South Gyeongsang has two of Korea's most-visited festivals: the cherry blossoms of Jinhae in late March and early April and the lantern festival on Jinju's Namgang River in October. In early to mid August, Tongyeong marks Admiral Yi Sun-sin's 1592 victory off Hansan Island with a naval procession, a battle re-enactment on the water and fireworks over the sea. Autumn also brings chrysanthemums to the Masan waterfront and to Geoje (cancelled in 2026 after floods), Gimhae holds its buncheong pottery fair, and silver grass covers the Hwangmaesan plateau in Hapcheon in October, while the Tripitaka Koreana festival runs near Haeinsa in the same county. On an October weekend, Changwon's MAMF multicultural festival brings migrant communities' parades and music to Yongji Culture Park. From late September to early November, the Goseong Dinosaur World Expo fills Danghangpo with dinosaur shows and a daily parade.
On now, coming up and expected
The Gyeongnam Goseong Dinosaur World Expo is a 41-day dinosaur exhibition and show park at Danghangpo Tourist Site in Goseong, Gyeongsangnam-do, a county known for its dinosaur footprint fossils. The 10th edition runs 22 September–1 November 2026, 09:00–18:00 (until 22:00 on night-opening days); gate tickets are ₩19,000 for adults and ₩13,000 for children, and parking is free.
The Tripitaka Koreana Cultural Festival (대장경기록문화축제) is Hapcheon County's autumn festival at the Tripitaka Koreana Theme Park in Gaya-myeon, Gyeongsangnam-do, about 5 km from Haeinsa Temple, where the 81,258 Tripitaka Koreana woodblocks are kept. The 2026 edition runs 9 October–1 November, 09:00–18:00, with autumn-flower sculptures, chrysanthemum bonsai, Tripitaka exhibitions and family craft workshops.
The Masan Gagopa Chrysanthemum Festival (마산가고파국화축제) is Changwon's free autumn flower festival on the Masan Port waterfront, where about 100,000 chrysanthemum plants are shaped into themed sculptures and displays at 3·15 Haeyang Nuri Park and Hapo Waterfront Park. The 26th edition runs 31 October–8 November 2026, 10:00–22:00, with multimedia fireworks on opening day and a sea nakhwa fire show at 19:00 on 4 November.
The Miryang Spicy Food Festival (밀양 매운맛 축제) is a free two-day festival of spicy food and heat challenges on the Miryang River riverside in Samun-dong, Miryang, Gyeongsangnam-do, the city where Samyang Foods runs its Buldak noodle export plants. The first edition is on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November 2026, 11:00–21:00, with spicy food zones, a chef's table, a One Chip Challenge and a brand zone that includes Samyang.
The Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival (김해분청도자기축제) is a sale and showcase of buncheong stoneware by Gimhae potters, held every autumn since 1996. The 31st edition runs 6–10 November 2026, 10:00–20:00 (closing at 18:00 on Monday and Tuesday), and for the first time leaves its home in Jillye-myeon for Lotte Garden Park beside Lotte Premium Outlets Gimhae in Jangyu.
Jinhae Gunhangje is Korea's largest cherry-blossom festival, held across the Jinhae district of Changwon on the south coast, an hour by bus from Busan. The 64th edition ran 27 March–5 April 2026; the 65th is expected in late March–early April 2027.
The Tongyeong Hansan Daecheop Festival (통영한산대첩축제) is a free summer festival around the old harbour of Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do, marking Admiral Yi Sun-sin's 1592 sea victory off Hansan Island with a naval procession, a battle reenactment on the water and fireworks over the sea. First held in 1962, its 65th edition ran 12–16 August 2026; the 66th is expected in early to mid-August 2027, around the 14 August anniversary, with dates not yet announced.
The Hwangmaesan Silver Grass Festival (황매산 억새축제) is a free nine-day festival in Hwangmaesan County Park in Hapcheon, Gyeongsangnam-do, where about 60 ha of silver grass covers the Hwangmae Plain at about 900 m. The fifth edition runs 17–25 October 2026, 09:00–18:00, with weekend performances and weekday activities; the next is expected in October 2027.
Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival fills the Namgang River below Jinjuseong Fortress in Jinju, South Gyeongsang, with floating and riverside lanterns for sixteen October nights. The 2026 edition ran 3–18 October (lanterns lit 18:00–24:00); 2027 is expected 2–17 October.
The Jirisan Walking Festival, or 'Jirisan Picnic' (지리산소풍), is a one-day group walk on the Jirisan Dulle-gil, the trail that circles Jirisan; it began in 2011 and moves between the counties around the mountain. The 2026 edition is on Saturday 24 October in Sancheong, Gyeongsangnam-do: an approximately 12 km loop from Sancheong County Citizens' Park, 09:00–17:00, with check-in from 08:30.
MAMF (Migrants' Arirang Multicultural Festival, 문화다양성축제 맘프) is billed as Korea's largest cultural diversity festival: three free days of stage shows, world food and a street parade by migrant communities from more than 20 countries around Yongji Culture Park, Seongsan Art Hall and Jungang-daero in central Changwon. The 21st edition runs Friday 23 to Sunday 25 October 2026, 10:00–20:30, with Uzbekistan as guest country and the Cultural Diversity Parade on Sunday 25 October.
Past editions, next dates not yet announced
The Geoje Island Flower Festival (거제섬꽃축제) is a free autumn chrysanthemum festival at the Geoje Agricultural Development Center and the neighbouring Geoje Botanical Garden in Geoje, Gyeongsangnam-do; about 300,000 people came in 2025. The 20th edition, planned for 30 October–8 November 2026, was cancelled after record August rain flooded the grounds.
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.