| Dates | 12–31 Dec 2025 |
|---|---|
| Hours | 17:30–21:30 at opening; 17:30–22:00 under an organizer notice posted 16 December 2025; planned to midnight on 31 December |
| Weather | December average 4/−3 °C (40/26 °F), 23 mm of rainMonthly averages, not a forecast: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020, Seoul station. |
| Venue | Gwanghwamun Square서울특별시 종로구 세종대로 172 |
| Admission | Entry: Free · Rudolph carousel ride: Free |
| Previous edition | 2024: 13 Dec – 5 Jan 2025 |
| Next edition | 2026: 11 Dec – 10 Jan 2027 |
Program
- Theme "Santa Village in a winter fairy tale" (겨울동화 속 산타마을) in three zones, village entrance, play plaza and market village, starting in front of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts
- 15 m tree and more than ten photo zones: Nutcracker house, gingerbread cookie house with wish-letter box, Santa Village express train, snowflake fountain, mirror photo zone, Christmas fairy house, teddy-bear photo studio
- New Rudolph carouselfree ride ticket and gift for completing the stamp tour, first 150 people a day; children under 90 cm in the carriage, under 110 cm with a guardian
- Free Santa photos under the big tree, 21–25 December, first come, first served
- Partner zonesDisney's Avatar: Fire and Ash, a Barbour Wallace & Gromit tree and Nespresso coffee tasting; charity and regional-promotion booths
- Seller seasons 12–18, 19–24 and 25–31 December, 36 teams each (25 craft, 8 seasonal goods, 3 seasonal food)
- Lion dance, samulnori and a street parade in front of the Sejong Center
Prices
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Free | |
| Rudolph carousel ride | Free | Free after completing the on-site stamp tour |
| Photo with Santa (21–25 Dec) | Free |
Notes on the 2025 edition
Fourth edition, part of the 2025 Seoul Winter Festa (12 December 2025–4 January 2026). About 3.57 million visits in 20 days, up 118% on 2024, more than a million of them between 21 and 25 December; 135 booth teams sold more than ₩1 billion. Herald Economy reported that the market stayed open until 01:00 on the last night.
About the festival
Gwanghwamun Market (광화문 마켓) is Seoul's free Christmas market: a European-style "Santa Village" of red-roofed stalls, a 15 m tree, photo zones and a carousel on Gwanghwamun Square, run every evening by the Seoul Tourism Organization since 2022. The 2026 edition is scheduled for 11 December 2026–10 January 2027; daily hours are not yet published (17:30–22:00 in 2025). Take Line 5 to Gwanghwamun Station, Exit 9 or 7.
Transport, booking, crowd and accessibility details are on the main Gwanghwamun Market page, which covers every edition.
Source
Facts checked
21 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
- 2025 edition source
- Seoul Tourism Organization — [변경] 2026 광화문 마켓 마켓 부스 참여 소상공인 모집 공고 (posted 1 Oct 2026, revised 13 Oct 2026)official
- Seoul Tourism Organization — 2025 광화문 마켓 참여상인 모집 공고official
- Seoul Lantern Festival & Gwanghwamun Market — 운영시간 조정 안내 (16 Dec 2025)official
- Seoul Lantern Festival & Gwanghwamun Market official site (Korean)official