Korea Festival Calendar: The Best Festivals by Month

By Dragon Kim · Updated October 9, 2026 · 8 min read

Which festivals are worth it from December to February?

Choose the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival for a winter activity and the Seoul or Busan light festivals for city evenings. The latest VisitKorea winter list gives these 2025 to 2026 dates (VisitKorea winter festivals):

• Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, Gangwon: January 10 to February 1, 2026, with ice fishing, bare-handed mountain trout catches and ice sledding. VisitKorea says it draws over one million visitors a year.
• Seoul Lantern Festival, Cheonggyecheon: December 12, 2025 to January 18, 2026, with light installations along the Cheonggyecheon and Uicheon streams.
• Haeundae Light Festival, Busan: November 29, 2025 to January 18, 2026, opening with a lighting ceremony and fireworks from 18:00.
• Taebaeksan Mountain Snow Festival, Taebaek: January 31 to February 8, 2026, known for snow sculptures.
• New Year sunrise festivals: Jeongdongjin (Gangneung), Homigot (Pohang) and Hyangiram (Yeosu) each ran December 31, 2025 to January 1, 2026.

Practical example: a traveller based in Seoul in early January could see the lantern lights on a weeknight and add a Hwacheon day trip, then check the Hwacheon organizer for the exact year's dates.

What are the best spring festivals in Korea?

Jinhae Gunhangje is the cherry blossom headliner in late March and early April, and the Lotus Lantern Festival lights up May. See also our hanbok rental guide if you want a traditional look for blossom photos.

• Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, Changwon: listed as March 27 to April 5, 2026. VisitKorea says it draws more than two million visitors a year with about 360,000 cherry trees, and that admission is free though fees vary by program (VisitKorea: Jinhae Gunhangje). Visitors can also enter the Korea Naval Academy and Naval Base Command, which are normally closed to the public.
• Lotus Lantern Festival (Yeon Deung Hoe): tied to Buddha's Birthday, which fell on May 24, 2026. Seoul ran May 8 to 25 around Jogyesa Temple, with a parade of more than 100,000 lanterns about 3 km from Heunginjimun Gate to Jogyesa on Saturday, May 16. Busan ran May 1 to 17, Jeonju April 25 to May 24 and Gyeongju May 14 to 31 (VisitKorea: 2026 Yeon Deung Hoe guide).

The same page says the lantern parades are free, usually start around sunset, and that Seoul requires advance registration to join the parade. Some roads close, so take public transport.

Is there a big summer festival in Korea?

Yes: the Boryeong Mud Festival at Daecheon Beach, listed for July 24 to August 9 in 2026. VisitKorea places it at the Boryeong Mud Expo Plaza in Chungcheongnam-do, overlooking Daecheon Beach (VisitKorea: Boryeong Mud Festival).

• Zones: a General Zone with a Mud Run, a Family Zone and a Water Park Zone.
• By day and night: a Mud Mob Scene with DJ performances and mud water cannons by day, and a drone show over the sea in the evening.
• Cost: VisitKorea marks it as paid but gives no price, and points to +82-41-930-0891 and the festival site for fees.

Which festivals happen in autumn?

Autumn has the most choice, from the Andong Maskdance Festival to Suwon's fortress procession and Jinju's river lanterns. VisitKorea's 2026 autumn list (last updated August 2026) gives these dates (VisitKorea: 2026 autumn festivals):

• Seoul International Fireworks Festival: September 5, over the Han River.
• Andong Maskdance Festival: September 24 to October 4, with Korean and international mask dance performances and a parade.
• Suwon Hwaseong Festival: October 4 to 11, with a royal procession reenactment at the UNESCO-listed fortress.
• Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival: October 3 to 18, with more than 70,000 lanterns along the Namgang River.
• Busan International Film Festival: October 6 to 15 in the table, though the page's own FAQ lists October 6 to 11, so confirm the closing date.
• Food events: Sunchang Jangryu (October 15 to 18), Gangneung Coffee (October 21 to 25), Gimcheon Gimbap and Gwangju Kimchi (both October 23 to 25) and Gumi Ramyun (November 6 to 8).

Pair autumn festivals with colour: our autumn foliage guide shows where and when leaves peak.

What does the whole year look like?

Use this table as a month-by-month starting point, then confirm each festival's current year.

Plan the rest of the trip with our etiquette guide for crowds and temple events, and the 5-day Seoul and Busan itinerary if a festival falls in Busan.

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