Top 25 Festivals In South Korea

1. Mountain Trout Ice Festival

Come January of every year, more than a million people visit the tranquil town of Hwacheon to participate in the Mountain Trout Ice Festival (also known as Sancheoneo Ice Festival). The ice fishing festival is one of the most popular in the country. It is held on top of the Bukhangang River that freezes over in the winter, and each participant is allowed to catch their fish from any one of the 14,000 fishing holes drilled into the thick ice. It’s a fun and exciting festival that features other activities like ice bobbing, sleigh racing, traditional games, and lots and lots of food.

Mountain Trout Ice Festival

Address: 137 Sancheoneo-gil, Hwacheon-eup, Hwacheon, Gangwon-do, South Korea

Website: Mountain Trout Ice Festival

Takes place: Usually held in January

2. Boseong Green Tea Festival

Boseong Tea Plantation is South Korea’s biggest tea plantation and the only one that allows tourist visits. Considered the birthplace of commercial tea production in the country, this massive tea plantation is known for its fantastic tea fields that cover over 5,000,000 square meters (53.8 million square feet) of land. Every year in May, Boseong hosts an amazing Green Tea Festival that features a variety of traditional tea events for participants to enjoy. You can go tea leaf-picking, try out your tea-making skills, take part in the ritual to the Tea God, and taste delicious tea-inspired dishes.

Boseong Green Tea Festival

Address: 775 Nokcha-ro, Boseong-eup, Boseong-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea

Website: Boseong Green Tea Festival

Takes place: May

3. Muju Firefly Festival

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This festival is like most other South Korean festivals when it comes to its entertainment options: stalls, yummy delicacies and street food, and the crowd. However, what makes it unique is its ecological focus. It is believed that fireflies only stay in places that are environmentally ideal and clean, so the people of Muju celebrate the presence of several species of fireflies in their area. People come to catch sight of three distinct species of fireflies light up the dark skies and see thousands of fireflies in their natural environment.

Muju Firefly Festival

Address: 326-17, Hanpungnu-ro, Muju-gun, Jeollabuk-do

Website: Muju Firefly Festival

Takes place: August to September

4. Bongpyeong Cultural Festival

Every September, the beautiful buckwheat flowers blossom to give off a stunning view in Bongpyeong and, of course, there is a festival to celebrate the natural wonders of this countryside and its people’s culture. The buckwheat flowers are often associated with discovering love, and this event gives you a chance to see nature at its best, get into that feeling of love, and learn about the culture of the locals at Gangwon-do province.

Bongpyeong Cultural Festival

Address: 157 Ihyoseokgil Pyeongchanggun, Gangwondo 25302, South Korea

Takes place: September

Price:Free

5. Hampyeong Butterfly Festival

This beautiful peninsula has a festival to usher in the spring season. Held every April in Hampyeong, South Jeolla Province, it is celebrated to mark the beginning of the fresh weather. With lots of flowers blossoming, visitors and participants of this festival are allowed to see thousands of different species of butterflies. Walk through the wildflower fields, admire the beautiful flowers, and get a close-up look at the fantastic butterflies in their natural habitat. It is a great and unique experience in the countryside.

Hampyeong Butterfly Festival

Address: Heonsubyeon Park, Hampyeong-gun, Jeollanam-do, Hampyeong County, South Korea

Website: Hampyeong Butterfly Festival

Takes place: April to May

6. Jinju Lantern Festival

For about two weeks in October every year, the Jinju Lantern Festival lights up the skies and the entire city of Jinju, South Korea. Celebrated to remember the famous 1592 Imjin War, the event is a festive one filled with lights, food, and lots of entertainment. The primary feature of this event is the different, life-size paper lanterns that display different things, including cartoon characters, world landmarks, famous icons, sacred animals, and of course, scenes from renowned battles. The fest also has a fireworks show, traditional performances, and lots of local and international cuisines.

