At a glance
| Dates | 30 Oct – 1 Nov 2026Happening now · 17th edition (Busan city, 14 October 2026). Host Seo-gu, run by the Busan Seo-gu Cultural Center (부산서구문화원); inquiries 051-231-4085. |
|---|---|
| Hours | 10:00–21:00 (KTO); day-by-day times not published as of 18 October 2026 |
| Weather | October average 23/15 °C (73/58 °F), 80 mm of rain November average 17/8 °C (62/47 °F), 50 mm of rainMild days, cold evenings: a jacket for after dark. Monthly averages, not a forecast: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020, Busan station. |
| Admission | Free (KTO, Ministry of Culture festival listing). Food, seafood from the direct-sale market and possibly some hands-on events are paid.Entry: Free |
| Venue | Songdo Beach (Busan Songdo Beach)부산광역시 서구 송도해변로 100 (암남동) 부산송도해수욕장 |
| Nearest station | Jagalchi Station (자갈치역), Busan Metro Line 1, Exit 2Take bus 26, 30, 71 or 96 from Exit 2 (about 6 minutes) to the Songdo Beach stop, then walk 2 minutes to the beach |
| From Seoul | about 2 h 47 min · KTX + BusLeave from Seoul Station · One-way fare from ₩54,400Full route · Festivals by travel time from Seoul |
| Organizer | Seo-gu Office, Busan (run by the Busan Seo-gu Cultural Center)부산광역시 서구 (주관: 부산서구문화원) |
| Usual timing | Three days, Friday to Sunday, in the last week of October or running into the first days of November: 27–29 Oct 2017, 27–29 Oct 2023, 25–27 Oct 2024, 31 Oct–2 Nov 2025 and 30 Oct–1 Nov 2026. Browse October / November festivals. |
| First held | 2008 |
| Last checked | 29 October 2026Checked against 35 sources · See sources |
What it is like
Mackerel is Busan's city fish, and Seo-gu, the district that runs this festival, is where much of Korea's catch comes ashore. It is home to the Large Purse Seine Fisheries Cooperative, whose boats land about 90% of the mackerel caught in Korea's coastal and offshore waters, and to the Busan Cooperative Fish Market, where about 80% of the country's mackerel is traded. The district has held the festival on Songdo Beach since 2008, usually over a Friday-to-Sunday weekend at the end of October. Songdo, opened in 1913, was Korea's first public beach.
The 2026 festival is the 17th edition. It runs 30 October–1 November, 10:00–21:00 according to KTO, and entry is free. The signature events are hands-on and a little messy: catching live mackerel with bare hands, paddling a kayak to find mackerel, surprise mackerel auctions, a race of paper boats shaped like mackerel and a 'Fly! Mackerel Rocket' launch. There is also an on-site experience at the Busan Cooperative Fish Market, a tasting of new mackerel dishes, a street-dance contest and a 'mackerel physical challenge'. A mackerel food market, a direct-sale seafood market and a youth market run alongside.
The stage programme builds through the weekend: on Friday an opening concert with the Seo-gu women's choir, singers Na Sang-do and Baek Su-jeong and a retro band; on Saturday performances by local clubs; busking, including a marionette show, on Saturday and Sunday; and on Sunday youth bands followed by a DJ-led 'Songdo Youth Night'. A walk across Namhang Bridge and the Busan Traditional Performing Arts Festival are part of the wider programme.
Songdo is worth the trip on its own. The free Songdo Cloud Walkway runs 365 m out over the water to Geobukseom islet and is open 06:00–23:00, and the Songdo Marine Cable Car crosses the bay for 1.62 km between Songrim Park and Amnam Park, where the Yonggung Cloud Bridge (₩1,000) leads out to the Dongseom islet.
The honest caveats: the programme is in Korean, the day-by-day timetable had not been published by 18 October 2026, and whether the hands-on events cost extra or need sign-up was not stated. Bring clothes you don't mind getting wet if you plan to catch fish by hand.
