Korea Events Calendar

Seoul set “Land Architecture, Land Urbanism” as the 4th Biennale’s theme in a bid to draw the next 100 years of Seoul, an eco-friendly, high-density city of mountain ranges, waterways, and wind breezes. The Biennale will have five exhibitions (Thematic, Seoul 100-year Masterplan, Guest Cities, Global Studios, and On-site Project) to introduce projects and discourses about eco-friendly, high-density Seoul’s masterplan. Those projects and discourses are suggested by architects such as Jürgen Mayer, Snøhetta, Thomas Alexander Heatherwick, and nearly 100 Korean and international teams.

The Amorepacific Museum of Art presents Sol LeWitt’s posthumous 'Open Structure', the artist’s first large-scale exhibition in Korea. Spanning the entirety of the artist’s career, 'Open Structure' champions LeWitt’s belief that artistic work reaches new ambitions within the structure of an exhibition space. From his early works spotlighting black-and-white structures to his expansion into colour and the investigation of archival materials, the exhibition invites viewers to enter conversation with LeWitt’s principles of authorship, instruction and sequence.

For years, nighttime admission to the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty’s premier 14th-century royal residence has remained one of Seoul’s most coveted seasonal traditions. The evening tour grants visitors rare, after-dark access to the palace's central historical zone, including the imposing Gwanghwamun and Heungnyemun Gates, the royal throne hall of Geunjeongjeon, the iconic floating pavilion of Gyeonghoeru and the royal living quarters.

Adding to the ambiance this season, the palace grounds will host live classical performances near Sujeongjeon Hall. Musicians from the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts will present a series of 15 court music and dance showcases across select dates throughout the run, filling the lit courtyards with centuries-old melodies.

• Visiting Hours: 19:00 – 21:30 (Last admission: 20:30)
• Online Booking Period: Aug. 26, 2026 (Wed) 10:00 – Oct. 1, 2026 (Thu) 23:59
• Admission Fee: 3,000 won
• Visiting Areas: Gyeongbokgung Palace Gwanghwamun Gate, Heungnyemun Gate, Geunjeongjeon Hall, Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, Sajeongjeon Hall, Gangnyeongjeon Hall, Gyotaejeon Hall, Amisan Mountain Area
• Visitor Capacity: 3,300 people per day
- Online Advance Booking: 3,000 people per day (Up to 4 tickets per person)
- On-site Purchase: 300 people per day (Limited to foreigners, up to 2 tickets per person) * Please bring proof of foreign nationality such as a passport or ID.

The National Heritage Night Tour is a nighttime cultural heritage festival designed to allow visitors to experience the historical and cultural value of national heritage through nighttime programs. The Jinju National Heritage Night Tour is held in the Jinju Fortress

Seoul Light is a world-class media art and light festival hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, transforming iconic city landmarks like the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) and Gwanghwamun Square into giant canvases of light, sound, and technology. Seoul Light DDP: Utilizes the world's largest irregular 3D architectural media façade (a 222-meter exterior wall) to project immersive shows, seasonal exhibitions, and special collaborations.

Watch from 7:30pm ~ 10:30pm

The National Heritage Night Tour is a specialized nighttime program featuring sightseeing, experiences, performances, and exhibitions that links national heritage with unique local historical and cultural resources.

The 31st Hongseong Namdang Port Prawn Festival is Hongseong's representative autumn food festival where visitors can enjoy the pristine waters of Cheonsuman Bay and fresh, seasonal prawns.

Held in the natural surroundings of Muju, this is a unique festival is in the natural habitat for fireflies and the marsh snails the fireflies feed on. It's fun. It's different. It's worth it!

The Pyeongchang Hyoseok Cultural Festival is Korea’s premier autumn cultural tourism festival, held in the Bongpyeong-myeon area of Pyeongchang County, Gangwon State. This festival first began in 1999 and is held every year around September, set against Bongpyeong-myeon, the actual setting of Gasan Lee Hyo-seok’s masterpiece short story “When the Buckwheat Flowers Bloom,” a fine example of modern Korean short fiction. The main scenery of the festival site is a field of white buckwheat flowers blooming profusely as if sprinkled with salt, and visitors can directly experience the natural scenery of Bongpyeong, the setting of the novel. The main program includes literary events honoring the works of Lee Hyo-seok, traditional folk games, a local food market, and a variety of cultural and artistic performances featuring local residents and artists. Through this, the Pyeongchang Hyoseok Cultural Festival contributes to revitalizing the local economy while promoting the region’s literary heritage and traditional rural culture.

