Jeollanam-do has one festival on record in December: Damyang Santa Festival, expected Dec 2026, free + paid activities. The Damyang Santa Festival (담양산타축제) is a two-day Christmas festival in Damyang, Jeollanam-do, with a Santa parade, a lighting ceremony, fireworks and free outdoor concerts, held in 2025 at Metaland on the Metasequoia Road. The 7th edition ran 24–25 December 2025; the 2026 edition has not been announced but is expected on 24–25 December 2026. Entry is usually effectively free: the only charges reported are the small adult admissions to Metaland and Juknokwon (about ₩2,000–3,000), refunded in full as local gift vouchers during the festival. From Seoul, take the KTX to Gwangju Songjeong (about 2 hours), then a 30–40-minute bus to Damyang.
Typical December weather in Damyang: average high 8 °C (46 °F), low −1 °C (31 °F), 37 mm of rain (Gwangju station, about 20 km away, KMA 1991–2020 normals).
| Festival | Dates | Admission | Nearest station | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damyang Santa Festival담양산타축제 | Expected Dec 2026 | Free + paid activities | Gwangju Songjeong Station (KTX), then bus | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damyang | 8 °C 46 °F | −1 °C 31 °F | 37 mm | Gwangjuabout 20 km away |
What to wear. Near or below freezing after dark: a warm coat and layers.
Monthly averages, not a forecast. Source: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020, via the KMA-sourced climate tables for Gwangju. Where a festival town has no station with published normals, the nearest one is used and its distance shown.
The Damyang Santa Festival (담양산타축제) is a two-day Christmas festival in Damyang, Jeollanam-do, with a Santa parade, a lighting ceremony, fireworks and free outdoor concerts, held in 2025 at Metaland on the Metasequoia Road. The 7th edition ran 24–25 December 2025; the 2026 edition has not been announced but is expected on 24–25 December 2026.
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 We have not checked them against the organizer, so dates and details can be wrong or out of date.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.
December belongs to city lights. In Seoul, the Seoul Winter Festa groups the Lantern Festival along Cheonggyecheon and the Gwanghwamun Market, a free Christmas market with a carousel on Gwanghwamun Square (both from mid-December into January), the Seoul Light media-art shows on the curved façade of Dongdaemun Design Plaza, which run from the second half of December to a New Year's Eve countdown, and the New Year's Eve bell at Bosingak; children's theatre fills Daehak-ro for the ASSITEJ winter festival from the last Friday of the month. Outside Seoul, the Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong lights its gardens from the first Friday of December, and Busan has the Haeundae Light Festival and the Gwangbok-ro light trees; at Christmas Daegu lights Suseongmot Lake with residents' light art and drone shows, and Damyang holds a Santa parade. On New Year's Eve, crowds gather at Jeongdongjin and Homigot to wait for the first sunrise. Pyeongchang's trout festival and Chilgapsan's ice fountains can open in the last days of the month when it is cold enough.
Tip. Seoul's lantern route is free and outdoors; go after 18:00 when the installations are lit, and dress for −5 °C.
Jeollanam-do has one festival on record in December: Damyang Santa Festival, expected Dec 2026, free + paid activities. The Damyang Santa Festival (담양산타축제) is a two-day Christmas festival in Damyang, Jeollanam-do, with a Santa parade, a lighting ceremony, fireworks and free outdoor concerts, held in 2025 at Metaland on the Metasequoia Road. The 7th edition ran 24–25 December 2025; the 2026 edition has not been announced but is expected on 24–25 December 2026. Entry is usually effectively free: the only charges reported are the small adult admissions to Metaland and Juknokwon (about ₩2,000–3,000), refunded in full as local gift vouchers during the festival. From Seoul, take the KTX to Gwangju Songjeong (about 2 hours), then a 30–40-minute bus to Damyang.
Expected Dec 2026. Expected. Free + paid activities. Nearest station: Gwangju Songjeong Station (KTX), then bus. The organizer has not yet confirmed the dates; this page updates when they do.
Average high 8 °C (46 °F), low −1 °C (31 °F), 37 mm of rain (Gwangju station, about 20 km away, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Near or below freezing after dark: a warm coat and layers.
KTX from Yongsan to Suncheon or Gwangju Songjeong, then local buses; Jindo by express bus from Seoul.
17 festivals across Korea fall in December, including ASSITEJ Korea Winter Festival, Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival, Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm. Seoul's lantern route is free and outdoors; go after 18:00 when the installations are lit, and dress for −5 °C.