Gyeonggi-do in May Festivals, dates and what's on

Gyeonggi-do has one festival on record in May: Hwaseong Haenggung Night Opening, 1 May – 1 Nov 2026, from ₩2,000. The Hwaseong Haenggung Night Opening (화성행궁 야간개장) keeps the royal palace at the heart of Suwon's UNESCO-listed Hwaseong Fortress open after dark, lit with flower installations and hologram and laser media art under the 2026 theme 'Dalbit Hwadam'. The 2026 season runs 1 May–1 November on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, 18:00–21:30 (last entry 21:00), so the final nights are 23–25 October and 30 October–1 November. Tickets cost ₩2,000 for adults, ₩1,500 for youth and ₩1,000 for children, and visitors in hanbok and children 6 and under go free. Take subway Line 1 to Suwon Station, then bus 11 or 13 from Exit 4.

Typical May weather in Suwon: average high 24 °C (74 °F), low 12 °C (54 °F), 95 mm of rain (Suwon station, KMA 1991–2020 normals).

At a glance

FestivalDatesAdmissionNearest stationStatus
Hwaseong Haenggung Night Opening화성행궁 야간개장1 May – 1 Nov 2026From ₩2,000Suwon Station, Exit 4 (buses 11 and 13); Exit 7 (buses 60 and 7-2)Happening now

Dates marked “expected” follow the organizer's usual pattern and are replaced when the official announcement comes. Each festival page lists the sources.

Weather in May

Festival townAverage highAverage lowRainMeasured at
Suwon24 °C 74 °F12 °C 54 °F95 mmSuwon

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 Suwon. Where a festival town has no station with published normals, the nearest one is used and its distance shown.

The festival

All festivals in Gyeonggi-do
Hwaseong Haenggung Palace in Suwon by day; the night opening takes place here after dark Happening now
May – Nov2026
1 –1
Fri–Sun
LightsSuwonEnds tomorrowAbout 1 h 15 min from Seoul

Hwaseong Haenggung Night Opening

The Hwaseong Haenggung Night Opening (화성행궁 야간개장) keeps the royal palace at the heart of Suwon's UNESCO-listed Hwaseong Fortress open after dark, lit with flower installations and hologram and laser media art under the 2026 theme 'Dalbit Hwadam'. The 2026 season runs 1 May–1 November on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, 18:00–21:30 (last entry 21:00), so the final nights are 23–25 October and 30 October–1 November.

May across Korea

All 20 festivals in May

Early May is a cluster of long public holidays, and several festivals are built around it: Boseong's tea fields and Damyang's bamboo forest hold their festivals over the first week, the Jeonju International Film Festival and the Namwon Chunhyang Festival run from the last days of April into early May, the Hampyeong Butterfly Festival closes on or just after Children's Day, and potters show and sell wood-fired tea bowls at the Mungyeong Chasabal Festival in the Mungyeong Saejae Open Set. The Gochang Green Barley Field Festival runs into early or mid May. The Yeon Deung Hoe lantern parade in Seoul lands in May in most years. In Busan, sand sculptures go up on Haeundae Beach in mid to late May, and the Gwangalli Eobang Festival recreates a Joseon fishing village on a weekend in May or June. From the fourth Sunday of the month, the Chuncheon Mime Festival fills Chuncheon with mime and street theatre for eight days. Gangneung's Danoje, Korea's oldest surviving festival, begins in late May or June depending on the lunar date.

Tip. Children's Day (5 May) and Buddha's Birthday can fall in the same week; expect full trains to the south-west.

Questions travelers ask

Is there a festival in Gyeonggi-do in May?

Gyeonggi-do has one festival on record in May: Hwaseong Haenggung Night Opening, 1 May – 1 Nov 2026, from ₩2,000. The Hwaseong Haenggung Night Opening (화성행궁 야간개장) keeps the royal palace at the heart of Suwon's UNESCO-listed Hwaseong Fortress open after dark, lit with flower installations and hologram and laser media art under the 2026 theme 'Dalbit Hwadam'. The 2026 season runs 1 May–1 November on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, 18:00–21:30 (last entry 21:00), so the final nights are 23–25 October and 30 October–1 November. Tickets cost ₩2,000 for adults, ₩1,500 for youth and ₩1,000 for children, and visitors in hanbok and children 6 and under go free. Take subway Line 1 to Suwon Station, then bus 11 or 13 from Exit 4.

When is Hwaseong Haenggung Night Opening 2026?

1 May – 1 Nov 2026. Happening now. From ₩2,000. Nearest station: Suwon Station, Exit 4 (buses 11 and 13); Exit 7 (buses 60 and 7-2). Dates are taken from the organizer's own notice.

What is the weather like in Suwon in May?

Average high 24 °C (74 °F), low 12 °C (54 °F), 95 mm of rain (Suwon station, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Comfortable: light layers.

How do I get to Gyeonggi-do?

Suwon by Line 1; Gapyeong by ITX-Cheongchun from Yongsan; Icheon by the Gyeonggang Line from Pangyo.

What else is on in Korea in May?

20 festivals across Korea fall in May, including Boseong Green Tea Festival, Changdeokgung Moonlight Tour, Chuncheon Mime Festival. Children's Day (5 May) and Buddha's Birthday can fall in the same week; expect full trains to the south-west.