Korea festival calendar
Festivals and events across Korea this month and over the next two months, grouped by month and filterable by region. Listings come from the Korea Tourism Organization and are updated every week.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Numbers show festivals on each day, not counting programmes that run longer than a month. Tap a date to list them.
Public holidays
- Thu, September 24 Chuseok (harvest festival)
- Fri, September 25 Chuseok (harvest festival)
- Sat, September 26 Chuseok (harvest festival)
Red dates are Korean public holidays. Many shops and attractions stay open, but banks, government offices and some museums close.
23 festivals and events
Gugak Performance Jinyeon국악공연 진연
Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
Seoul · 10 Insadong 5-gil, Jongno-gu, SeoulOfficial websiteMapPhone +82-2-953-0515
About this festival
The gugak performance “Jinyeon, The Music of the Royal Banquet” offers a unique opportunity to experience the diversity of traditional Korean arts on a single stage. Set in an intimate venue designed in the style of a traditional Korean house, it allows for close interaction between the audience and performers. The program features a wide range of music performed on traditional instruments, spanning Korean music, K-pop, classical pieces, and world folk songs. As an all-in-one performance, it brings together elements of Korean culture, sound, instruments, and live performance into a single immersive experience.
Buyeo-gun Chungnam Gugak Group’s Saturday Show부여군충남국악단 토요상설공연
Mar 7, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026
South Chungcheong · Buyeo-gun Gugak Center충청남도 부여군 규암면 백제문로 388Jindo National Gugak Center’s Saturday Show ‘I Love Gugak’국립남도국악원 토요 상설 공연 ‘국악이 좋다’
Mar 7, 2026 – Nov 28, 2026
Gwangju and South Jeolla · Jindo National Gugak Center Jinakdang전남광주통합특별시 진도군 임회면 진도대로 3818
APAP Artwork TourAPAP 작품투어 (안양공공예술프로젝트)
Mar 10, 2026 – Nov 30, 2026
Gyeonggi · 180 Yesulgongwon-ro, Manan-gu, Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-doMapPhone Anyang Papillon: +82-31-687-0548
About this festival
The Anyang Public Art Project (APAP) started in 2005 and has led to the creation of many beautiful works of art that decorate the city's public spaces. The Anyang Foundation for Culture & Arts has created a tour program to explore the wonderful works, starting from the earliest works in 2005 up until now.
Daejeon Yeonjeong Korean Traditional Music Group’s Saturday Gugak Show대전시립연정국악단 토요국악
Mar 14, 2026 – Nov 28, 2026
Daejeon · Daejeon Yeonjeong Korean Traditional Music Center Jakeunmadang (Little Hall)대전광역시 서구 둔산대로 181 (만년동)K-Gugak StageK-국악 스테이지
Mar 14, 2026 – Dec 12, 2026
Jeonbuk · National Gugak Center Yewondang전북특별자치도 남원시 양림길 54 (어현동)
Ssokssokdeul-i Festival국립극장 쏙쏙들이페스티벌
Mar 14, 2026 – Dec 26, 2026
Gyeonggi · 16 Heyri-ro, Tanhyeon-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-doOfficial websiteMapPhone +82-31-870-9110
About this festival
Ssokssokdeul-i Festival is a program organized by the National Theater of Korea’s Stage Arts Support Center, designed to make performing arts more accessible in everyday life. Held regularly throughout the year, it offers a variety of performances free of charge, creating greater opportunities for the public to engage with the arts in a relaxed and approachable setting. The festival takes place at the “Ssok” Experience Theater within the Stage Arts Support Center and features dynamic stages that can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages. Tickets for the performances are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at the on-site information desk starting at 12:00 on the day of the performance. These tickets may close early depending on the number of seats available. With artists presenting distinctive styles across a range of popular genres, it creates a vibrant cultural space where different generations can come together and share the experience.