[Event Details]
1. Main Program
- Madanggeuk performance (When the Buckwheat Flowers Bloom)
- The 47th National Hyo-seok Writing Contest
- The 4th Pyeongchang Buckwheat Flower Song Festival
- Lee Hyo-seok Literary Award Ceremony
- Public radio broadcast

2. Auxiliary Programs
- Various performances by local performance groups

3. Consumer Participation Program
- Riding the Literary Train into the Novel: Literary Train, admission fee: paid
- Enjoy the festival by stamping: free, with a small selection of prizes available
- Music Journey with DJ Choi Yong-jin: Free Music Story Application
- Find the Golden Buckwheat! Free, held only during program operating hours, winners - a small prepared prize available
- Firewood burning experience: campfire viewing - held after 6 p.m. Free

4. Other contents
- Free shuttle bus service: from Pyeongchang Station to the festival site

[Usage Fee]
Paid (5,000 won)
(Free for children under 36 months, free for persons with disabilities, free for national merit recipients; only available if there is a verifiable confirmation document.)
*No group discount, no senior citizen priority.

It's the perfect season for reading, so let's meet at the Seoul Outdoor Library this autumn! 🍂

📅 Sep. 4, 2026 (Fri) – Nov. 1, 2026 (Sun) Every Fri, Sat, Sun
⏰ (Night) 16:00–22:00 | (Day) 11:00–18:00
※ Operating schedule is subject to change depending on plaza usage schedules, etc.

The Upcycling Festival is an environmental and cultural festival held to promote resource circulation and the culture of upcycling. This event aims to raise public awareness of the value of upcycling and sustainable lifestyles, and to build a shared understanding of resource circulation through various experiences, exhibitions, performances, and participatory programs. The festival is a multifaceted cultural event featuring a variety of programs, including a upcycling market, a repair program, upcycling experiences, exhibitions, performances, and a picnic area, making it accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.

≪You Must Change Your Life≫
Inspired by the final line of Rainer Maria Rilke’s poem Archaic Torso of Apollo, the 16th Gwangju Biennale explores how new capacities and forms of life emerge through artistic practice.

In Rilke’s 1908 poem, a fragment of an ancient sculpture releases within its viewer an overwhelming surge of emotional energy, culminating in the injunction: “You must change your life.” Yet the poem offers no prescription. Transformation remains open—urgent, but not yet determined. Taking inspiration from this imperative, the Biennale approaches change not as a destination but as a method: a process through which matter, bodies, perceptions, and relations are continually reorganised.

Change is often most immediately visible to us in moments of rupture and crisis. Yet change also unfolds quietly and unnoticed, like the changes in faces of the loved ones we see daily. And change also unfolds through the accumulation of our everyday acts and rituals as they accumulate to practices of repetition that brings about difference and. It is through such practices that we expand our capacity to affect—and to be affected.

A central proposition of this Biennale is that change is sustained through practice. But in order to be generative, any practice must be sustainable enough to repeat across multiple scales of life. Repetition is what shapes how we perceive, how we relate, and how we live. As such living models of persistence and experimentation, artistic practices appear here as cumulative techniques through which individuals and communities embody their experiences of transformation.

At the festival, visitors can see grapes produced locally up close, and a variety of hands-on programs using grapes, as well as grape stomping experiences, will be offered. In addition, performance programs that visitors can participate in and enjoy, grape-related experience and promotional booths, and booths selling a variety of foods will be operated together.

This yearly event in Seoul that takes place in the Yeouido Han River Park area each autumn and it is stunning! Massive crowds arrive using all modes of transportation and not only is the Yeouido Han River Park packed, but the bridges are as well.

Visitors can expect to see around 100,000 fireworks exploding in the sky and about 20,000 people come out to see the event in person at the Yeouido Han River Park but actually, you can see see the spectacle from other spots as well and all in all, it is estimated that 120,000 people go to central Seoul for this event.

