Busan has 7 festivals in October: Busan Mackerel Festival (30 Oct – 1 Nov 2026), Yeongdo Bridge Festival (30 Oct – 1 Nov 2026), Busan International Film Festival (expected Sep/Oct 2027), Busan Folk Arts Festival (expected Oct 2027), Busan International Rock Festival (expected Oct 2027), Busan Jagalchi Festival (expected Oct 2027), and UN Peace Festival (expected Oct 2027). 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 October weather in Busan: average high 23 °C (73 °F), low 15 °C (58 °F), 80 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 International Film Festival부산국제영화제 | Expected Sep/Oct 2027 | Free + paid activities | Centum City Station, Exit 12 | Expected |
| Busan Folk Arts Festival부산종합민속예술제 | Expected Oct 2027 | Free entry | Bujeon Station, Exit 5 or 7 (Line 1); Exit 2 (Donghae Line) | Expected |
| Busan International Rock Festival부산국제록페스티벌 | Expected Oct 2027 | Paid admission | Sasang Station, Exit 3 | Expected |
| Busan Jagalchi Festival부산자갈치축제 | Expected Oct 2027 | Free entry | Jagalchi Station, Exit 10 | Expected |
| UN Peace FestivalUN평화축제 | Expected Oct 2027 | Free entry | Daeyeon Station, Exit 3 | 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 | 23 °C 73 °F | 15 °C 58 °F | 80 mm | Busan |
What to wear. Comfortable: light 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 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 International Film Festival (BIFF) is a ten-day film festival centred on the Busan Cinema Center in Centum City, Haeundae-gu, with Community BIFF events in Nampo-dong, the old cinema district where it began in 1996. The 31st edition ran 6–15 October 2026 with 247 invited films from 59 countries; 2027 dates had not been announced as of 19 October 2026 (recent editions opened between mid-September and early October).
The Busan Folk Arts Festival (부산종합민속예술제) is a free two-day showcase of Busan's intangible heritage, with folk performances, shaman rituals, farmers' music, traditional games and craft classes led by heritage artisans, held on Dasom Square in Busan Citizens Park. The 6th edition runs 24–25 October 2026 (Saturday–Sunday), 11:00–17:00, hosted by Busan Metropolitan City.
Busan International Rock Festival is a three-day ticketed rock and indie festival in Samnak Ecological Park on the Nakdong River in Sasang-gu, Busan. The 2026 edition ran 2–4 October with Megadeth, The Libertines, CNBLUE and Jannabi on the bill; 2027 is expected on the first weekend of October.
The Busan Jagalchi Festival (부산자갈치축제) is a free four-day seafood festival held in October since 1992 around Jagalchi Market, Busan's famous fish market in Nampo-dong, Jung-gu. The 33rd edition ran 15–18 October 2026, 11:30–22:00, with sea fireworks over the South Port on the opening night, a rite to the dragon king of the sea, a street parade, eel relay races, free seafood tastings and a giant raw-fish bibimbap.
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The UN Peace Festival (UN평화축제) is a free festival in Peace Park, beside the UN Memorial Cemetery in Korea in Daeyeon-dong, Nam-gu, Busan, held each October around UN Day to remember the UN forces who fought in the Korean War. The 28th edition runs 23–25 October 2026 (Friday to Sunday), 10:30–21:00, under the slogan 열린 기억, 열린 미래 ("open memory, open future"), with a peace parade, six themed zones, world-culture booths, food and stage shows.
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.
October is the busiest month on the calendar, and the festival to plan a trip around is the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival: sixteen nights of floating lanterns on the Namgang River below Jinju's fortress from the first Saturday of the month. The first half of October also brings the Busan International Film Festival, the Busan International Rock Festival on the first weekend, the Silla Culture Festival in Gyeongju, Anseong's Baudeogi festival of namsadang folk performance, Sejong's Hangeul festival from Hangeul Day (9 October), Yeongju's Punggi ginseng festival and fortress festivals at Seosan's Haemieupseong and Gochang's Moyangseong. Mid-month adds Jarasum Jazz, Icheon's rice festival, pine mushrooms and salmon in Yangyang, and silver grass on Haneul Park in Seoul and on Hwangmaesan. In the second half, the chrysanthemum shows open at Hampyeong and Iksan, Gangneung holds its coffee festival, Wonju fills its old downtown with dumpling stalls, and Busan marks UN Day (24 October) with the UN Peace Festival beside the UN Memorial Cemetery.
Tip. October weekends sell out hotels in Jinju and Busan a month ahead; the weekdays in between are the best time to visit.
Busan has 7 festivals in October: Busan Mackerel Festival (30 Oct – 1 Nov 2026), Yeongdo Bridge Festival (30 Oct – 1 Nov 2026), Busan International Film Festival (expected Sep/Oct 2027), Busan Folk Arts Festival (expected Oct 2027), Busan International Rock Festival (expected Oct 2027), Busan Jagalchi Festival (expected Oct 2027), and UN Peace Festival (expected Oct 2027). 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.
Expected Sep/Oct 2027. Expected. Free + paid activities. Nearest station: Centum City Station, Exit 12. The organizer has not yet confirmed the dates; this page updates when they do.
Average high 23 °C (73 °F), low 15 °C (58 °F), 80 mm of rain (Busan station, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Comfortable: light 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.
106 festivals across Korea fall in October, including Andong Maskdance Festival, Anseong Namsadang Baudeogi Festival, Baekje Cultural Festival. October weekends sell out hotels in Jinju and Busan a month ahead; the weekdays in between are the best time to visit.