Arts & performanceGwangju

Chungjang Festival of Memories 2025 in Gwangju, South Korea

추억의 충장축제 2025

Oct2025
15 –19
Wed–Sun
Past edition

15 October 2025 to 19 October 2025

This edition has ended. It is kept as a record of what the 2025 festival offered. The current information is on the Chungjang Festival of Memories page (Expected Oct 2027).

Venue this year. Geumnam-ro, Chungjang-ro, the Art Street and the area around 5·18 Democracy Square.

Dates15–19 Oct 2025
VenueGeumnam-ro, Chungjang-ro, 5·18 Democracy Square and the Art Street, downtown Gwangju광주광역시 동구 금남로3가
AdmissionEntry: Free
Previous edition2024: 2–6 Oct 2024
Next edition2026: 7–11 Oct 2026

Program

  • 15 Octopening day
  • 16 OctAsian Culture Day with an Asia Culture Street of food, games and crafts
  • 17 OctFamily Day
  • 18 Octrice-ball contest 손으로 맛나는 추억 on the Geumnam-ro main stage; Lotte World parade on Geumnam-ro from 19:00, followed by a fireworks show
  • 19 Octfinal parade of national teams and Dong-gu neighbourhood teams over 1 km of Geumnam-ro 4–5 ga in place of a closing ceremony, with the 2026 theme announced
  • 7080 nostalgia street on Sinseoseok-ro with a school, snack bar, arcade, photo studio, café and stationery shop; puppet shows on the Art Street

Prices

ItemPriceNote
EntryFree

Notes on the 2025 edition

22nd edition, theme 추억의 동화 (Fairy Tales of Memories). Dates were set around the 2025 World Archery Championships in Gwangju in September and the October Chuseok holiday. 454,215 visitors, per district figures reported by Newsis.

About the festival

The Chungjang Festival of Memories (추억의 충장축제) is a free five-day street festival of nostalgia in downtown Gwangju, held since 2004 on Geumnam-ro, Chungjang-ro, the Art Street and 5·18 Democracy Square in Dong-gu. The 23rd edition ran 7–11 October 2026, 14:00–22:00, with three days of street parades, including 12 teams from 6 countries. The 2027 dates have not been announced; expect five days in early to mid October. From Seoul, take the KTX to Gwangju Songjeong (about 2 hours, ₩42,000 from Yongsan), then Gwangju Metro Line 1 to Culture Complex Station or a taxi.

Transport, booking, crowd and accessibility details are on the main Chungjang Festival of Memories page, which covers every edition.

Source

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

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