Busan has 5 festivals in November: Busan Mackerel Festival (30 Oct – 1 Nov 2026), Yeongdo Bridge Festival (30 Oct – 1 Nov 2026), Busan Fireworks Festival (7 Nov 2026), Haeundae Light Festival (28 Nov – 10 Jan 2027), and Gwangbok-ro Winter Light Tree Festival (expected Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb 2026–27). The Busan Mackerel Festival (부산고등어축제) is a free three-day seafood festival on Songdo Beach in Seo-gu, Busan, held since 2008 in honour of mackerel, the city's fish.
Typical November weather in Busan: average high 17 °C (62 °F), low 8 °C (47 °F), 50 mm of rain (Busan station, KMA 1991–2020 normals).
| Festival | Dates | Admission | Nearest station | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Busan Mackerel Festival부산고등어축제 | 30 Oct – 1 Nov 2026 | Free entry | Jagalchi Station, Exit 2 | Happening now |
| Yeongdo Bridge Festival영도다리축제 | 30 Oct – 1 Nov 2026 | Free entry | Nampo Station, Exit 6 | Happening now |
| Busan Fireworks Festival부산불꽃축제 | 7 Nov 2026 | Free + paid activities | Gwangan Station, Exit 3 | Upcoming |
| 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 | 17 °C 62 °F | 8 °C 47 °F | 50 mm | Busan |
What to wear. Mild days, cold evenings: a jacket for after dark.
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 Busan Mackerel Festival (부산고등어축제) is a free three-day seafood festival on Songdo Beach in Seo-gu, Busan, held since 2008 in honour of mackerel, the city's fish. The 17th edition runs 30 October–1 November 2026, 10:00–21:00, with bare-handed mackerel catching, a kayak mackerel hunt, surprise mackerel auctions, a seafood market and evening concerts.
The Yeongdo Bridge Festival (영도다리축제) is a free three-day district festival in Yeongdo-gu, Busan, celebrating Yeongdo Bridge, which opened in 1934 as Korea's first drawbridge. The 34th edition runs 30 October–1 November 2026, 10:00–20:00, on two sites: the Bongnae-dong wharf beside the bridge (opening ceremony, retro shows) and Amir Park by the National Maritime Museum (song contest, cooking show, closing ceremony).
The Busan Fireworks Festival is a one-night fireworks show over Gwangalli Beach and the Gwangan Bridge in Busan. The 21st edition is on Saturday 7 November 2026, with the main show 19:00–20:00.
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.
November is kimjang (kimchi-making) season and the last month of the autumn festivals. The big night is the Busan Fireworks Festival, a single Saturday evening in the first half of the month, with the fireworks fired from Gwangan Bridge over Gwangalli Beach. The chrysanthemum shows at Hampyeong and Masan run into early November, and food festivals follow one another through the month: kimchi-making in Goesan and yuzu in the orchards of Goheung in the first half, ramyeon outside Gumi Station on a weekend, and from mid-month tteokbokki in Sunchang, yellowtail at Moseulpo on Jeju, gwamegi (half-dried saury) at Guryongpo in Pohang, kimchi with bossam in Jinan and Jangdan beans at Imjingak in Paju. Gimhae's buncheong pottery fair falls in late October or early November. The winter lights begin late in the month or in December: the Haeundae Light Festival along Gunam-ro and Haeundae Beach and the Gwangbok-ro light trees in Busan's old downtown both switch on between mid-November and mid-December.
Tip. For Busan, reserve a paid seat when sales open in September or arrive at the beach by mid-afternoon.
Busan has 5 festivals in November: Busan Mackerel Festival (30 Oct – 1 Nov 2026), Yeongdo Bridge Festival (30 Oct – 1 Nov 2026), Busan Fireworks Festival (7 Nov 2026), Haeundae Light Festival (28 Nov – 10 Jan 2027), and Gwangbok-ro Winter Light Tree Festival (expected Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb 2026–27). The Busan Mackerel Festival (부산고등어축제) is a free three-day seafood festival on Songdo Beach in Seo-gu, Busan, held since 2008 in honour of mackerel, the city's fish.
30 Oct – 1 Nov 2026. Happening now. Free entry. Nearest station: Jagalchi Station, Exit 2. Dates are taken from the organizer's own notice.
30 Oct – 1 Nov 2026. Happening now. Free entry. Nearest station: Nampo Station, Exit 6. Dates are taken from the organizer's own notice.
7 Nov 2026. Upcoming. Free + paid activities. Nearest station: Gwangan Station, Exit 3. Dates are taken from the organizer's own notice.
Average high 17 °C (62 °F), low 8 °C (47 °F), 50 mm of rain (Busan station, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Mild days, cold evenings: a jacket for after dark.
KTX from Seoul Station to Busan Station in about 2 h 30 m; Gimhae Airport is 20 minutes from Sasang Station by light rail.
60 festivals across Korea fall in November, including Cheongju Craft Biennale, Cheongsong Apple Festival, Chilgok Transmedia Festival. For Busan, reserve a paid seat when sales open in September or arrive at the beach by mid-afternoon.