Seoul Pampas Grass Festival
- Dates: Oct 17 (Sat) – Oct 23 (Fri), 2026
- Location: Haneul Park
- Price: Free
- Getting there: Subway Line 6, World Cup Stadium Station, Exit 1, on foot; or the “Maengkkongi” electric tram to Haneul Park (₩3,000 round trip)
- Main programs: Nighttime lighting show (music + colorful lights), the “Five Senses Garden” (kochia garden and pampas-grass sculptures), busking and opening ceremony on the main stage, the “Re-born” upcycling market, hands-on activities (making pampas grass bouquets, seed bombs, and writing letters)
- Visitor tip: Arrive around 4 PM to walk the pampas fields and catch the sunset first, then stay for the evening lighting show.
Seoul Light Hangang Island of Light
- Dates: Oct 2 (Fri) – Oct 11 (Sun), 2026 — now in its 4th year, relocated to Nodeul Island
- Location: Nodeul Island (waterfront cultural space and outdoor areas)
- Price: Free
- Getting there: Subway Line 9, Nodeul Station, Exit 2, walk toward Hangang Bridge; or use the free festival shuttle (6–10 PM, every 15 minutes), looping between Sinyongsan Station (Exit 4) ↔ Nodeul Island ↔ Nodeul Station (Exit 2) ↔ Noryangjin Station (Exit 3). A special cruise also runs between the Yeouido E-Land Cruise dock and Nodeul Island (3:30–10 PM, 4 sailings on weekdays, 8 on weekends)
- Main programs: Laser Art (large-scale laser and media art installations by internationally known artists), “Light of Companionship” (performances blending light, music, and charitable giving), Bitseom Lectures (free outdoor talks)
- Visitor tip: Parking on Nodeul Island gets congested, so public transit via shuttle or cruise is strongly recommended. Cruise passengers get free all-day parking at the Yeouido Hangang Park parking lot.
Gangnam Festival (date corrected: Oct 2 → Oct 3)
- Dates: Oct 3 (Sat) – Oct 5 (Mon, a public holiday), 2026
- Location: Dosan-daero (between Cheongdam intersection and Dosan Park intersection), plus Bongeunsa Temple, Maru Park, and other spots across Gangnam District
- Price: Free (some programs, like the K-pop concert, require advance booking for crowd control even though admission is free)
- Getting there: Suin-Bundang Line, Apgujeong Rodeo Station, Exit 5, or Line 2, Apgujeong Station. The stretch between Hakdong intersection and Dosan Park intersection will be fully closed to traffic from midnight Oct 2 through 5 AM Oct 5, so public transit is strongly recommended
- Main programs:
- Oct 3 (Sat) — Global K-pop Dance Championship finals, Grand Parade (32 Pikachu characters, dance crew 1MILLION, and more), evening Family Concert (Nam Jin, Im Chang-jung, Roo’ra, and others — free)
- Oct 4 (Sun) — Fashion & Beauty Festa (street fashion shows, celebrity runway), K-pop concert finale (ZEROBASEONE, PSY, and others)
- Oct 5 (Mon) — Gangnam International Peace Marathon (10,000 participants), Bongeunsa Temple music concert
- Visitor tip: Even free performances often require advance online booking due to crowd control, so check Ticketlink’s booking open times ahead if there’s a specific show you want to see.
Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour
- Dates: Sept 10 (Thu) – Oct 17 (Sat), 2026, running Thursdays through Sundays
- Location: Changdeokgung Palace grounds (starting at Donhwamun Gate)
- Price: ₩30,000 per person
- Getting there: Subway Line 3, Anguk Station, Exit 3, about a 5–10 minute walk
- Tour route: Geumhomun Gate – Jinseonmun Gate – Injeongjeon Hall – Huijeongdang Hall – Nakseonjae – Sangryangjeong – Buyongji Pond – Aeryeonjeong Pavilion – Yeongyeongdang – the Rear Garden forest trail – back to Geumhomun Gate (about 100 minutes)
- What it is: A premium evening program where visitors carry traditional lanterns and walk the palace grounds at night with a professional guide, capped off with a traditional performance and tea at Yeongyeongdang.
- Visitor tip: This program runs entirely on a lottery-based booking system. The foreign-visitor sessions with English, Chinese, and Japanese guides (Sept 20, Sept 27, Oct 4, Oct 11) were booked on a first-come, first-served basis through Creatrip. As of today (Oct 2), those foreign-language sessions have most likely already sold out — if covering this for the blog, it’s worth adding a clear note telling readers to check current availability before planning around it.
Grand Mint Festival
- Dates: Oct 17 (Sat) – Oct 18 (Sun), 2026
- Location: Olympic Park (multiple stages: 88 Lawn Square, KSPO DOME, Ticketlink Live Arena, 88 Lake Waterside Stage)
- Price: ₩132,000 for a 1-day pass (general admission, standing; ₩140,000 at the door), sold via NOL, YES24, and Naver
- Getting there: Subway Line 5, Olympic Park Station, Exit 3, or Line 9, Hanseong Baekje Station. As an urban multi-stage festival rather than a camping-style one, only minimal personal items are allowed inside
- Lineup highlights:
- Oct 17 (Sat) — Mint Breeze Stage (Lee Sora, Jang Kiha, Peppertones, Jukjae, Jung Joon-il, and more), Club Midnight Sunset (Lee Seung-yoon, Car, the Garden, and more), Loving Forest Garden (Hong Isaac and more)
- Oct 18 (Sun) — Younha, CNBLUE, Roy Kim, Bolbbalgan4, Jeong Seung-hwan, Sunwoo Jung-a, and more. Lee Seok-won of Eojigu Haircut, celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary, joins as a Sunday headliner
- Visitor tip: It’s a standing-room, no-assigned-seating festival, so claiming a spot near your preferred stage early matters. Olympic Park is large, so build in extra time to move between stages.
