Gimhae Arts and Sports Center seating and parking: where to sit in Maru Hall (1,350) and Nuri Hall (525), and 3 hours free with a ticket

Gimhae Arts and Sports Center (김해문화의전당) in Gimhae, just west of Busan, has two indoor theaters. In the 1,350-seat main hall, Maru Hall (마루홀), the B block in rows 9–15 behind the cross aisle or the front of the center C block on the 2nd floor gives the most balanced view of the stage; in the 525-seat black-box Nuri Hall (누리홀), the ground floor or the 2nd-floor center works best. The venue's own car park has 342 spaces, and showing a same-day ticket gets you up to 3 hours free. Every figure below was rechecked in October 2026 against the venue's facility pages, its directions and parking page and the Gimhae Cultural Foundation's facility guide, and we counted the seat numbers on the official seating plans ourselves.

Gimhae Arts and Sports Center opened on 25 November 2005 and is the city's main performing-arts and exhibition complex. It is at 2060 Gimhae-daero (Nae-dong), Gimhae, South Gyeongsang, right next to Yeonji Park. Besides Maru Hall and Nuri Hall, the building holds the Yunseul Art Museum, a media center and the 500-seat outdoor stage Aedureum Madang.

How many seats do Maru Hall and Nuri Hall have?

Maru Hall at Gimhae Arts and Sports Center has 1,350 seats and Nuri Hall has 525. The two official sources disagree by one seat on Maru Hall's 2nd floor, though, and KOPIS, Korea's national performing-arts database, lists a different number for both halls.

Counting the official seating plan explains the one-seat gap. Maru Hall's 2nd-floor plan shows 287 numbered seats plus 5 wheelchair spaces, which makes 292 and matches the venue's facility page. That same page, however, describes the 2nd floor as having 6 wheelchair seats, and with 6 the total becomes the foundation's 293. The difference appears to come down to whether the floor has 5 or 6 wheelchair spaces.

Maru Hall's ground floor reconciles exactly. The orchestra-pit rows O-A, O-B and O-C hold 26, 42 and 26 seats (94 in all), blocks A, B and C hold 640 seats across 21 rows, and side boxes 1–8 hold 58, for 792. The 10 wheelchair spaces behind row 21 are drawn outside those 792. The 3rd floor also matches the official 265 exactly: 153 seats in center blocks B, C and D, 62 in the angled A and E blocks, and 50 in the boxes.

Nuri Hall agrees across both official sources and the plan at 525. The ground floor has 9 rows of 26 (234 seats) plus 6 wheelchair seats for 240; the 2nd-floor front has 5 rows of 25 (125); and boxes BOX1 and BOX2 along both side walls have 40 seats on each of the 2nd and 3rd floors (160). KOPIS's 1,464 for Maru Hall and 540 for Nuri Hall match none of the official figures, so treat the venue's own seating plans as the reference.

Where should I sit on Maru Hall's ground floor?

On Maru Hall's ground floor at Gimhae Arts and Sports Center, the center B block in rows 9–15, just behind the cross aisle, gives the most balanced view of the whole stage. The aisle runs between rows 8 and 9, so row 9 has nothing directly in front of it, and the center block sees the stage symmetrically.

Blocks A and C have 10 seats per row, while the center B block alternates between 10 seats in odd rows and 11 in even rows. Rows 1–8 are close enough to read the performers' faces, but the very front rows look up at the stage.

The four pink rows right in front of the stage are orchestra-pit seats (94 seats). For operas and ballets that put the orchestra in the pit, these may not be sold, so "row 1" on the booking site may not be row 1 on the plan.

What are the views like from Maru Hall's upper floors and boxes?

Maru Hall's 2nd floor is split into center blocks B, C and D with angled blocks A and E at either end, and the front rows of C, square to the middle of the stage, suit musicals and ballets where you want to follow the whole stage. Block C has 10–11 seats per row across six rows.

Blocks A and E look at the stage at an angle, so you may lose a little of the near edge. According to the venue, Maru Hall's balconies combine a horseshoe and a shoebox layout, designed for both sightlines and acoustics. For concerts, an acoustic shell on movable rails is rolled onto the stage so the hall works as a dedicated concert hall.

The 3rd floor has a similar layout but is the farthest from the stage. It is fine for taking in the whole picture; bring opera glasses if you want to see faces.