Highlights
- Free, three days, 30 October–1 November 2026, 10:00–21:00 (KTO), on Songdo Beach, Korea's first public beach (opened 1913)
- Bare-handed mackerel catching, a kayak mackerel hunt, surprise mackerel auctions, a mackerel paper-boat race and a 'Fly! Mackerel Rocket' launch
- An on-site experience at the Busan Cooperative Fish Market, where about 80% of Korea's mackerel is traded, plus tastings of new mackerel dishes
- Mackerel food market, a direct-sale seafood market and a youth market on the beach
- Stage programme: opening concert on Friday 30 October, local performers on Saturday, youth bands and a DJ 'Songdo Youth Night' on Sunday 1 November
- Next to the free Songdo Cloud Walkway (365 m, 06:00–23:00) and the 1.62 km Songdo Marine Cable Car across the bay
Who it suits. Best for travellers in Busan on 30 October–1 November 2026 who want a free, hands-on seafood festival combined with an afternoon on Songdo's skywalk and cable car, and for families whose children will enjoy catching fish by hand. Less suited to anyone who needs English-language programmes or would travel from Seoul just for this festival.
Getting there
From Seoul
KTX from Seoul Station to Busan Station, about 2 h 30 m (₩54,400 standard class on the fare table in force since the 1 September 2026 KTX–SRT merger). From Busan Station (Line 1, Exit 7), walk about 100 m to the stop for city bus 26 and ride about 15 minutes to the Songdo Beach stop, 2 minutes on foot from the beach. A taxi from Busan Station takes about 17 minutes (about ₩12,000).
From Busan
Busan Metro Line 1 to Jagalchi Station, Exit 2, then city bus 26, 30, 71 or 96, about 6 minutes to the Songdo Beach stop (2 minutes' walk to the beach). From Nampo Station, buses 26, 30 and 71 leave near Exits 1, 5 and 8 (about 11 minutes); from Busan Station, bus 26 leaves about 100 m from Exit 7 (about 15 minutes). A taxi from Busan Station takes about 17 minutes and costs about ₩12,000 (travel-site figures).
From Incheon Airport
AREX to Seoul Station, then the KTX to Busan Station (about 2 h 30 m) and bus 26 to the Songdo Beach stop (about 15 minutes). If you fly into Gimhae Airport instead, the Busan–Gimhae Light Rail runs three stops to Sasang for Metro Line 2 to Seomyeon and Line 1 to Jagalchi (about an hour from the airport to the city centre), then a bus from Jagalchi Station Exit 2.
Last leg from Jagalchi Station
Busan Metro Line 1, Exit 2. Take bus 26, 30, 71 or 96 from Exit 2 (about 6 minutes) to the Songdo Beach stop, then walk 2 minutes to the beach
Festival shuttle
No festival shuttle was announced on the pages opened. City buses 26, 30 and 71 stop at the Songdo Beach stop; buses 30 and 71 continue to the Amnam Park stop at the western end of the cable car.
Getting home
The programme ends at 21:00 (KTO). Bus 26 takes about 15 minutes between Songdo Beach and Busan Station (travel-site figure), and the KTX from Busan Station to Seoul Station about 2 h 30 m. A new KTX timetable takes effect on 1 November 2026, the festival's last day, and last-train times for the festival dates were not verified, so check the last train in the Korail app (코레일+) or at Busan Station before the festival day and leave Songdo in good time.
Parking
No festival parking information was published. KTO lists 17 car parks with 670 spaces around Songdo Beach; whether any are reserved or closed for the festival was not stated, and the bus is simpler.
How to switch Naver Map and Kakao Map to English
Google Maps shows train, subway and bus routes in Korea but not walking or driving directions yet, so for the walk from the station Naver Map or Kakao Map is more reliable.
Before you go
1330 · Travel hotline
The Korea Tourism Organization’s helpline answers in English, Japanese and Chinese around the clock, and in several other languages from 08:00 to 19:00. Dial 1330 from a Korean phone, or +82-2-1330 from a phone registered abroad.
112 / 119 · Emergencies
112 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance. Both are free from any phone. Police on 112 can add an English or Chinese interpreter to the call.
T-money card
Buy one at a convenience store such as GS25, CU or 7-Eleven and top it up there with cash. It pays for subways and buses in most cities, and for most taxis.
