Korea’s best festivals: 20 worth planning a trip around
Korea holds well over a thousand festivals a year, most of them local. These are the ones worth crossing the country, or the world, for: the cherry blossoms of spring, the mud of summer, the lanterns and fireworks of autumn and the frozen rivers of winter. Each links to its full listing with dates, fees and directions.
- Dates change every year. Where this year’s festival has already passed, we show when it usually falls; the listing updates when the next dates are announced.
- For everything on during your own dates, use the Trip Planner or the calendar.
Spring
Jinhae Gunhangje Festival
The biggest cherry blossom festival in Korea: a naval port town under hundreds of thousands of cherry trees, with the Yeojwacheon stream and Gyeonghwa Station the famous spots.
Jeju Fire Festival
Jeju’s fire festival at Saebyeol Oreum, which traditionally set a whole hillside alight to bless the farming year. The burning has been scaled back in recent years for wildfire safety, so check the year’s programme.
Hampyeong Butterfly Festival
Butterfly gardens, flower fields and hands-on nature in the far south-west, very popular with families.
Boseong Green Tea Festival
The terraced green-tea fields of Boseong at the first picking of the year.
Damyang Bamboo Festival
The bamboo groves of Damyang in their fresh May green, with the Juknokwon forest paths.
Chuncheon Mime Festival
Asia’s biggest mime and physical-theatre festival, ending in an all-night street party.
Summer
Boryeong Mud Festival
Korea’s most famous summer party: mineral mud slides, mud pools and wrestling on Daecheon Beach. Very international and very messy.
Muju Firefly Festival
Fireflies at night in the clean valleys of Muju, in the last warm weeks of summer.
Autumn
Andong Maskdance Festival
Masked dance-dramas from across Korea and the world, next to the UNESCO village of Hahoe.
Gimje Horizon Festival
The flat rice plains of Gimje, where the horizon meets the fields, at harvest time.
Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival
Tens of thousands of lanterns on the river below Jinjuseong Fortress. One of the most beautiful sights of the Korean year.
Baekje Cultural Festival
The lost Baekje kingdom brought back with processions and lanterns on the river at Gongju and Buyeo.
Suwon Hwaseong Festival
King Jeongjo’s royal procession re-enacted at the UNESCO fortress, an hour from Seoul.
Silla Culture Festival
Gyeongju’s flagship festival among the actual Silla monuments.
Gangneung Coffee Festival
The coffee town of Gangneung celebrating its roasters by the sea.
Yeosu Night Sea Fireworks Festival
Fireworks over Yeosu’s famous night sea at the end of October.
Busan Fireworks Festival
Korea’s biggest fireworks over Gwangalli Beach and the Gwangan Bridge, with a million people watching.
Winter
Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival
Ice fishing for mountain trout through holes in a frozen river, then eating your catch. The best-known winter festival in Korea.
Pyeongchang Trout Festival
Ice fishing and snow sledding in the high country of Pyeongchang.
Daegwallyeong Snow Festival
Snow sculptures and winter games in the Daegwallyeong highlands.
Guides to the big ones
Jinju Lantern FestivalBusan FireworksSuwon Hwaseong FestivalCherry blossom 2027The winter ice festivals
All festivalsFestival calendarTrip Planner7 days in Korea