The boxes, numbered 1–8 and running along both side walls on all three floors, are close to the stage but face it from the side, so part of the stage's inner area can be hidden.

Where are the best seats in Nuri Hall?

Nuri Hall at Gimhae Arts and Sports Center has only nine rows on the ground floor, so every row is close to the stage, and the center block (seats 7–20) is comfortable almost regardless of row. It is a square black-box theater used mainly for plays, recitals, small concerts and dance.

Each ground-floor row splits into 6 seats on the left, 14 in the center and 6 on the right. Nuri Hall's seating is retractable, and some productions fold part of it away to enlarge the stage, so the booking site's seat map may not match the official plan.

The 2nd-floor front has 5 rows of 25 seats and looks slightly down on the stage. BOX1 and BOX2 run the full length of both side walls with 40 seats each on the 2nd and 3rd floors; they see the stage from above and to the side, so scenes played close to the inner wall can be hard to see. For plays where blocking matters, aim for the ground floor or the 2nd-floor front first.

How much is parking, and how long is it free?

The car park at Gimhae Arts and Sports Center is free for the first 30 minutes and capped at 5,000 won a day, and a same-day performance ticket gets you up to 3 hours free. It has 342 spaces, 254 indoor and 88 outdoor (including 9 accessible spaces), and uses number-plate recognition, so there is no ticket to take on the way in.

The official page says these are "total free times including the standard discount". In other words, the 3 hours for a performance already include the first 30 minutes — it is 3 hours, not 3½ — and the normal rate applies after that. Parking vouchers are issued at each facility's information desk once your visit has been confirmed.

The official page does not list the per-30-minute or hourly rate. A long show with an interval, plus dinner beforehand, can run past 3 hours, so if you expect to overstay, ask the main line (055-320-1234) in advance. On nights with a large Maru Hall show the car park fills up just before curtain-up, so arriving 30–40 minutes early is the easy option.

How do I get there by light rail or bus?

From Museum Station (박물관역) on the Busan–Gimhae Light Rail, take Exit 1 and walk straight towards Homeplus; Gimhae Arts and Sports Center is 7–8 minutes on foot. Buses 5-1, 8, 58 and 59 stop right outside at the "김해문화의전당" stop.

By car, leave the expressway at West Gimhae IC (서김해IC), turn left towards Handeok Hanshin Apartments, carry straight on towards Hanjin Apartments and turn right at the junction past Uam Elementary School; or from East Gimhae IC (동김해IC) go past Gimhae City Hall, Gimhae Police Station and the intercity bus terminal, then turn left at the Yeonji Park intersection. If you are taking the light rail home, check the last train before the show.

Where are the wheelchair spaces?

At Gimhae Arts and Sports Center, Maru Hall's ground-floor wheelchair spaces are behind the last row (row 21), five behind block A and five behind block C, and the 2nd-floor spaces are at the back of center block C, in the row-7 position. Nuri Hall's 6 ground-floor wheelchair seats are the opposite: at the very front, ahead of the two side blocks and closest to the stage (per the official seating plans).

The car park has 9 accessible spaces, and disabled drivers pay 50% of the rate after the first 30 free minutes. How wheelchair seats are sold can vary by show, so confirm by calling the main line (055-320-1234) before booking.

In short

1. Maru Hall at Gimhae Arts and Sports Center has 1,350 seats and Nuri Hall 525. Official sources put Maru Hall's 2nd floor at 292 or 293, a gap that appears to come from counting 5 or 6 wheelchair spaces. KOPIS lists 1,464 and 540, neither of which matches.
2. In Maru Hall, sit in block B rows 9–15 on the ground floor or the front of 2F block C; in Nuri Hall, the ground-floor center block or the 2nd-floor front. Pit rows and retractable seating can make the booking map differ from the plan.
3. The car park has 342 spaces: the first 30 minutes are free, and a same-day ticket gets 3 hours free in total (including those 30 minutes). Without a car, it is a 7–8 minute walk from Museum Station Exit 1.

For other venues in Busan and South Gyeongsang, see our guides to Nakdong Arts Center, Busan Concert Hall, Busan Cultural Center and Seongsan Art Hall's main theater.

Facts checked October 2026. Seat counts and layouts were compared across the venue's facility pages and official seating plans, the Gimhae Cultural Foundation's facility guide and the KOPIS listing; parking and transport follow the venue's directions page. Parking terms can change, so confirm on the main line (055-320-1234).