Maps
Use Naver Map or Kakao Map for walking and bus directions; Google Maps does not yet give walking directions in Korea. Both apps can be switched to English. Naver Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → Language (Japanese and Chinese also available). Kakao Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → App settings → Language. If the option is missing, change your phone’s language and reopen the app. Small shop names and some reviews stay in Korean.
Trains and buses
Book trains on Korail’s English site and express buses on Kobus. Holiday weekends sell out first.
Checked 18 October 2026.
Tickets, prices and practical details
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Free | |
| Hands-on events (bare-handed catching, kayak hunt, fish-market experience) | — | Fees and sign-up rules not published as of 18 October 2026 |
- Booking
- No booking is needed for entry. Whether bare-handed mackerel catching, the kayak hunt or the fish-market experience need advance or on-site sign-up was not published on the pages opened; the festival site is busangde.co.kr and the Busan Seo-gu Cultural Center answers on 051-231-4085.
- English on site
- None documented. Busan city's English event pages link to a Korean-language festival website, and stage programmes are in Korean.
- Best time to go
- Saturday 31 October or Sunday 1 November in the afternoon for busking and the mackerel events, then sunset from the Songdo Cloud Walkway (open to 23:00); Friday 30 October evening for the opening concert.
- What to bring
- Clothes and shoes you don't mind getting wet for bare-handed mackerel catching, a warm layer for the beach after dark, and a transit card for the bus.
- Toilets
- Songdo Beach has public toilets, showers and changing rooms (KTO listing); extra festival toilets were not mentioned.
2026 program
- Fri 30 Octopening concert with the Busan Seo-gu Women's Choir, singers Na Sang-do and Baek Su-jeong and retro band Countdown (time not published)
- Sat 31 Oct'Local Star in Seo-gu' performances by local clubs and groups; Sat 31 Oct–Sun 1 Nov: 'Songdo Busking PLAY' street shows, including a marionette puppet show
- Sun 1 Nov'Mackerel Hot Stage' with youth bands Tandanji, Roco Band and Band SORA, then 'Songdo Youth Night' with DJ Mino, a female duo and performance team Vista
- Main events (days not published): bare-handed mackerel catching, kayak mackerel hunt, surprise mackerel auction, mackerel paper-boat race, 'Fly! Mackerel Rocket'
- Hands-onon-site experience at the Busan Cooperative Fish Market, new mackerel dish tasting, Songdo street dance contest, mackerel physical challenge
- Alsomackerel food market, direct-sale seafood market, Songdo Youth Market, mackerel wish cards, a lifelong-learning festival, Namhang Bridge walking event, Busan Traditional Performing Arts Festival
17th edition (Busan city, 14 October 2026). Host Seo-gu, run by the Busan Seo-gu Cultural Center (부산서구문화원); inquiries 051-231-4085.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Late October or the turn of October and November 2027 (18th edition), most likely a Friday-to-Sunday weekend, going by 27–29 Oct 2023, 25–27 Oct 2024, 31 Oct–2 Nov 2025 and 30 Oct–1 Nov 2026. Not announced as of 18 October 2026. | expected | Every edition checked since 2017 has been held on Songdo Beach. |
| 2026 | 30 Oct – 1 Nov 2026 | confirmed | Songdo Beach, Seo-gu. City buses 26, 30, 71 and 96 stop at the Songdo Beach stop, about 2 minutes from the sand. |
| 2025 | 31 Oct – 2 Nov 2025 | ended | Songdo Beach, Seo-gu. |
| 2024 | 25–27 Oct 2024 | ended | Around Songdo Beach, Seo-gu. |
| 2023 | 27–29 Oct 2023 | ended | Songdo Beach, Seo-gu. |
| 2017 | 27–29 Oct 2017 | ended | Songdo Beach and the area around the Busan Cooperative Fish Market. |
Before or after the festival
Places you can fit in before or after the festival without missing the shuttle or the last train or bus back.
Busan's best-known seafood market, an outdoor stall street and an indoor market building on the harbour front, where you eat raw fish, grilled fish or spicy fish stew looking out over the water. Make it lunch on the way in: it is open 05:00–22:00 (closed on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesdays, none of them festival days), and the buses to Songdo leave from Jagalchi Station Exit 2. Do not leave it for after the festival: the market closes at 22:00, an hour after the programme ends.
