Festivals - Korea travel and tourism information

Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival (김해분청도자기 축제)

2026-06-24

17 Buncheong-ro, Jillye-myeon, Gimhae-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
+82-55-330-3245

*The information below is based on the 2025 festivals. Details for the 2026 festivals will be updated as they become available.*The Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival highlights the excellence of Buncheong ceramics and their everyday appeal. The festival offers a chance to see a wide variety of ceramics and participate in hands-on activities such as traditional kiln firing.

Jeongseon Arirang Festival (정선아리랑제)

2026-06-25

Bongyang-ri, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do
+82-33-560-3013

*The information below is based on the 2025 festivals. Details for the 2026 festivals will be updated as they become available.*Arirang is a globally renowned Korean folk song. The song is rooted in many different regions and thus Korea has several versions of “Arirang.” “Jeongseon Arirang” is the source of all “Arirang,” and in recognition of its value, it was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012. The Jeongseon Arirang Festival is held to preserve and develop the folk song. It starts off with the Chilhyeon Ritual Ceremony, held in honor of the patriotic fidelity of chilhyeon, the seven loyalists in the last years of the Goryeo dynasty who appear in the origin story of “Jeongseon Arirang.” The ceremony also prays for a successful festival and the well-being of the county’s people. The festival features 83 events, including the Arirang Parade and the National Arirang Singing Contest. ◎ Jeongseon ArirangBefore attending the Jeongseon Arirang Festival, it is recommended to listen to “Jeongseon Arirang.” Hearing its melodious highs and lows while viewing the winding mountain ridges surrounding Jeongseon will enhance your understanding and appreciation of “Jeongseon Arirang.” ◎ Chilhyeon Ritual Ceremony The Chilhyeon Ritual Ceremony honors the patriotic loyalty of seven sages—Jeon O-ryun, Sin An, Kim Chung-han, Yi Su-saeng, Byeon Gwi-su, Kim Wi, and Go Cheon-u—who remained loyal to Goryeo Dynasty during its fall.

Anseong Namsadang Baudeogi Festival (안성맞춤 남사당 바우덕이축제)

2026-06-25

198-2 Namsadang-ro, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do
+82-31-678-2511

*The information below is based on the 2025 festivals. Details for the 2026 festivals will be updated as they become available.*The Namsadang Noripae, which was at the heart of popular culture during the Joseon dynasty, can be likened to today’s touring musical theater companies. Anseong is the birthplace of the Namsadang, which expressed the joys and sorrows of the times through various forms of entertainment. The Anseong Namsadang Baudeogi Festival inherits the tradition and culture of Namsadang and the artistic spirit of Baudeogi, the first female to have become the leader of Namsadang troupe in the Joseon dynasty. It is designated as an official festival of the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts (CIOFFⓇ), an official partner of UNESCO since 2006. Namsadang Nori (Itinerant Troupe Performance) is held at the festival, along with other shows, including Pungmul Nori (Folk Music and Dance Performance) and foreign folk performances. Visitors can catch the tightrope show every day, which is performed on a rope three meters off the ground. Other attractions include the reenactment of a traditional Korean wedding and royal procession and the World Parade. ◎ Namsadang and BaudeogiNamsadang was a performance troupe that went around singing, dancing, and performing various tricks. The troupe was initially composed of single men, but women also came to be members after the female performer and leader Baudeogi.

Daegu Yangnyeongsi Herbal Medicine Festival (대구약령시한방문화축제)

2026-05-15

Namseong-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu
+82-53-254-1658

Daegu Yangnyeongsi Herbal Medicine Festival, held in the 366-year-old Daegu Yangnyeongsi, offers a rich experience of traditional herbal medicine culture. Visitors can enjoy free consultations with herbal medicine doctors, herbal foot baths, and unique programs such as Joseon Gutpan: Herbal Club and Zombie Street.

