| Dates | 11 Dec – 10 Jan 2027 |
|---|---|
| Weather | December average 4/−3 °C (40/26 °F), 23 mm of rain January average 2/−5 °C (36/22 °F), 17 mm of rainMonthly averages, not a forecast: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020, Seoul station. |
| Venue | Gwanghwamun Square서울특별시 종로구 세종대로 172 |
| Admission | Free. You pay only for goods and food at the stalls; in 2025 the carousel ride and Santa photos were free too. |
| Previous edition | 2025: 12–31 Dec 2025 |
| Next edition | 2027: December 2027, probably opening on a Friday in mid-December as every edition since 2023 has, and running into early January 2028; nothing announced as of 18 October 2026. Stall-holder calls have gone out in late September or early October. |
Program
- Three seller seasons11–20 December, 21–30 December, and 31 December 2026–10 January 2027
- 96 small-business teams in all, 32 per season: 25 handmade-craft and 7 seasonal-goods sellers each season (applications 1–21 October, results 12 November 2026)
- Seoul's festival portal lists market booths, partner booths run by public bodies and brands with free events, photo zones and an experience zone
Prices
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | — | Free in every edition so far; no 2026 admission notice yet and no change signalled |
Notes on the 2026 edition
Dates are from the Seoul Tourism Organization's call for stall holders, posted 1 October 2026 and revised 13 October 2026, when the market was moved a week later (from 4 December 2026–3 January 2027) to match the 2026 Seoul Winter Festa. It is due to run 31 days and will be the fifth edition (2025 was the fourth). Seoul's festival portal still lists it only as "December (planned)"; daily hours, theme and programme had not been published as of 18 October 2026.
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.
- 2026 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