The 2026 Wanju Modern History and Culture Festival is a modern gourmet festival held in the Samnye Cultural and Arts Village area of Wanju County, which holds the pain of rice confiscation in the Honam region during the Japanese colonial period. With the theme of “1930 Samnye Station Front-Street Pocha,” it offers a modern reinterpretation of the historical background and atmosphere of the opening-era period. The project aims to revitalize the local economy by attracting not only families in their 30s and 40s and the MZ generation, but also a group of 240 railway tourists linked with the Gugak Wine Train.

A 1,000-seat outdoor stage will be set up at the venue, and a Western Inland promotional pavilion will also be operated, where visitors can enjoy modern gourmet snacks centered on ingredients from the opening period, such as grilled skewers and bread, alongside representative ingredients from each city and county in Jeollabuk-do. It also operates experiential content reflecting a modern history concept. A total of about 40 food and experience booths featuring participation from local merchant associations and young creators will be set up, making it a stay-type nighttime festival that encourages visitors’ participation with activities such as tarot experiences, stamp tours, and AI photo booths.

Walk along the 652-meter DDP rooftop and enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of Dongdaemun and the Seoul skyline.
This is an urban attraction tour program offering a unique way to experience the city from above.

Admission Fee Standard KRW 26,000 / Special KRW 50,000
Operating Hours
· 1st Session: 11:00 (English)
· 2nd Session: 13:00 (Korean) Friday–Sunday
· 3rd Session: 16:00 (Korean)
※ Operating Schedule Subject to Change.
※ Please check the detailed booking system for details.
Program Description A guided walking tour across DDP’s fully connected 652m rooftop, offering a 360° panoramic view of the Dongdaemun skyline.
Capacity · 15 participants per Standard Tour
※ Only adults aged 18 to 70 are eligible to participate.
※ A valid ID is required.
Duration · 60 minutes
※ Includes time for changing into the experience outfit, safety briefing, and event participation.
※ Please arrive at least 20 minutes before the tour starts for a safety briefing and tour preparation.
Notice · Photography and filming will take place for promotional purposes. Participation implies consent to photo/video usage.
※ Tours may be canceled due to weather conditions (rain, strong winds, extreme heat or fine dust).
※ Participation is restricted for those with acrophobia or health conditions.
※ For safety reasons, participants must: Weigh between 40–100 kg, Be 140 cm–200 cm tall, Be aged 18–70 years.

Starting around September 9, Baekro, or the ‘white dew’ period, gets its name from the little drops of dew that appear on the ground in the mornings. The wild geese return home and the swallows begin their southward journey.

Jangsu is the nation’s top producer of Korean beef and apples. The Jangsu Hanwoo and Apple Festival, centered on Hanwoo cattle and apples, is a historic and prestigious first-ever red-colored festival in Korea, with its first festival held in 2007 and its 20th in 2026. In particular, starting in 2024, the festival expanded beyond the traditional agricultural specialties of Korean beef and apples to include longevity red foods (Korean beef, apples, omija berries, tomatoes). It also broadened its scope to include processed products such as apple beer, apple soju, apple bread, and omija liquor, and expanded its reach to become Korea’s first red-colored festival and first red food festival, elevating its status as Korea’s grand cultural tourism festival.

Cheongsong white porcelain is a precious cultural heritage that has been passed down over more than 500 years through Cheongsong’s soil and water, fire, and the artisan’s hands. The process of combining materials sourced from Cheongsong’s nature with the artisan’s dedication and patience to complete a single piece of white porcelain is a cultural asset that embodies the long-standing life and stories unique to Cheongsong. “A Millennium Promise: 500 Years of History, 500 Years of Future” is a slogan that cherishes the past 500 years and expresses the desire to carry forward its value for the next 500 years. It is a promise to look anew at today’s Cheongsong white porcelain based on the traditions it has passed through, and to naturally pass on its beauty and meaning to the next generation.