Getting there: Bus 26, 30, 71 or 96 between Jagalchi Station Exit 2 and the Songdo Beach stop, about 6 min
A cable car across Songdo bay to Songdo Skypark in Amnam Park, where the Yonggung Cloud Bridge, a 127 m suspension footbridge about 25 m above the sea, leads out to the Dongseom islet. Do it in the afternoon before the evening stage: the bridge is open 09:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30, ₩1,000; closed 1st and 3rd Mondays, not festival days), the cable car 09:00–21:00 until November. KTO lists two adult round-trip fare tables (₩17,000–24,000), so check at the ticket office.
Getting there: On foot along the beach to the cable car station (about 486 m from KTO's festival point); about 15 min across the bay
A 365 m walkway over the sea from the east end of Songdo Beach to Geobukseom islet, with glass-floored sections where you look straight down at the water. It is free and open 06:00–23:00 every day, so it fits after the programme ends at 21:00 or at sunset between events. If you are catching a KTX that night, allow for bus 26 back to Busan Station (about 15 minutes) from the Songdo Beach stop.
Getting there: On foot from the beach, about 436 m from KTO's festival point; free
Questions travelers ask
When is the Busan Mackerel Festival 2026?
30 October–1 November 2026 (Friday to Sunday), 10:00–21:00 per KTO, on Songdo Beach in Seo-gu, Busan. It is the 17th edition.
Is the Busan Mackerel Festival free?
Entry is free. You pay for food and seafood at the market stalls; whether hands-on events such as bare-handed mackerel catching have a fee had not been published as of 18 October 2026.
What can you do at the festival?
Catch live mackerel with bare hands, hunt for mackerel by kayak, join a surprise mackerel auction or the paper-boat race, try new mackerel dishes and visit the Busan Cooperative Fish Market. The stage has an opening concert on Friday, local performers on Saturday, and youth bands and a DJ night on Sunday.
How do I get to Songdo Beach?
Take Busan Metro Line 1 to Jagalchi Station, Exit 2, then bus 26, 30, 71 or 96 for about 6 minutes to the Songdo Beach stop. From Busan Station, bus 26 near Exit 7 takes about 15 minutes. A taxi from Busan Station takes about 17 minutes and costs about ₩12,000.
Can I visit on a day trip from Seoul?
It can work, but plan the return. The KTX from Seoul Station to Busan Station takes about 2 h 30 m (₩54,400 standard class), and bus 26 adds about 15 minutes. A new KTX timetable starts on 1 November, the festival's last day, and last-train times for the festival dates were not verified, so check the last train back to Seoul in the Korail app (코레일+) or at Busan Station before the festival day.
What else is there to see at Songdo?
The Songdo Cloud Walkway, a free 365 m walkway over the sea (06:00–23:00 daily); the Songdo Marine Cable Car across the bay (09:00–21:00 in September–November); and the Yonggung Cloud Bridge at Amnam Park (₩1,000).
What is the weather like during Busan Mackerel Festival?
October in Busan: average high 23 °C (73 °F), low 15 °C (58 °F), 80 mm of rain (Busan station, KMA 1991–2020 normals). November in Busan: average high 17 °C (62 °F), low 8 °C (47 °F), 50 mm of rain (Busan station, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Mild days, cold evenings: a jacket for after dark.
Sources and verification
Facts checked
29 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
This page is desk research from the sources below, not a firsthand report of the 2026 edition. Confidence in the current facts: medium.
