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

Gyeongsangbuk-do has one festival on record in May: Mungyeong Chasabal (Tea Bowl) Festival, expected Apr/May 2027, free + paid activities. The Mungyeong Chasabal Festival (문경찻사발축제) is a ten-day pottery and tea festival at the Mungyeong Saejae Open Set, a Joseon-era drama set inside Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park, Gyeongsangbuk-do, where potters who fire tea bowls in traditional wood-burning mangdaengi kilns show, demonstrate and sell their work. The 28th edition ran 1–10 May 2026, 09:00–18:00; 2027 dates have not been announced, but recent editions fell between late April and mid-May. Entry is free; hands-on experiences cost extra, roughly ₩5,000–15,000, the top end being a festival pass that has bundled tea-bowl making, a matcha tea ceremony and sightseeing discounts. Sometimes held in May, but not this time: Pohang International Fireworks Festival (19–21 Nov 2026).

At a glance

FestivalDatesAdmissionNearest stationStatus
Pohang International Fireworks Festival포항국제불빛축제19–21 Nov 2026Free entryPohang Station (KTX)Upcoming
Mungyeong Chasabal (Tea Bowl) Festival문경찻사발축제Expected Apr/May 2027Free + paid activitiesMungyeong Station (KTX-Eum)Expected

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

The festivals

All festivals in Gyeongsangbuk-do
Fireworks at Yeongildae Beach during the Pohang International Fireworks Festival Upcoming
Nov2026
19 –21
Thu–Sat
LightsPohangFree

Pohang International Fireworks Festival

The Pohang International Fireworks Festival (포항국제불빛축제) is a free three-day festival on the waterfront of Pohang, Korea's steel city in Gyeongsangbuk-do, held since 2004 and built around an international fireworks show over the sea, with a street parade and, in recent years, drone shows and concerts. The 2026 edition runs Thursday 19 to Saturday 21 November, moved from its planned June slot because of the local elections: an opening media-art lighting ceremony at Songdo Pier on 19 November, a fireworks street parade on 20 November and the international fireworks show over Yeongildae Beach on 21 November, 20:00–21:00, with teams from France, Japan and Korea.

Jogokgwan, the second gate of Mungyeong Saejae, near the festival site Expected
Expected2027
Apr / May
usual window
TraditionMungyeongAbout 2 h 30 min from Seoul

Mungyeong Chasabal (Tea Bowl) Festival

The Mungyeong Chasabal Festival (문경찻사발축제) is a ten-day pottery and tea festival at the Mungyeong Saejae Open Set, a Joseon-era drama set inside Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park, Gyeongsangbuk-do, where potters who fire tea bowls in traditional wood-burning mangdaengi kilns show, demonstrate and sell their work. The 28th edition ran 1–10 May 2026, 09:00–18:00; 2027 dates have not been announced, but recent editions fell between late April and mid-May.

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 Gyeongsangbuk-do in May?

Gyeongsangbuk-do has one festival on record in May: Mungyeong Chasabal (Tea Bowl) Festival, expected Apr/May 2027, free + paid activities. The Mungyeong Chasabal Festival (문경찻사발축제) is a ten-day pottery and tea festival at the Mungyeong Saejae Open Set, a Joseon-era drama set inside Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park, Gyeongsangbuk-do, where potters who fire tea bowls in traditional wood-burning mangdaengi kilns show, demonstrate and sell their work. The 28th edition ran 1–10 May 2026, 09:00–18:00; 2027 dates have not been announced, but recent editions fell between late April and mid-May. Entry is free; hands-on experiences cost extra, roughly ₩5,000–15,000, the top end being a festival pass that has bundled tea-bowl making, a matcha tea ceremony and sightseeing discounts. Sometimes held in May, but not this time: Pohang International Fireworks Festival (19–21 Nov 2026).

When is Pohang International Fireworks Festival 2026?

19–21 Nov 2026. Upcoming. Free entry. Nearest station: Pohang Station (KTX). Dates are taken from the organizer's own notice.

When is Mungyeong Chasabal (Tea Bowl) Festival 2027?

Expected Apr/May 2027. Expected. Free + paid activities. Nearest station: Mungyeong Station (KTX-Eum). The organizer has not yet confirmed the dates; this page updates when they do.

How do I get to Gyeongsangbuk-do?

KTX-Eum from Cheongnyangni Station to Andong in about 2 hours.

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.