Arts & performanceGwangju

Gwangju Biennale 2026 in Gwangju, South Korea

광주비엔날레 2026

Sep – Nov2026
5 –15
Sat–Sun 10:00–18:00
Happening now

5 September 2026 to 15 November 2026 · 10:00–18:00; closed on Mondays, except 7 Sep, 5 Oct and the Chuseok holidays, when it opened as normal. Pavilions keep their own hours, mostly 10:00–18:00 and closed on Mondays.

Not yet confirmed for the 2026 edition: prices, shuttle buses, road closures or parking. Check the organizer's page before you go.

Venue this year. Main exhibition at the Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall, 111 Biennale-ro, Buk-gu. Pavilions in Yangnim-dong, Nam-gu (Yi Jang-woo House, Lee Kang-ha Art Museum, House of Missionary Wilson, Lee Lee-nam Studio, Horanggasy Art Polygon, Yangnim Museum of Art and others), downtown Dong-gu (Asia Culture Center, Eunam Museum of Art, Jeonil Building 245, 5·18 Archives), Buk-gu (Gwangju Museum of Art, Gwangju History & Folk Museum), Seo-gu (Ha Jung-woong Museum of Art, Mugaksa) and Gwangsan-gu (Dong-gok Museum of Art).

Dates5 Sep – 15 Nov 2026
Hours10:00–18:00; closed on Mondays, except 7 Sep, 5 Oct and the Chuseok holidays, when it opened as normal. Pavilions keep their own hours, mostly 10:00–18:00 and closed on Mondays.
VenueGwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall, plus pavilions around the city광주광역시 북구 비엔날레로 111 (용봉동)
AdmissionAdult ticket, on site: ₩20,000 · Youth ticket, on site: ₩10,000
Previous edition2024: 7 Sep – 1 Dec 2024

Program

  • 4 Sep 18:00opening ceremony at the exhibition hall and plaza, with the new commission 'Bullim' by Kwon Byung-joon and Park Chan-kyong
  • 5–6 Separtist performances (Angela Goh; Kwon Byung-joon and Park Chan-kyong); 5 Sep 13:00–19:00 'Conversations on Practice' in Geosigi Hall; 6 Sep 13:00–17:30 curators' tour with artists through the five galleries
  • 5 Sep–15 Nov, exhibition hall: main exhibition, 43 artists and groups from 22 countries; Gallery 1 molecular change, Gallery 2 personal change, Gallery 3 systemic change, Gallery 4 cosmological change, Gallery 5 community, children and club (entered from the plaza without a ticket)
  • DailyAngela Goh's 'Craft' performed four times a day on the bridge to Gallery 3; James T. Hong's 'Apple' projected on the hall's outer wall 19:00–21:00
  • Docent tours every hour from 10:00 to 17:00 (about 60 minutes, about 20 people, first come first served at the gallery entrance, no booking); English docent tours twice a week; AI docent 'Docent Q' through QR codes at each gallery entrance
  • Walking tour 'The Changing Memory of the City' (Asia Culture Center → Eunam Museum of Art → Jeonil Building 245 → 5·18 Archives) at 11:00 and 14:00: daily 5–13 Sep, then Saturdays and Sundays 19 Sep–15 Nov (none on 26–27 Sep and 3–4 Oct); Naver Booking, minimum 5 people, 062-608-4282
  • Yangnim-dong pavilion tour, a guided walk through about ten pavilions (₩10,000)
  • 28 pavilions from 27 countries, cities and institutions in Nam-gu, Dong-gu, Buk-gu, Seo-gu and Gwangsan-gu; Italy's at the Dong-gok Museum of Art runs on to 14 Feb 2027
  • Linked special exhibition at the Asia Culture Center: Kim Young-eun, 'To the Listeners of the Future: Moving Sound', 115 speakers in a space 15 m high, 25 m wide and 60 m long
  • 'Gwangju Biennale & Gwangju Art Pass': 1,000 bundles of a biennale ticket with food, art or lodging offers in the city

Prices

ItemPriceNote
Adult ticket, on site₩20,000Advance ₩17,000; Jeonnam-Gwangju residents and employees of local companies ₩14,000 (30% off)
Youth ticket, on site₩10,000Advance ₩8,000; residents ₩7,000. Age range not stated in the sources opened
Child ticket, on site₩7,000Advance ₩5,000; residents ₩4,900
Group (20 or more), adult₩18,000Youth ₩9,000, child ₩6,000; not sold in advance and not combined with other discounts
Special discount, adult₩6,000Youth ₩4,000, child ₩3,000. For people 65 and over, one guardian of certain disabled visitors or veterans, basic-livelihood recipients, Culture Nuri card holders and serving military, police and firefighters
Revisit discount, adult₩10,000Half price with proof of an earlier ticket; youth ₩5,000, child ₩3,500
Yeosu World Island Expo ticket holders, adult₩14,000Youth ₩7,000, child ₩4,900 (30% off) with proof of an Expo ticket
Free admissionFreeChildren 3 and under (not child groups), people with severe disabilities and national merit recipients
Gallery 5 from Biennale PlazaFreeNo ticket needed
Yangnim-dong pavilion tour₩10,000Includes a snack and a ₩5,000 coupon for Yangnim-dong shops

Notes on the 2026 edition

16th edition; artistic director Ho Tzu Nyen with curators Che Kyongfa, Gahee Park and Brian Kuan Wood; more than 300 works. Opening reports said 16 national pavilions and 11 institutions were due to take part and that Chinese artists had pulled out after a dispute over a Taiwan pavilion; the visitor guide still lists a China pavilion at the Ha Jung-woong Museum of Art.

About the festival

The Gwangju Biennale (광주비엔날레) is Korea's oldest contemporary art biennale, held since 1995, with its main exhibition at the Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall in Buk-gu, Gwangju, and pavilions in museums and historic houses around the city. The 16th edition, 'You Must Change Your Life', directed by Ho Tzu Nyen, runs 5 September–15 November 2026, 10:00–18:00, closed on Mondays. On-site tickets cost ₩20,000 for adults, ₩10,000 for youths and ₩7,000 for children; the 17th edition is expected in autumn 2028.

Transport, booking, crowd and accessibility details are on the main Gwangju Biennale page, which covers every edition.

Source

Facts checked
21 October 2026, against the sources listed below.

Report a correction for this edition