Gwangalli Eobang Festival (광안리어방축제)

2026-06-25

219, Gwanganhaebyeon-ro, Suyeong-gu, Busan
+82-51-610-4212

The Suyeong area has long been rich in fishery resources and was one of the first places in Busan where fishing developed on a large scale. During the Joseon Dynasty, Gyeongsang Jwasuyeong Naval Command was established here, along with eobang, a cooperative fishing organization formed by local fishers and naval forces. The fishing practices of that era have been preserved and passed down through Jwasuyeong Eobang Nori, a traditional folk performance based on the work and customs of fishing communities. The Gwangalli Eobang Festival takes its name from this heritage. Celebrating the history of Gyeongsang Jwasuyeong and the folk traditions of Korea's coastal fishing villages, it has become one of Busan’s representative cultural festivals.

Cancelled: Daegaya Festival (대가야체험축제)

2022-05-09

1216, Daegaya-ro, Goryeong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) • For more info: +82-54-950-6424

Daegaya (AD 42-562) was a nation that inhabited the Korean Peninsula around the 4th Century. The nation was a sophisticated nation that even at this early age possessed extremely high standards of culture. They created the Gayageum (a twelve-stringed traditional Korean harp). Through the relics found in the area, the nation was thought to be a powerful force in the area (now Gyeongsangnam-do). This festival offers various interactive programs to experience the nation with relic exhibition, wooden boat-making and others. Also, tourists can experience the farming culture like harvesting strawberries from the nearby rural village.

Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival (영암왕인문화축제)

2026-06-30

440, Wangin-ro, Gunseo-myeon, Yeongam-gun, Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City
+82-61-470-2346

First held in 1997, the Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival is one of Korea’s leading Cultural Tourism Festivals and has been held every spring at the Historical Site of Wangin. Dr. Wangin played a pivotal role in cultural exchange across ancient East Asia. Through him, Baekje’s advanced culture and Confucian classics crossed the Korea Strait and reached the Japanese archipelago. His teachings represented far more than a transfer of knowledge; they became a driving force behind the emergence of Asuka culture, the golden age of ancient Japanese civilization. Wangin’s profound scholarship, together with the flowing Yeongsangang River and Sangdaepo Port, symbolizes the currents of exchange that carried culture across the sea. Here in Yeongam, visitors can rediscover the roots of Asuka culture.

Ulsan Onggi Festival (울산옹기축제)

2026-06-29

36, Oegosan 3-gil, Onyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan
+82-52-980-2235

The Ulsan Onggi Festival is Korea’s only festival dedicated to onggi, the traditional earthenware that has been an integral part of Korean life for more than a thousand years. Held in Oegosan Onggi Village in Ulju-gun, where artisans continue to produce onggi using traditional techniques, the festival naturally serves as a showcase the region’s signature craft. It also contributes to the promotion of everyday onggi use and the continued development of this traditional industry. Visitors can enjoy onggi-making demonstrations by master artisans, as well as a variety of hands-on programs, exhibitions, and performances.

Jarasum Jazz Festival (자라섬재즈페스티벌)

2023-05-24

1-1, Daljeon-ri, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) • For more info: +82-31-581-2813~4

The Jarasum International Jazz Festival is held every October on the beautiful Jaraseom Island in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do. During the festival, world-famous jazz artists come together to delight audiences with the smooth vibes of live jazz.

As a Green Life Honorary Ambassador, the festival is also passionate about environmental protection. In order to share the external growth with the community, the festival holds Gapyeong Band Contest, publishes Gapyeong Restaurant Guidebook, and produces Jazz Makgeolli and Jazz Wine made from the region’s produce.

Gochang Moyang Fortress Festival (고창모양성제)

2024-07-17

Eumnae-ri, Gochang-eup, Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk-do
+82-63-560-2949

Gochang Moyang Fortress Festival has been held since 1973 to inspire admiration for the construction of the walled town, develop local culture, and encourage love and pride for Gochang residents. Main events include a celebration and memorial ceremony, with additional events ranging from a pansori performance and farming music to folk games and archery. Many people participate in the Dapseongnori event, where participants carry a rock on top of their heads and walk around the fortress three times. Doing this is said to cure all illnesses, grant a long and healthy life, and allow one into heaven.

Festivals - Korea travel information