| Dates | 18–20 Oct 2024 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Gwangju City Hall plaza (Gwangju office of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City)광주광역시 서구 내방로 111 (치평동) |
| Admission | Napa cabbage kimchi at the Kimchi Market: ₩8,000 |
| Previous edition | 2023: 3–6 Nov 2023 |
| Next edition | 2025: 31 Oct – 2 Nov 2025 |
Program
- 18 Octopening ceremony on the City Hall outdoor music stage with a musical and kimchi dance, a kimchi fashion show and the Korea Kimchi Competition awards (presidential award)
- Gwangju Kimchi Star Chef Food Show at 17:00 on 18 and 19 Oct, streamed on YouTube
- "Table for a thousand" (천인의 밥상) food zone, kimchi experience school on the City Hall lawn, kimchi arcade, global kimchi lounge, pop-up store and kimchi market
Prices
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Napa cabbage kimchi at the Kimchi Market | ₩8,000 | From ₩8,000 per kg; other kimchi 20–30% below market price |
| Dishes in the 천인의 밥상 food zone | — | About ₩6,000–16,000 |
Notes on the 2024 edition
31st edition, theme "우주최光 김치파티". The city supplied 130,000 reusable containers for the food zone.
About the festival
The Gwangju World Kimchi Festival (광주김치축제) is a three-day kimchi festival on the plaza and lawns of Gwangju City Hall, now the Gwangju office of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, held since 1994. The 33rd edition runs 23–25 October 2026, 10:00–20:00 daily, with kimchi-making classes taught by award-winning kimchi masters, a kimchi market and a food zone of kimchi dishes. Entry is free; only the Kimchi Experience School is paid and booked in advance. From Seoul, take the KTX to Gwangju Songjeong (about 2 hours, ₩42,000 from Yongsan), then Gwangju Metro Line 1 to Sangmu Station.
Transport, booking, crowd and accessibility details are on the main Gwangju World Kimchi Festival page, which covers every edition.
Source
Facts checked
22 October 2026, against the sources listed below.