ARI-The Spirit of Korea아리아라리
Apr 4, 2026 – Nov 27, 2026
Gangwon · Jeongseon Arirang Center강원특별자치도 정선군 정선읍 애산로 51Gombaengi Teotta곰뱅이텄다
Apr 4, 2026 – Nov 29, 2026
Gyeonggi · Anseong Namsadang Performance Site경기도 안성시 보개면 남사당로 198-2Raftman뗏꾼
Apr 4, 2026 – Nov 28, 2026
Gangwon강원특별자치도 정선군 정선읍 애산로 51 정선아리랑센터 아리랑홀
Jeonju Hanok Village Traditional Performance Parade한옥마을전통연희 퍼레이드-노상놀이야
Apr 18, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026
Jeonbuk · 44 Taejo-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk-doOfficial websiteMapPhone +82-63-236-1577
About this festival
The Jeonju Hanok Village Traditional Performance Parade is packed with various street performances, allowing visitors to experience Jeonju's folk culture on the streets. During the parade, visitors can witness Jeonju gijeopnori, a representative traditional performance of Jeonju; madangnori, a traditional performance featuring dance, music, and storytelling through various forms, or sing along to folk labor songs.
Night of Light Show나오라쇼
Apr 25, 2026 – Oct 31, 2026
Gangwon · 127 Sogeumsan-gil, Jijeong-myeon, Wonju-si, Gangwon-doOfficial websiteMapPhone +82-33-748-4860
About this festival
Night of Light Show is a nighttime attraction at Ganhyeon Tourist Area that mixes media facade, lasers, and a fountain show into one grand performance. The media facade section is the largest in Korea, using 12 large beam projectors on a natural rock wall. There are also seven large lasers and the fountain shoots water up to 60 meters high in time to music. Night of Light Show takes place on Saturday and Sunday evenings from late April to late October.
Earthen Vessels: Stories of Our Lives도기陶器, 우리를 담은 질그릇
Jul 29, 2026 – Oct 25, 2026
Gwangju and South Jeolla · 110 Haseo-ro, Buk-gu, Jeonnam-GwangjuOfficial websiteMapPhone 062-570-7809
About this festival
Earthen Vessels: Stories of Our Lives is a special exhibition held at the National Gwangju Museum. By looking back at earthenware, a type of pottery which has been at the core of our daily lives for a long time, we can encounter the practicality, aesthetic sense, and the stories contained in the earthenware that has been passed down through tradition. This exhibition showcases over 300 artifacts, including a ribbed bottle and large jars excavated from the Cheonghaejin site in Wando.
Hongseong Namdang Port Jumbo Shrimp Festival홍성남당항 대하축제
Sep 4, 2026 – Nov 8, 2026
South Chungcheong · 1-1 Namdanghang-ro 213beon-gil, Seobu-myeon, Hongseong-gun, Chungcheongnam-doOfficial websiteMapPhone +82-10-5433-8196
About this festival
Namdang Port, located at the west end of Hongseong, is a famous west coast port known for its exceptional seafood. Surrounded by the clean waters of Cheonsuman Bay, Namdang Port is home to a wide array of sea life including blue crab, cockle and webfoot octopus. Namdang Port also draws throngs of visitors from early September to mid-October every year for the country’s largest Jumbo Shrimp Festival.
Moonlight Music Festival달빛 음악공감
Sep 11, 2026 – Oct 17, 2026
Daejeon · 246 Doandong-ro, Seo-gu, DaejeonOfficial websiteMapPhone 042-480-1073
About this festival
The Moonlight Music Festival is a cultural and arts performance series designed to let people enjoy music on autumn nights from September through October in familiar, everyday settings across Daejeon’s five districts. As an open-air event free to all citizens, it will feature a total of five performances—one in each district. Against the backdrop of cool autumn nights, local artists performing a variety of genres will take the stage, alongside performances by popular singers. By adding music to the familiar and comfortable parks and riversides in the city center, the Moonlight Music Festival aims to provide special moments and experiences where families, couples, and friends can enjoy music together and share the joy of live performances as part of their daily lives.
Seoul Architecture Festival서울건축문화제
Sep 15, 2026 – Oct 11, 2026
Seoul · 119 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, SeoulOfficial websiteMapPhone 070-7178-5840
About this festival
The Architecture Festival aims to rediscover the unique architectural and urban charms of Seoul together with its citizens. Seoul generates creative potential based on “complex density”—a fusion of history, culture, and regional identity characteristic of a high-density city. Furthermore, amid rapid social change, the city has continuously adapted through “accelerated evolution,” which involves rapidly renewing its form based on its accumulated heritage. Moreover, through “glocality”—the intersection of local context and global trends—Seoul is expanding the unique urban experiences and values of contemporary K-architecture to the world. The festival features a variety of participatory programs designed to allow citizens to experience Seoul’s architecture and urban landscape up close and engage with architectural culture in an accessible way. Through a diverse range of citizen-participatory content, the festival aims to create a space where citizens can discover Seoul’s architecture together and help shape K-Architecture culture.
Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale경기도자비엔날레
Sep 18, 2026 – Nov 1, 2026
Gyeonggi · 263 Gyeongchung-daero 2697beon-gil, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-doOfficial websiteMapPhone +31-631-6501
About this festival
The Gyeonggi Ceramics Biennale features a range of exhibitions and educational events. The event takes place at various locations in Korea famous for ceramics, including Icheon, Yeoju, and Gwangju.
Bibliotheca Busan부산바다도서관
Sep 19, 2026 – Oct 11, 2026
Busan · 1674 Dadae-dong, Saha-gu, BusanOfficial websiteMapPhone +82-51-745-7286
About this festival
Bibliotheca Busan, set against the stunning backdrop of the sea in Busan, is an outdoor festival that blends books, culture, and art. Visitors can enjoy reading as well as cultural programs organized in collaboration with public libraries, bookstores, publishers, and cultural institutions in Busan.
Han River Walk한강수계 걷기행사
Sep 19, 2026 – Nov 7, 2026
Gyeonggi · 174-3 Daegok-ri, Gapyeong-eup, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-doOfficial websiteMapPhone +82-2-458-3315
About this festival
The Han River Walk is a walking event that takes place at various locations along the Hangang River. Participants can expect to enjoy light exercise in beautiful natural settings, as well as earn a completion medal. In addition to walking, the festival dates will feature a range of additional events for a lively environment.
Moonlit Night Exercise Busan Challenge달밤에체조 부산 챌린지
Sep 19, 2026 – Nov 7, 2026
Busan · 73 Simingongwon-ro, Busanjin-gu, BusanOfficial websiteMapPhone +82-70-8065-4592
About this festival
The Moonlit Night Exercise Busan Challenge is a Busan-specific community sports program designed to encourage even citizens who are not accustomed to exercise or have little interest in it to participate in community sports activities in an easy and enjoyable way. Its goals are to expand citizen participation in community sports, promote health, and foster a vibrant nighttime leisure culture. Hosted and organized by the Busan Metropolitan City, this citizen-participation event utilizes outdoor spaces—such as Busan’s iconic parks and waterfront areas—to allow residents to enjoy recreational sports regularly every week under the moonlight on autumn nights. The main program consists of a variety of recreational sports activities—including calisthenics, yoga, circuit training, Zumba, and children’s exercise—led directly by well-known fitness influencers. In addition, the event features recreational sports performances—such as Taekwondo, jump rope, boxing, and cheerleading—as well as cultural performances including magic shows, comedy acts, busking, and concerts. It is a festival-style event that also features participatory activities where citizens can directly engage and have fun, such as the Citizen Fitness Challenge, the Fitness Champion Contest, Tabata and Spinning Challenges, and the Random Play Dance Challenge. The event venue will feature booths offering recreational sports experiences—such as Archery, Basketball, Bowling, and Golf—as well as health-related activities like fitness assessments, exercise prescriptions, taping, and pain management. It will also include a variety of hands-on programs designed for families to participate in together. By combining recreational sports programs with performances, participatory events, and family-friendly activities, this citizen-participatory recreational sports festival aims to lower the barriers to entry for citizens and expand opportunities to participate in recreational sports as part of their daily lives.
Suwon Hwaseong Media Art수원화성 미디어아트
Sep 19, 2026 – Oct 6, 2026
Gyeonggi · Jangan-dong, Paldal-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do 334Official websiteMapPhone +82-31-290-3622
About this festival
Suwon Hwaseong Media Art is a nighttime festival held against the backdrop of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since its launch in 2021, the event has presented large-scale media art inspired by the fortress and its history. Beginning in 2026, the festival has been newly reimagined under the theme “Saebit Dongrak: Suwon Hwaseong Blossoming in Light,” inviting visitors to experience the site through light and shared enjoyment. The festival brings together light, video, and performance to create immersive media art installations that trace the stories of people from the construction of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress to the present. Centered around the Hwahongmun Gate and Jangan Park areas, it features a wide range of experiential and interactive works, offering visitors a dynamic mix of visual spectacles and engaging activities throughout the event period.
