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

Jeollanam-do has 4 festivals in May: Goheung Nokdong Port Drone Show (4 Apr – 31 Oct 2026), Hampyeong Butterfly Festival (expected Apr/May 2027), Boseong Green Tea Festival (expected May 2027), and Damyang Bamboo Festival (expected May 2027). The Goheung Nokdong Port Drone Show (고흥 녹동항 드론쇼) is a free drone light show over Nokdong Port in Goheung, Jeollanam-do, with Sorok Bridge behind it, held every Saturday at 21:00 from 4 April to 31 October 2026 (900 drones, busking from 20:00) and on the last Friday of each month in Goheung-eup.

Typical May weather (average high/low): Boseong 24/11 °C (74/52 °F); Damyang 25/13 °C (77/56 °F). Source: KMA normals.

At a glance

Festival	Dates	Admission	Nearest station	Status
Goheung Nokdong Port Drone Show고흥 녹동항 드론쇼	4 Apr – 31 Oct 2026	Free entry	Suncheon Station (KTX), then bus to Nokdong	Happening now
Hampyeong Butterfly Festival함평나비대축제	Expected Apr/May 2027	Paid admission	Hampyeong Station (Honam Line; KTX stops only on festival days)	Expected
Boseong Green Tea Festival보성다향대축제	Expected May 2027	Free + paid activities	Boseong Station (Gyeongjeon Line, Mugunghwa services)	Expected
Damyang Bamboo Festival담양대나무축제	Expected May 2027	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.

Weather in May

Festival town	Average high	Average low	Rain	Measured at
Boseong	24 °C 74 °F	11 °C 52 °F	122 mm	Jangheungabout 15 km away
Damyang	25 °C 77 °F	13 °C 56 °F	91 mm	Gwangjuabout 20 km away

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

The festivals

All festivals in Jeollanam-do

Nokdong Coastal Ferry Terminal at Nokdong Port in Goheung, where the drone show is held

Happening now

Apr – Oct2026

4 –31

Sat–Sat

LightsGoheungFreeEnds todayAbout 4 h 40 min from Seoul

Goheung Nokdong Port Drone Show

The Goheung Nokdong Port Drone Show (고흥 녹동항 드론쇼) is a free drone light show over Nokdong Port in Goheung, Jeollanam-do, with Sorok Bridge behind it, held every Saturday at 21:00 from 4 April to 31 October 2026 (900 drones, busking from 20:00) and on the last Friday of each month in Goheung-eup. As of 19 October 2026 the season's last shows are Saturday 24 October, Friday 30 October (Goheung-eup) and Saturday 31 October; the 2027 season is expected from April.

A view of the 2013 Hampyeong Butterfly Festival

Expected

Expected2027

Apr / May

usual window

FamilyHampyeongAbout 3 h from Seoul

Hampyeong Butterfly Festival

The Hampyeong Butterfly Festival (함평나비대축제) is a spring festival for families at Hampyeong Expo Park in Hampyeong, Jeollanam-do, where children release and feed live butterflies among flower beds, insect halls and play areas. The 28th edition ran 24 April–5 May 2026, 09:00–18:00, and drew about 236,000 visitors; the 2027 edition is expected in late April to early May but had not been announced as of 19 October 2026.

Rows of green tea bushes on a hillside in Boseong

Expected

Expected2027

May

usual window

FoodBoseongAbout 3 h 30 min from Seoul

Boseong Green Tea Festival

The Boseong Green Tea Festival (보성다향대축제) is a five-day tea festival at the Korean Tea Culture Park in Boseong, Jeollanam-do, Korea's best-known tea-growing county. The 49th edition ran 1–5 May 2026; the 50th is expected in early May 2027.

Looking up through a Damyang bamboo grove, photographed at the 2007 Damyang Bamboo Festival

Expected

Expected2027

May

usual window

NatureDamyangAbout 2 h 5 min from Seoul

Damyang Bamboo Festival

The Damyang Bamboo Festival (담양대나무축제) is a five-day spring festival around Juknokwon bamboo garden in Damyang, Jeollanam-do, about 30 minutes by bus from Gwangju. The 25th edition ran 1–5 May 2026 with Juknokwon open until 21:00 for lit-up night walks; the 26th is expected in early May 2027.

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 Jeollanam-do in May?

When is Goheung Nokdong Port Drone Show 2026?

4 Apr – 31 Oct 2026. Happening now. Free entry. Nearest station: Suncheon Station (KTX), then bus to Nokdong. Dates are taken from the organizer's own notice.

When is Hampyeong Butterfly Festival 2027?

Expected Apr/May 2027. Expected. Paid admission. Nearest station: Hampyeong Station (Honam Line; KTX stops only on festival days). The organizer has not yet confirmed the dates; this page updates when they do.

When is Boseong Green Tea Festival 2027?

Expected May 2027. Expected. Free + paid activities. Nearest station: Boseong Station (Gyeongjeon Line, Mugunghwa services). The organizer has not yet confirmed the dates; this page updates when they do.

What is the weather like in Jeollanam-do in May?

Boseong: Average high 24 °C (74 °F), low 11 °C (52 °F), 122 mm of rain (Jangheung station, about 15 km away, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Comfortable: light layers. Damyang: Average high 25 °C (77 °F), low 13 °C (56 °F), 91 mm of rain (Gwangju station, about 20 km away, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Comfortable: light layers.

How do I get to Jeollanam-do?

KTX from Yongsan to Suncheon or Gwangju Songjeong, then local buses; Jindo by express bus from Seoul.

What else is on in Korea in May?

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