Gwangju, the largest city in the south-west, holds the Chungjang Festival of Memories, five days of street parades and nostalgia downtown in early to mid October, and the World Kimchi Festival each autumn, with a market selling kimchi below shop prices and hands-on kimchi classes. Every two years the Gwangju Biennale, Korea's oldest contemporary art biennale, opens in September. Since 1 July 2026 Gwangju and Jeollanam-do have formed one integrated special city (전남광주통합특별시); this site keeps them as two regions. Buses from Gwangju reach Damyang, for the bamboo festival in early May and the Santa Festival at Christmas, in 30 to 40 minutes, and Hampyeong, for the butterfly festival from late April and the chrysanthemum festival from late October, in 30 minutes to an hour. Gochang, in Jeonbuk, is about 50 minutes away by bus for the Moyangseong Festival in October, and Hwasun's dolmen flower festival in the second half of October is nearby.
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The Gwangju Biennale (광주비엔날레) is Korea's oldest contemporary art biennale, held since 1995, with its main exhibition at the Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall in Buk-gu, Gwangju, and pavilions in museums and historic houses around the city. The 16th edition, 'You Must Change Your Life', directed by Ho Tzu Nyen, runs 5 September–15 November 2026, 10:00–18:00, closed on Mondays.
The Chungjang Festival of Memories (추억의 충장축제) is a free five-day street festival of nostalgia in downtown Gwangju, held since 2004 on Geumnam-ro, Chungjang-ro, the Art Street and 5·18 Democracy Square in Dong-gu. The 23rd edition ran 7–11 October 2026, 14:00–22:00, with three days of street parades, including 12 teams from 6 countries.
The Gwangju World Kimchi Festival (광주김치축제) is a three-day kimchi festival on the plaza and lawns of Gwangju City Hall, now the Gwangju office of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, held since 1994. The 33rd edition runs 23–25 October 2026, 10:00–20:00 daily, with kimchi-making classes taught by award-winning kimchi masters, a kimchi market and a food zone of kimchi dishes.
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 We have not checked them against the organizer, so dates and details can be wrong or out of date.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.