- KTO TourAPI listing 부산고등어축제 (contentId 1399532)kto — 30 Oct–1 Nov 2026, 10:00–21:00, free, 송도해변로 100, coordinates 35.0768/129.0180, organizer Seo-gu, 051-231-4085, busangde.co.kr; held each October since 2008; Korea's first public beach; ~90% of coastal/offshore mackerel caught by the Large Purse Seine Fisheries Cooperative, 80% of national mackerel traded at Busan Cooperative Fish Market; modified 12 Oct 2026
- ktriptips (KTO data mirror) — 부산고등어축제 (contentId 1399532)kto — 주최 Seo-gu, 주관 부산서구문화원, 051-231-4085; 2026 programme by day (30 Oct opening concert; 31 Oct local performances; 31 Oct–1 Nov busking with marionette show; 1 Nov hot stage and youth night); main, participation and supplementary programmes; Songdo Cloud Walkway 436 m, cable car 486 m from the listing point
- 여기유 (festival aggregator) — 부산고등어축제other — 30 Oct (Fri)–1 Nov (Sun) 2026, 10:00–21:00, free, Songdo Beach at 송도해변로 100, organizers Seo-gu and Busan Seo-gu Cultural Center; performance days
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism — 지역축제: 부산고등어축제ministry — 30 Oct–1 Nov 2026, 10:00–21:00, free, Songdo Beach, host Seo-gu, inquiries Busan Seo-gu Cultural Center 051-231-4085, held every October since 2008, local-specialty festival themed on mackerel
- Busan Metropolitan City (Simplified Chinese) — 釜山各区·郡10月、11月庆典 (14 Oct 2026)municipal — 第17届釜山青花鱼庆典 (17th edition), 30 Oct–1 Nov 2026, 松岛海水浴场, Seo-gu (西区), website busangde.co.kr
- Busan Metropolitan City (Traditional Chinese) — 釜山各區·郡10月、11月慶典 (14 Oct 2026)municipal — Traditional Chinese name 第17屆釜山青花魚慶典, 30 Oct–1 Nov 2026
- Busan Metropolitan City — Calendar of Events: The 16th Busan Mackerel Festivalmunicipal — 16th edition 31 Oct (Fri)–2 Nov (Sun) 2025, Songdo Beach, free admission, slogan 펄떡이는 고등어 들썩이는 송도, Korean-language website busangde.co.kr
- Busan Metropolitan City (Japanese) — 釜山サバ祭り2025municipal — Japanese name 釜山サバ祭り; 16th edition 31 Oct–2 Nov 2025 at 松島海水浴場
- Busan Metropolitan City — Calendar of Events: The 15th Busan Mackerel Festivalmunicipal — 15th edition 25–27 Oct 2024 (Fri–Sun), Songdo Beach area, free admission, hosted by Seo-gu and run by 부산서구문화원
- Busan Metropolitan City (Japanese) — 釜山サバ祭り2024municipal — 15th edition 25–27 Oct 2024; programme included a fish-market tour and mackerel dish tasting
- Busan Metropolitan City — Calendar of Events: The 14th Busan Mackerel Festivalmunicipal — 14th edition 27 (Fri)–29 (Sun) Oct 2023, Songdo Beach, free admission
- Maeil Shinmun — Songdo feature (11 Oct 2024)news — Mackerel festival held every year at Songdo; 15th edition on 25–27 Oct 2024
- Aju News — 부산시, '고등어愛 반하다!'...축제 절정 (28 Oct 2017)news — 10th edition 27–29 Oct 2017 at Songdo Beach and around the Busan Cooperative Fish Market; mackerel as Busan's city fish; 60th anniversary of Seo-gu as a district; opening and 10th-anniversary concert on 27 Oct; bare-handed catching, kayak hunt, surprise auction, fish-market tour, grilled mackerel, singing contest, paper-boat race, cooking contest, Namhang Bridge walking race
- KNN — 부산이 재미있다 wHY: 송도 (21 Jun 2023)news — Songdo Beach Korea's first public beach, opened July 1913; cable car 1.62 km between Songrim Park and Amnam Park; Cloud Walkway links the beach and Geobukseom; Yonggung Cloud Bridge links Amnam Park and Dongseom
- Wikitree — 낮엔 해수욕장, 밤엔 야경…365m '무료' 산책로 (7 Apr 2026)news — Songdo Cloud Walkway 365 m, open daily 06:00–23:00, free; buses 7, 9, 30 and 71 from Nampo-dong and bus 26 from Busan Station to the Songdo Beach stop
- Busan Navi — Songdo Beachother — Jagalchi and Nampo-dong stations on Line 1, then bus 26 or taxi, about 10 minutes; 365 m skywalk fully opened 2016; marine cable car to Amnam Park opened 2017