Jinju Lantern Festival

Address: Namgang River Area, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea

Website: Jinju Lantern Festival

Takes place: Usually held in October

7. Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival [Last event in 2019]

Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival has been held annually since it first started in March 1999. This event celebrates the long history and tradition of bullfighting in the region and gives its visitors a chance to get engage in and watch real bullfights in the Gyeongsangbuk-do Province. Reaching over 500,000 thousand visitors every year, the show is the biggest bullfighting event in the country. You will also get to enjoy an exhibition of the province’s agricultural excellence.

Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival

Address: Gyeongsangbuk-do Sossaum Stadium, Namseonghyeon-ro, Hwayang-eup, Cheongdo-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea

Takes place: March

8. Jindo Sea Parting Festival

From bullfighting, let’s move to one of the most amazing events in the entire country - and maybe even the world. Every March, the southwestern part of Korea witnesses a truly fascinating feat in the South Jeolla province. The Jindo Sea parts right in the middle, leaving a narrow path of dry land for people to walk across to the nearby island. Dubbed the “Moses Miracle” by locals, this captivating event is purely natural and caused by the action of tides. Aside from walking in the middle of the sea, visitors are also offered sumptuous local cuisines, concerts, and cultural performances.

Jindo Sea Parting Festival

Address: Adventure Korea 667-3, Poil-dong, Uiwang-si 16004

Takes place: April

Price: Free

9. Boryeong Mud Festival

Boryeong has beautiful scenery with mountains and beaches. Boryeong Mud Festival takes place in July each year on Daecheon Beach. A celebration of water, coolness, and mud, visitors get to rub mud packs from the beach on their bodies. It is said to help improve skin tone with its high level of nutrients and minerals. There are other exciting activities to partake in here, including mud wrestling, mudslides, night dance parties, the “mud king” contest, and a beautiful fireworks display.

Boryeong Mud Festival

Address: South Chungcheong Province, Boryeong, South Korea

Website: Boryeong Mud Festival

Takes place: July to August

10. Icheon Ceramic Festival

If you love art, then you should not miss this festival. Icheon Ceramic Festival offers its visitors a close-up look of the famous ceramic-making culture of the city. The fest is held annually from the second week of May until the first week of June and receives hundreds of visitors every year. You can meet and interact with the “ceramic masters” and learn all you need to know about the art of pottery. You can even try your hand at making your own ceramic bowl and get involved in the other events here, including exhibitions, performances, and sales.

Icheon Ceramic Festival

Address: 418-2 Gwango-dong, Icheon-si | Seolbong Park, Icheon, Gyeonggi-do 467-020, South Korea

Website: Icheon Ceramic Festival

Takes place: Usually held April or May

11. Damyang Bamboo Festival [Last event in 2019]

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For a few days every May, the beautiful greenery of Damyang-gun in South Jeolla Province is celebrated with a wonderful event. Damyang Bamboo Festival is done annually to commemorate the region’s lush forests and immense bamboo plantations. It features several activities, including outdoor fishing posts, orchestra concerts, riding pedaloes, plenty of delicious food and drink, and live cultural music. If you love nature and appreciate the beauty of the ecosystem, then you shouldn’t miss this spectacular event.

Damyang Bamboo Festival

Address: 119 Jungnogwon-ro, Damyang-eup, Damyang-gun, Jeollanam-do, South Korea

Website: Damyang Bamboo Festival]( http://www.bamboofestival.co.kr/)

Takes place: April to May

12. Andong International Mask Dance Festival

South Korea has a vibrant and traditional performing arts scene. In the Haehoe Folk Village, the country’s performing arts culture is still a part of their daily living. This is why Andong International Mask Dance Festival is held yearly in this village. Entertaining millions of visitors from all over the world, the event features Korea’s talchum (Korean masked dances) and other masked performances. One spectacular part of the festival is the “Seonyujul Bulnori” event, where fireworks drip like rain, producing dazzling reflections on the river.

Andong International Mask Dance Festival

Address: 239 Yuksa-ro Andong-si, Andong, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea

Takes place: September to October

13. Homigot Sunrise Festival

One of the first activities of the year in South Korea is watching the first sunrise. It is an essential part of the New Year celebrations in the country. Homigot Sunrise Festival is specially organized to mark the symbolic resolutions of the new year. The event is held every year and features several exciting activities, including a fire show, a sunrise concert, and other forms of entertainment. Don’t miss savoring “tteokguk,” a soup made of rice cakes that are traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day after watching the sunrise over the city’s famous giant hand sculpture that rises from the sea.

