20 festivals foreigners actually travel for — cherry blossoms, mud, fireworks, BIFF, lanterns, ice trout. Pick a month or a type and we’ll show you what’s on.
Ice fishing for sancheoneo (mountain trout), sledding and an indoor ice-sculpture plaza in Hwacheon (Jan 9–31, 2027).
The festival runs a separate ice-fishing area for foreign visitors.
Bring waterproof gloves and warm layers.
Large snow sculptures at Danggol Square in Taebaeksan National Park (33rd edition, Jan 31–Feb 8, 2026). This edition has ended — check the official site for the next one.
An easy snow-country trip within Korea.
Changwon City’s cherry blossom festival in Jinhae — the 64th edition ran for 10 days, Mar 27–Apr 5, 2026. This edition has ended — Changwon City announces the next dates.
A city-run cherry blossom festival on the south coast — pair it with a spring trip to Busan.
Weekends are very crowded; a weekday morning is calmer.
A street festival under the king cherry trees of Jeonnong-ro in Jeju City (19th edition, Mar 27–29, 2026). This edition has ended — check the official site for the next one.
Jeju’s blossoms come ahead of Seoul’s — pair it with a spring Jeju trip.
Tulip fields at Korea Flower Park in Taean on the west coast (Apr 1–May 6, 2026 — ended; the autumn flower expo is on until Nov 1).
A large spring flower show; the same park runs an autumn flower expo (2026: Sep 17–Nov 1).
2026 adult ticket: ₩14,000 (official site).
The cherry-lined Yeoseo-ro road behind the National Assembly, closed to cars for the festival (2026: festival Apr 3–7, road closed Apr 1–8). This edition has ended — check the official site for the next one.
A car-free cherry blossom walk in Seoul — subway Line 9, National Assembly Station, exits 1 and 6.
Yeondeunghoe — a lantern parade and street festival in central Seoul ahead of Buddha’s Birthday. 2027: lantern parade Sat May 8 (19:00), traditional culture fair Sun May 9.
On UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list since 2020.
Street and stage mime across Chuncheon (May 24–31, 2026). This edition has ended — check the official site for the next one.
Mostly wordless performance — easy to enjoy without Korean.
Seoul’s LGBTQ+ pride festival — the 27th edition’s official schedule ran Jun 1–28, 2026. Dates and venues change each year. This edition has ended — check the official site for the next one.
A month of pride events in Seoul; check sqcf.org for this year’s program.
A hands-on mud festival at Daecheon Beach (29th edition, Jul 24–Aug 9, 2026). This edition has ended — check the official site for the next one.
Open to visitors of every nationality — the official site has English, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish pages.
Bring spare clothes and a waterproof phone pouch.
3-day rock festival in Incheon (Jul 31–Aug 2, 2026). This edition has ended — check the official site for the next one.
Korean and international bands; the official site has English, Japanese and Chinese pages.
The official site has separate Korean and Global ticket pages — visitors from abroad should start from Global.
Busan’s summer beach festival, run by the Busan Festival Organization — the 2026 edition was at Dadaepo Beach (Aug 7–13). This edition has ended — check the official site for the next one.
Easy to pair with a Busan beach trip.
Fireworks teams over the Han River at Yeouido Hangang Park (2026: Sat Sep 5 — ended). The organizer says the 2027 edition returns to Yeouido; its date is not announced yet.
A fireworks night on the Han River.
Roads around Yeouido close from mid-afternoon (2026: 15:00–24:00) — take the subway. Some zones are ticketed; see the official site.
Mask dance performances from Korea and abroad, parades and hands-on booths in Andong (Sep 24–Oct 4, 2026). This edition has ended — check the official site for the next one.
Korea’s talchum (mask dance drama) has been on UNESCO’s intangible heritage list since 2022; pair it with Hahoe Village.
Floating lanterns on the Namgang River in Jinju (Oct 3–18, 2026).
Lanterns are lit 18:00–24:00; pontoon bridges and booths run 13:00–23:00 (2026).
Premieres, master classes, open talks and outdoor stage greetings across Busan (31st edition, Oct 6–15, 2026).
An international film festival with an English website and schedule.
Popular screenings sell out fast.
Cosmetics and beauty trade show at KINTEX, Halls 3–5 (Oct 15–17, 2026).
Visitor registration is on the official site.
A 5-day coffee festival in Gangneung (18th edition, Oct 21–25, 2026).
Pair it with the East Sea coast and Gangneung’s cafés.
One night of fireworks over Gwangalli (2026: Sat Nov 7; viewing around Gwangalli Beach, Igidae and Dongbaekseom).
A different setting from Seoul’s — the fireworks go up over the sea.
Light installations along Cheonggyecheon Stream and Uicheon, evenings only (2025–26 edition: Dec 12–Jan 18). This edition has ended — check the official site for the next one.
A free evening walk in downtown Seoul.
Multilingual names: Korea Tourism Organization · via data.go.kr