Busan has 2 festivals in December: Haeundae Light Festival (28 Nov – 10 Jan 2027) and Gwangbok-ro Winter Light Tree Festival (expected Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb 2026–27). The Haeundae Light Festival (해운대 빛축제) is Haeundae-gu's free winter illumination along Gunam-ro, the street from Haeundae Station down to the sea, and on the sand of Haeundae Beach in Busan, held every winter since 2014.
Typical December weather in Busan: average high 10 °C (51 °F), low 2 °C (36 °F), 34 mm of rain (Busan station, KMA 1991–2020 normals).
| Festival | Dates | Admission | Nearest station | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haeundae Light Festival해운대 빛축제 | 28 Nov – 10 Jan 2027 | Free entry | Haeundae Station, Exit 3 or 5 | Upcoming |
| Gwangbok-ro Winter Light Tree Festival광복로 겨울빛 트리축제 | Expected Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb 2026–27 | Free entry | Nampo Station, Exit 7 | Expected |
Dates marked “expected” follow the organizer's usual pattern and are replaced when the official announcement comes. Each festival page lists the sources.
| Festival town | Average high | Average low | Rain | Measured at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Busan | 10 °C 51 °F | 2 °C 36 °F | 34 mm | Busan |
What to wear. Near or below freezing after dark: a warm coat and layers.
Monthly averages, not a forecast. Source: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020, via the KMA-sourced climate tables for Busan. Where a festival town has no station with published normals, the nearest one is used and its distance shown.
The Haeundae Light Festival (해운대 빛축제) is Haeundae-gu's free winter illumination along Gunam-ro, the street from Haeundae Station down to the sea, and on the sand of Haeundae Beach in Busan, held every winter since 2014. The 13th edition runs 28 November 2026–10 January 2027, as listed in Haeundae-gu Office's 2026 events calendar, which notes that dates may change; lighting hours and the programme are not yet published.
The Gwangbok-ro Winter Light Tree Festival (광복로 겨울빛 트리축제), held since 2009 and long known as the Busan Christmas Tree Festival, lights about 1.1 km of Gwangbok-ro, the shopping street of Busan's old downtown in Nampo-dong, with a large media tree and light sculptures for about 80 nights each winter. The 2025 edition ran 5 December 2025–22 February 2026, lit 17:30–22:00 daily; 2026 dates are not announced yet, but the lights usually go on between mid-November and early December and stay up into February.
These come straight from the Korea Tourism Organization’s public festival database. We have not checked them against the organizer, so dates and details can be wrong or out of date. Confirm on the official page before you book.
December belongs to city lights. In Seoul, the Seoul Winter Festa groups the Lantern Festival along Cheonggyecheon and the Gwanghwamun Market, a free Christmas market with a carousel on Gwanghwamun Square (both from mid-December into January), the Seoul Light media-art shows on the curved façade of Dongdaemun Design Plaza, which run from the second half of December to a New Year's Eve countdown, and the New Year's Eve bell at Bosingak; children's theatre fills Daehak-ro for the ASSITEJ winter festival from the last Friday of the month. Outside Seoul, the Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong lights its gardens from the first Friday of December, and Busan has the Haeundae Light Festival and the Gwangbok-ro light trees; at Christmas Daegu lights Suseongmot Lake with residents' light art and drone shows, and Damyang holds a Santa parade. On New Year's Eve, crowds gather at Jeongdongjin and Homigot to wait for the first sunrise. Pyeongchang's trout festival and Chilgapsan's ice fountains can open in the last days of the month when it is cold enough.
Tip. Seoul's lantern route is free and outdoors; go after 18:00 when the installations are lit, and dress for −5 °C.
Busan has 2 festivals in December: Haeundae Light Festival (28 Nov – 10 Jan 2027) and Gwangbok-ro Winter Light Tree Festival (expected Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb 2026–27). The Haeundae Light Festival (해운대 빛축제) is Haeundae-gu's free winter illumination along Gunam-ro, the street from Haeundae Station down to the sea, and on the sand of Haeundae Beach in Busan, held every winter since 2014.
28 Nov – 10 Jan 2027. Upcoming. Free entry. Nearest station: Haeundae Station, Exit 3 or 5. Dates are taken from the organizer's own notice.
Expected Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb 2026–27. Expected. Free entry. Nearest station: Nampo Station, Exit 7. The organizer has not yet confirmed the dates; this page updates when they do.
Average high 10 °C (51 °F), low 2 °C (36 °F), 34 mm of rain (Busan station, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Near or below freezing after dark: a warm coat and layers.
KTX from Seoul Station to Busan Station in about 2 h 30 m; Gimhae Airport is 20 minutes from Sasang Station by light rail.
17 festivals across Korea fall in December, including ASSITEJ Korea Winter Festival, Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival, Damyang Santa Festival. Seoul's lantern route is free and outdoors; go after 18:00 when the installations are lit, and dress for −5 °C.