- Korea To Do — Songdo Beachblog — Busan Station Exit 7, walk 100 m, bus 26, 15 minutes; Nampo Station Exits 1, 5, 8 buses 26/30/71, 11 minutes; Jagalchi Station Exit 2 buses 26, 30, 71, 96, 6 minutes; Songdo Beach stop 2 minutes' walk; buses 30/71 run on to the Amnam Park stop; taxi from Busan Station 17 minutes, about ₩12,000
- Rome2rio — Busan Station to Songdo Beachmap — Line 1 from Busan Station to Jagalchi, then bus 30 to Songdo Beach, about 27 minutes in total
- ktriptips (KTO data mirror) — 부산 송도해상케이블카kto — Hours 09:00–21:00 in March–June and September–November, tickets until 30 minutes before closing; round trip adult ₩17,000 Air Cruise and ₩22,000 Crystal Cruise, with a second table at ₩19,000 and ₩24,000; Songrim Park to Amnam Park; closed in bad weather; 051-247-9900; 송도해변로 171
- ktriptips (KTO data, Simplified Chinese) — 釜山松岛海水浴场kto — Parking: 17 car parks with 670 spaces; public toilets, showers and changing rooms; Chinese name 松岛海水浴场
- ktriptips (KTO data, Japanese) — 釜山松島海水浴場kto — Songdo Yonggung suspension bridge (クルムダリ) entry ₩1,000; Japanese name 松島海水浴場
- Korail KTX fare table, effective 1 Sep 2026 (xls)official — Standard class Seoul–Busan ₩54,400 (₩54,000 via Seodaegu, ₩49,300 via Gupo); checked for the site's Busan Fireworks Festival record
- Hankyung — 9월 1일부터 서울~부산 KTX 5만4400원…운임 평균 10% 인하 (31 Aug 2026)news — KTX and SRT run as KTX from 1 Sep 2026; Seoul–Busan ₩59,800 to ₩54,400; former SRT trains from Suseo renamed KTX-Sancheon
- Busan → Seoul Station train timetable, 16–22 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed)other — Last trains 22:00 KTX 82 (arr 00:27) and 22:10 KTX 84 (arr 00:42), about 2 h 30 m; checked for the site's Busan Fireworks Festival record
- Korail — 열차운임/시간표 (official timetable and fare downloads)official — Index of current Korail timetables, including KTX timetable editions of 15 May 2026 and 1 Nov 2026
- itwiki — 남포역other — Nampo is station 111 on Line 1; neighbours Jagalchi (110, 0.7 km) and Jungang (112, 0.9 km)
- MileAsia — Busan Airport (Gimhae) to Busan Station 2026blog — Busan Station is station 113 on Line 1 (three stops from Jagalchi, 110)
- itwiki — 부산김해경전철other — Light rail order Sasang (01), Gwaebeop Renecite (02), Seobusan Yutongjigu (03), Airport (04): three stops from the airport to Sasang
- Wikivoyage — Gimhae International Airportother — Light rail and metro from the airport take about an hour to the city centre
- KTO tourist data — 부산 자갈치시장 (ktriptips mirror)kto — 05:00–22:00, closed first, third and fifth Tuesdays; seafood, grilled fish and raw fish
- ktriptips (KTO data mirror) — 송도스카이파크 (Songdo Marine Cable Car arrival point)kto — Cable car hours 09:00–21:00 in September–November (tickets until 20:30), open all year, about 15 minutes; two fare tables ₩17,000/₩22,000 and ₩19,000/₩24,000; homepage busanaircruise.co.kr; modified 4 Aug 2026
- Wikitree — 발밑은 25m 낭떠러지… 송도용궁구름다리 (24 May 2026)news — Yonggung Cloud Bridge 127.1 m long, about 25 m above the sea, open 09:00–18:00 with last entry 17:30, closed 1st and 3rd Mondays, adult ₩1,000; entrance below the Songdo Skypark cable car station; Amnam Park bus stop
- ktriptips (KTO data mirror) — 송도 구름산책로(스카이워크)kto — Walkway from the land to Geobukseom on the east side of Songdo Beach, sections with transparent glass floors, open 06:00–23:00 all year; homepage Seo-gu cultural tourism site bsseogu.go.kr/tour/
- KTO tourist data — 부산 자갈치시장 (ktriptips mirror, modified 16 Oct 2026)kto — Outdoor traditional market and indoor modern market; raw fish, grilled fish and spicy fish stew with a sea view; 05:00–22:00, closed first, third and fifth Tuesdays; homepage bisco.or.kr/jagalchimarket/
