Gumi Arts Center parking and seating guide: where to park, and the best seats in both halls

Two questions come up before almost every show at 구미시문화예술회관 (Gumi Arts Center, 89 Songjeong-daero, Gumi, North Gyeongsang): where to park, and which seats see the stage. This guide answers both from the venue's own parking page, the public parking page of Gumi Urban Corporation, which runs the lot, and the venue's registration in KOPIS, Korea's national performing-arts database. Checked September 2026.

How many parking spaces are there, and what does it cost?

Gumi Arts Center has 119 parking spaces, and showing a same-day performance ticket lets you leave for free. Without a ticket, the first 30 minutes cost ₩400, then ₩200 per 10 minutes, capped at ₩5,000 a day. Cars leaving within 30 minutes pay nothing. The venue itself warns that parking runs very short during performances and events.

The venue's page and Gumi Urban Corporation's rate card agree on all three figures. Two hours without a ticket costs ₩400 + 9 × ₩200 = ₩2,200. One small discrepancy: the facility table on the venue's overview page lists the car park as "120 cars", one more than the 119 on its parking page.

Do I pay for parking at a weekend or evening show?

According to Gumi Urban Corporation, the Arts Center lot charges only on weekdays from 08:00 to 20:00 and is free on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. So at a weekend show, or leaving after 8 p.m. on a weekday, there is no charge even without a ticket. The "08:00 to 22:00" hours quoted in the original blog post come from a November 2016 answer in the venue's FAQ, which no longer matches the operator's own notice.

Hours can change, so call the parking team (+82-54-480-2030, 09:00–18:00) if it matters.

Where can I park if the lot is full?

The venue points to the City Hall and Bokgaecheon car parks, both free on holidays. With 119 spaces and up to 1,183 people per main-hall performance, the lot cannot hold everyone, so four habits help:

1. Aim to arrive 40–60 minutes early. The venue's "arrive 30 minutes before" is about taking your seat, not finding a space.
2. For a holiday show, head straight for the City Hall or Bokgaecheon car park.
3. Keep your same-day ticket (a mobile ticket works) ready at the exit — it is the condition for leaving free.
4. The venue asks visitors to use public transport where possible; everyone leaves at once after the curtain.

Wheelchair users should approach from the rear. The venue's directions page notes that the main entrance crosses the car-park entry route.

Which seats see best in the main hall, downstairs or upstairs?

The main hall of Gumi Arts Center seats 1,183: 758 on the first floor, including 12 wheelchair spaces, and 425 on the second. For actors' faces, sit toward the front of first-floor block B; for full stage pictures such as dance or an orchestra, the centre of second-floor block E is the safest pick on the seat map. The 1,183 matches the hall's KOPIS registration exactly, and the seat map shows exactly 12 wheelchair spaces at the back of the first floor.

The proscenium opening is 17.7 m × 8.7 m, the stage is 13.7 m deep, and the forestage area is 585 m². The house curtain, by Professor Koo Ja-hong of Dong-A University, depicts sunlight reaching Gumi through the reclining-Buddha silhouette of Geumosan (hall details).

The first floor has three blocks — A on the left, B in the centre, C on the right as you face the stage — with a cross aisle between rows 1–9 and 10–19.

• Block B, rows 1–9: dead centre, 16–17 seats per row. The first choice for plays and musicals, though rows 1–2 can mean looking up at the stage.
• Block B, rows 10–19: row 10 sits right behind the aisle, so no heads in front; rows widen to 25 seats toward the back. Good for concerts and classical music.
• Blocks A and C: angled side blocks. Within them, seats nearest block B see more of the far side of the stage.
• First-floor doors are gates 1 and 4 at the sides and gates 2 and 3 at the back.

The second floor has blocks D, E and F. D and F each have a small two-row section jutting forward, and centre block E starts at row 3.

• Block E, rows 3–9: 20–21 seats per row, looking straight down at the stage. Best for ballet, dance and orchestral concerts.
• Block E, rows 10–14: the back of the balcony, split into three sections by two aisles. The farthest seats in the hall — bring opera glasses.
• Blocks D and F, rows 1–2: close but steeply angled; the far side of the stage can be cut off.
• Second-floor doors are gates 5 and 8 at the sides and gates 6 and 7 at the back.

How is the 283-seat small hall laid out?

The small hall at Gumi Arts Center is a single-level room of 283 seats, including 3 wheelchair spaces. Counting the seat map row by row gives 133 seats in the front section (rows A–F) and 150 in the back (rows G–M) — exactly 283, which also matches the KOPIS registration. The proscenium is 11.1 m × 7.5 m and the stage 6.2 m deep, much more intimate than the main hall.

• Rows A–F, centre: closest to the stage; ideal for small-scale drama or chamber music.
• Rows G–H, centre: right behind the cross aisle, so little obstruction.
• Rows K and L: the widest, 28 seats each; seats 1–3 and 26–28 are angled side seats.
• Row M: just six seats, three at each far side.
• Wheelchair spaces are at the right end of row E, seats 23–25.

How many seats does the outdoor stage have?

The venue describes the outdoor stage only by its area, 920 m², and publishes no seat count or seat map. KOPIS, however, registers it at 700 seats. Seating changes from event to event, so treat that figure as a guide, and check with each show's organiser about mats, cushions and what happens if it rains.

When do bookings close, and how early should I arrive?

For the venue's own productions, online and phone bookings and cancellations close at 17:00 the day before the performance (per the venue FAQ, answered November 2016). For a two-day run, each day closes at 17:00 the day before it. The venue's audience etiquette page asks you to arrive 30 minutes early and be seated 10 minutes before the start.

Before the show you can wait in the lobby lounge, lit by five large skylights. The venue's website says nothing about a cloakroom or lockers; if you are carrying luggage, call the venue on +82-54-480-4554 first.

In short

1. The lot has only 119 spaces, but a same-day ticket means free exit — and per Gumi Urban Corporation, weekends, holidays and weekdays after 8 p.m. are free anyway.
2. In the 1,183-seat main hall (758 downstairs, 425 upstairs), first-floor block B is best for faces, second-floor block E for the whole stage.
3. Every seat in the 283-seat small hall is close; the wheelchair spaces are row E, seats 23–25.

Checked in September 2026 against the venue's parking, halls, overview and FAQ pages, Gumi Urban Corporation's public-parking page and the KOPIS registration. This guide first appeared on our Naver venue blog. Upcoming shows and venue details are on the Gumi Arts Center page.