The 2026 Cheongsong Baekja Festival is a celebration that looks back on the journey of Cheongsong Baekja, meets the Baekja of today, and creates new stories to come together. Through exhibitions and sales, hands-on experiences, and a variety of cultural programs, visitors can appreciate the beauty of Cheongsong white porcelain up close and experience the special value of white porcelain born from clay, fire, and the artisan’s touch. A 500-year history is not a time that remains in the past, but a time that passes through today and continues into the future. This festival is hoped to be a time to remember the 500 years that Cheongsong Baekja has passed through and to envision the next 500 years together, and ultimately to be a place where new promises are made to continue into a thousand-year history.

Fought in 1597, under the command of Admiral Yi Sun Shin, a mere 13 Korean ships faced off against a formidable fleet of 133 Japanese vessels led by Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Head south to see an on-the-water reenactment in Jeollanam-do this month!

The 2026 Seoul Intangible Cultural Heritage Festival, an urban traditional culture festival where citizens share intangible heritage, will be held at Namsangol Hanok Village.
Reflecting on the value of intangible heritage throughout the Hanok Village, a living stage of tradition in the heart of the city...

From , where you vividly enjoy the stage of Seoul's intangible heritage, to ,
where you encounter the fingertips and spirit of artisans up close, to , where you experience the flavors of intangible heritage through traditional liquor tasting , to , a traditional crafts and play experience zone for everyone to enjoy together, and , a mission-based stamp tour where you collect Seoul's intangible cultural heritage while exploring every corner of Namsangol Hanok Village—all these are just some of the highlights.

Hours:
Sep. 12, 2026 (Sat) 11:00 ~ 21:00
Sep. 13, 2026 (Sun) 11:00 ~ 17:00

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.

Locations include:
- Gyeonggi Museum of Contemporary Ceramic Art (Icheon)
263, Gyeongchung-daero 2697beon-gil, Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do
- Gyeonggi Ceramic Museum (Gwangju)
727, Gyeongchung-daero, Gonjiam-eup, Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi-do
- Gyeonggi Museum of Ceramic Design (Yeoju)
7, Silleuksa-gil, Yeoju-si, Gyeonggi-do

The Seoripul Music Festival is Korea's representative music festival where neighbors living in Seocho, students learning in Seocho, and
musicians supported by Seocho gather to share over 40 performances and concerts . For just two days a year, the 10-lane Banpo-daero overflows with music instead of cars. A festival filled with diverse sights and sounds, set against the backdrop of children's laughter and citizens' applause. Could there be a moment more special than this?

location
Banpo-daero (Seocho Station ~ Seocho 3-dong Intersection), etc.

program
Classical Night, K-POP Night, Seoripul Jazz Night, Greatest Sketchbook on Earth, Seoripul Kids Classic , Seoripul Local Live, etc.

From traditional Hanoks to urban landmarks! A special Seoul trip with Taekwondo.
Note
- The above schedule is subject to change depending on weather conditions and on-site circumstances.
- More detailed performance schedules will be announced through the official Instagram (@seoul.tkd).

Starting around September 23, the autumnal equinox marks the day when day and night are equal in length. This turning point in the season sees the disappearance of lightning, bugs hiding underground, and water beginning to dry up. It’s also the time when typhoons often blow.

During the autumn equinox, grains are harvested from the fields, cotton is picked, and peppers are picked and dried. Other autumn harvest tasks include gathering pumpkin leaves, gourd leaves, perilla leaves, and sweet potato sprouts. Wild vegetables are dried to prepare fermented vegetables for the coming months.

Traditional Korean mask dances are performed as well as mask dances by international troupes too. From folk culture to dance lessons, exhibits and more, this is a great event to plan a weekend away around. The Andong Hahoe Village is a must-visit.

“Changgyeonggung Night Banquet” is a family-friendly nighttime royal banquet program that offers a modern reinterpretation of the deep filial piety banquet that Crown Prince Hyomyeong presented to his father, King Sunjo. Participants will dress up as civil and military officials and the outer court officials of the Joseon Dynasty, wear royal court attire, and attend the banquet, where they will enjoy royal court cuisine with their accompanying family members and participate in traditional performances as well as a variety of traditional experience programs.

The Korean Thanksgiving is one of the biggest holidays of the year for Koreans. Traditionally, Koreans would head back to their family homes in the villages or towns that they came from, dress in traditional Hanboks and wake very early to hold an ancestral rite to pay respects to the ancestors that came before them.