- Special Times — [축제] 부산고등어축제 (25 Oct 2026)news — 30 Oct–1 Nov 2026 at Songdo Beach, 10:00–21:00, free; performances by day (30 Oct opening concert, 31 Oct Local Star in Seo-gu, 31 Oct–1 Nov Songdo Busking Play, 1 Nov Mackerel Hot Stage and Songdo Youth Night) without start times; no shuttle, parking or traffic-control information
What we could not confirm
- The organizer's site (busangde.co.kr) was not opened because no search returned it; the 2026 programme rests on KTO data (TourAPI and its ktriptips mirror), the ministry's festival listing and Busan city's news of 14 October 2026.
- The 2026 day-by-day timetable was not published as of 18 October 2026: opening-concert time, and on which days and at what times the mackerel catching, kayak hunt, auctions and fish-market experience run.
- Whether the hands-on events (bare-handed catching, kayak hunt, fish-market experience) charge a fee or need advance or on-site sign-up.
- Edition numbers (10th in 2017, 14th in 2023, 15th in 2024, 16th in 2025, 17th in 2026) imply two years without a festival between 2018 and 2022, probably during the pandemic; 2018–2022 dates were not checked.
- Where the Busan Cooperative Fish Market experience starts and how participants get there from Songdo was not published.
- Bus routes and ride times come from travel sites (Korea To Do, Wikitree, Busan Navi, Rome2rio), not from Busan's bus information system; city bus fares were not checked.
- Songdo Marine Cable Car: KTO lists two fare tables (₩17,000/₩22,000 and ₩19,000/₩24,000 round trip); the operator's site (busanaircruise.co.kr) was not opened, so the current fare is not confirmed.
- Festival parking, traffic control and any shuttle were not published; the 670-space figure is KTO's general figure for Songdo Beach.
- The rail fare was copied from the site's Busan Fireworks Festival record (Korail fare table effective 1 Sep 2026). Last-train times were removed on 21 Oct 2026 because they could not be verified for the festival dates.
- The Japanese name comes from Busan city's Japanese event pages and the Chinese names from Busan city's Chinese news pages; no KTO foreign-language festival listing was found.
- Accessibility, rain policy, pets, foreign-card acceptance and visitor numbers were not published.
- Last train back on the festival date under the timetable in force that day (Busan to Seoul Station, new KTX timetable from 1 Nov 2026).
- Yonggung Cloud Bridge hours, last entry and Monday closures come from a Wikitree article of 24 May 2026, not from a Seo-gu page; no official page for the bridge was found.
Changes: 2026-10-18 — Added to the site: fact-first record (dates, hours, prices, getting there, sources). · 2026-10-18 — Added a photograph from the Korea Tourism Organization (Korea Tourism Content Lab), KOGL Type 1. · 2026-10-19 — Rechecked before the 2026 edition: no changes found. · 2026-10-21 — Transport: removed last-train and last-bus clock times taken from the October 2026 timetable, which could not be verified for the festival dates (new Korail timetable from 1 November 2026), and added advice to check the Korail app (코레일+) or the station before travelling. · 2026-10-27 — Nearby rewritten as 'Before or after the festival' (shuttle and last-train fit); transport: no transport clock times in getThere or FAQs to check (last-train times stay removed); prices: unchanged (entry free, no festival fees published; cable-car fare given as KTO's range) · 2026-10-29 — Rechecked before the 2026 edition: no changes found (dates, venue, 10:00–21:00 and free entry confirmed by a 25 Oct 2026 report; no shuttle, parking or road-closure notice found).