Homigot Sunrise Festival

Address: 136, Haemaji-ro, Daebo-ri, Homigot-myeon, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea

Takes place: December to January

14. Taebaeksan Mountain Snow Festival

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Taebaeksan Mountain Snow Festival is another South Korean festival that celebrates the cold winter season in the country. The celebration is held every February at Taebaeksan National Park. The main attractions of this festival are its large-scale snow sculptures that look impossible to construct and provide great photo ops. Other activities during the event include snow sliding, Taebaeksan Mountain Snowflake Hiking Competition, and a giant Igloo café where you can enjoy a nice cup of chocolate coffee.

Taebaeksan Mountain Snow Festival

Address: Hyeol-dong, Taebaek-si, South Korea

Takes place: January to February

15. The Korean Queer Culture Festival

South Korea has an active lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transexual (LGBT) community and they are proud to show themselves. The LGBT community here has a festival similar to the Pride Festivals, known as the Korean Queer Culture Festival. This alternative adult event is celebrated in July of every year and is aimed at increasing the LGBT rights awareness in the country. Activities in the carnival include a film festival, a pride parade, and many other forms of entertainment. Since it began in the year 2000, the fest has seen rapid growth in its number of visitors and participants.

The Korean Queer Culture Festival

Address: Daehan Cinema Hall1, Hall2 (212, Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Website: The Korean Queer Culture Festival

Takes place: Usually held May to June

16. Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival

As pointed out earlier, with spring comes the blossoming of flowers in South Korea. And there are many places to admire the beautiful cherry blossoms in the region. One of the most popular ways to see and admire these beautiful flowers is by attending the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival. This flower fiesta is held across two well-known locations – Yeojwacheon (Romance Bridge) and Gyeonghwa Station. Each area has its own fun and distinctive activities. Couples gather to enjoy romantic moments, and at Gyeonghwa Station, you will have an incredible view of cherry blossoms falling like snow as trains pass through the station.

Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival

Address: Tongsin-dong, Jinhae-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do

Takes place: March to April

Price: Free

17. Busan International Film Festival

Do you love movies? Then Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is perfect for you. The carnival-like event displays films from South Korea and other Asian and Western countries. The fest lasts for 10 days and is open to everyone. BIFF shows a host of different types of films, including world premieres of independent films and reruns of classic movies. You can even attend a Q&A session with the filmmakers here too. It is held near Haeundae Beach and Centum City.

Busan International Film Festival

Address: 120, Suyeonggangbyeon-daero, Haeundae-gu | Busan Cinema Center, Busan 48058, South Korea

Website: Busan International Film Festival

Takes place: October

18. Lighting Festival at The Garden of Morning Calm

By December, you can attend one of the biggest festivals of lights in South Korea, the Lighting Festival at The Garden of Morning Calm. This event is usually held at the serene and gorgeous Garden of Morning Calm and therefore boasts a fantastic and inviting atmosphere. Covering an area of a little over 300,000 square meters (3,220,000 square feet), the fair features bright, shining lights that give the garden an even more appealing ambiance. Uplift your spirits by all the festive lights added to the impressive natural beauty of the garden during the winter.

Lighting Festival at The Garden of Morning Calm

Address: 432, Sumogwon-ro, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do

Website: Lighting Festival at The Garden of Morning Calm

Takes place: December to March

19. The Seoul Lantern Festival

Lanterns are an essential part of the Korean culture and, of course, there is a festival to commemorate it. The Seoul Lantern Festival is a very unusual event that happens every November around the scenic Cheonggyecheon Stream in downtown Seoul. Here, you will see different types of lantern sculptures that are designed according to the theme of the festival (which varies every year). With more than three million visitors and participants annually, the event is one of the most popular in the city.

