Why Did Seoul Jazz Festival 2026 Cancel Starbucks Booth? The ‘Tank Day’ Controversy Explained
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[MyDaily = Reporter Han So-hee] The fallout from Starbucks Korea’s ‘Tank Day’ promotion has spread to music festival grounds. Organizers of the Seoul Jazz Festival 2026, one of the country’s flagship music events, abruptly canceled the Starbucks-branded booth at the venue.
Private Curve, the organizer of the 18th Seoul Jazz Festival 2026 (hereafter “Seoul Jazz Fest”), announced on its official social accounts on the 20th that the Starbucks booth scheduled to operate from May 22 to 24 will no longer take place and asked for attendees’ understanding.
This year’s Seoul Jazz Fest is set for May 22–24 at Olympic Park in Songpa District, Seoul. It is considered one of South Korea’s largest music festivals and draws sizeable crowds each year.
The organizers did not offer a detailed explanation for the cancellation. Still, observers inside and outside the industry say the decision likely reflects the recent controversy surrounding Starbucks Korea.
The controversy began on the 18th, when Starbucks Korea ran the “Tank Day” promotion on the anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising (also known as the Gwangju Uprising). Some consumers criticized the event name and the phrase 책상에 탁! (literally “bang on the desk!”), saying the wording evoked police statements from the May 18 uprising and the torture death of activist Park Jong-chul, and that it demonstrated a lack of historical awareness.
Criticism spread quickly across online communities and social media, and calls for a boycott followed. Starbucks Korea immediately halted the promotion and issued an official apology.
Afterward, Shinsegae Group chairman Jung Yong-jin issued a public apology, and personnel changes followed, including the dismissal of Starbucks Korea’s CEO. U.S. Starbucks headquarters also expressed regret and took steps to manage the fallout.
The controversy has shown little sign of abating. The Seoul Jazz Fest booth cancellation is drawing attention as another instance of how reputational damage can affect real-world event operations.
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