.

By Paul Kerry (paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)