The Seoul Lantern Festival

Address: Cheonggyecheon-ro, Yongsin-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Website: The Seoul Lantern Festival

Takes place: November to December

20. Hyoseok Cultural Festival

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Autumn in Gangwan-do is synonymous with buckwheat flowers. These beautiful flowers prosper during this period and cover every inch of the town, giving off a spectacular sight that is worth celebrating. This charming town is the location of the Hyoseok Cultural Festival. Thanks to the novel “When the Buckwheat Flower is About to Blossom” by Lee Hyo-Seok, tourists will get a chance to tour the author’s hometown and admire the flowers. A place of fun and beauty, this event is one of the best to attend while in South Korea.

Hyoseok Cultural Festival

Address: 764-1, Wongil-ri, Bongpyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea

Website: Hyoseok Cultural Festival

Takes place: September

Price: Free

21. Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival

Lovers of rock music also have something to look forward to in this country. Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival is one of the largest and most popular music fairs and events in the country. It has hosted some of the biggest names in the rock music industry and still promises to welcome more great ones in the future. Enjoy all the fun and excitement common to music festivals - all the drinks, partying, and eating that comes with it. Party lovers will definitely enjoy their time here, as the locals will definitely show visitors on how to have a rocking good time.

Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival

Address: 350, Central-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Songdo-dong, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, South Korea

Website: Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival

Takes place: Usually held in August

22. Seoul Kimchi Festival [Last event in 2019]

This festival celebrates kimjang, the seasonal period of making kimchi. Seoul Kimchi Festival is held every November and offers its visitors and participants a chance to experience a grand kimchi-making event. Kimchi is a piquant Korean side dish that is made from fermented, salted vegetables and a mixture of spicy condiments. Learn how to make kimchi from a true kimchi master, watch performances about kimchi, and even shop for the different types of the dish from different regions.

Seoul Kimchi Festival

Address: Seoul Plaza 12 Eulji-ro Seoul, Korea, Republic

Website: Seoul Kimchi Festival

Takes place: November

23. Sinchon Water Gun Festival [Last event in 2019]

There are festivals for all seasons in South Korea. The scorching summer period in the country is not usually comfortable for the locals, so they found a way to deal with it. Every July, thousands of residents and visitors come together to enjoy a cooling fiesta in the university neighborhood of Sinchon. Armed with water guns, the participants cool off by shooting each other with water until they are soaked. This event also has water slides and a DJ blasting loud music to keep you entertained.

Sinchon Water Gun Festival

Address: 2 Yonsei-ro, Sinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Website: Sinchon Water Gun Festival

Takes place: July

Price: Free

24. Lotus Lantern Festival

Lotus Lantern Festival is one of the country’s most beautiful festivals that happens to coincide with the annual Buddha Birthday celebrations. For the fair, the whole area of downtown Seoul is usually covered with gorgeous, multi-colored lanterns with an extensive open-air lantern exhibition. The fest also features a remarkable parade that marches from Dongdaemun Gate to Jogyesa Temple. Along with the show, the Buddhist monks march with the other participants together with dazzling lantern displays of animated dragons, tigers, and even the statue Buddha.

Lotus Lantern Festival

Address:55, Ujeongguk-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul

Website: Lotus Lantern Festival

Takes place: April to May

Price: Free

25. Jeju Fire Festival

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Every year in March, Jeju Fire Festival is held to usher in the new planting season in the country. This event is held in Jeju Island and involves the Saebyeol Oreum hill being set ablaze to bring in good health and harvest for the new planting year. The event denotes an ancient Korean tradition of burning old grass to wipe out rodents and vermin before new planting begins. Aside from the grand, fiery spectacle, other activities involve traditional games and a stunning fireworks display.

Jeju Fire Festival

Address: Saebyeol Oreum, Aewol-eup, Jeju, Jeju Island, South Korea

Takes place: March

Have the best festival experience in South Korea

South Korea offers a plethora of fun things to do and places to visit. It is a country with rich culture, history, and beautiful landscapes. But with the rapid modernization, some of this fantastic culture is fading. One of the best ways to experience it in its most authentic and undiluted form is by participating in different cultural events and festivals while here.