Seomjinggang Interntional Experimental Arts Festvial섬진강국제실험예술제(SIEAF)
Sep 22, 2026 – Oct 30, 2026
Gwangju and South Jeolla · 1012 Seomjingang-ro, Jukgok-myeon, Gokseong-gun, Jeonnam-GwangjuOfficial websiteMapPhone +82-10-2344-5004
About this festival
The Seomjinggang International Experimental Arts Festival is a traditional art festival that takes place in Gokseong, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City. The festival invites over 100 artists from around the world, and "seeks to explore the philosophical, ecological, and artistic meanings and values encapsulated by the river."
Andong Maskdance Festival안동국제탈춤페스티벌
Sep 24, 2026 – Oct 4, 2026
North Gyeongsang · 239, Yuksa-ro, Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-doOfficial websiteMapPhone +82-54-840-3400
About this festival
The Andong Maskdance Festival is a global celebration where the memories carried by masks come to life through dance. Visitors can experience Korea’s mask dance traditions, inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list, alongside mask dances from around the world. A wide range of performances, parades, the Tallori Daedongnanjang community celebrations, and the World Maskplay Competition create opportunities for people to come together and share in the festival experience. The 2026 Andong Maskdance Festival seeks to connect the stories preserved in masks with contemporary life. As children and seniors, local residents and international visitors gather in the same place to laugh, applaud, and share the rhythm of the festival, the memories carried by masks become a living culture. Shaped by the participation of all who take part, the festival becomes a true “dance for everyone,” celebrating the power of community and the joy of coming together.
Festival photos and descriptions: Korea Tourism Organization (photos under the Korea Open Government License, Type 1 or Type 3).
Korea Tourism Organization tourism data (TourAPI)Data updated (Korea time)Last checked (Korea time)
Public holidays: Korea Astronomy and Space Science InstituteData updated (Korea time)Last checked (Korea time)
Where these listings come from
The festivals on this page come from the Korea Tourism Organization's tourism data service, which publishes separate listings for English, Japanese and Chinese visitors. The list is refreshed automatically once a week, and the lines directly below the list show when it last changed and when it was last checked.
Each language listing is prepared separately, so some events appear in one language and not another. When an event is missing from this language's listing but appears in the English one, it is shown here with its English name and marked as listed in English only.
Names in Korean and on the map
Under each festival name you will find the original Korean name, and under the address the Korean address where one is available. Showing these to a taxi driver, or pasting them into a Korean map app, is often the quickest way to find a venue.
The map link opens the festival's coordinates in a map, which helps for events held in parks, riversides or temporary sites without a clear street address.
Check before you travel
Dates, programmes and venues can change after an event is listed, especially for outdoor festivals that depend on the weather. Before making a special trip, check the organiser's website or call the number shown. Many local festivals are free to enter, while some performances and experiences need tickets or advance booking.
Some listings are long-running programmes, such as weekly performances that continue for most of the year. These appear in every month they cover, so a month can look busier than the number of one-off festivals would suggest.
Festival seasons in Korea
Korea holds festivals all year, but the calendar has clear seasons. Spring brings flower festivals as blossoms move north across the country. Summer has beach, water and music events, often in the evening when it is cooler. Autumn is the busiest season, with many food, harvest, lantern and cultural festivals in pleasant weather. Winter is quieter but has light displays in cities and snow and ice events in the mountains of the northeast.
Traditional performances, such as Korean classical music and dance at national and regional arts centres, run through much of the year and are a good choice when outdoor events are rained off.
Finding festivals near your route
Use the region filter to see events in the places you are visiting. Festivals in the Seoul area are often easy to reach by subway, while regional festivals may need an intercity bus or train. Large events can make local transport and accommodation busy, so plan earlier for those weekends.
Frequently asked questions
- How often is the festival list updated?
- Once a week. The list is taken from the Korea Tourism Organization's data every Monday morning, Korea time.
- Why are some festivals marked as listed in English only?
- The tourism organisation publishes each language listing separately. If an event is only in the English listing, it is shown with its English name so you do not miss it.
- Are the festivals free?
- Many are free to enter, but some programmes charge for tickets or experiences. The listing does not always say, so check with the organiser.
- Why does a festival appear in several months?
- Events that run for weeks or months appear in every month they cover. Weekly performances that continue through the year are included this way.
- Can I see festivals further ahead?
- This page covers the current month and the next two. Further dates are often not confirmed yet, and the list grows as organisers announce them.
- Why is the Korean name shown?
- The Korean name and address help when asking for directions, taking a taxi or searching in a Korean map app.