Arts & performanceBusan

Haeundae Sand Festival 2026 in Busan, South Korea

해운대 모래축제 2026

May2026
15 –18
Fri–Mon Programmes 10:00–21:00 (KTO listing)
Past edition

15 May 2026 to 18 May 2026 · Programmes 10:00–21:00 (KTO listing); the sculptures stayed on display until Sunday 14 June 2026

This edition has ended. It is kept as a record of what the 2026 festival offered. The current information is on the Haeundae Sand Festival page (Expected May 2027).

Venue this year. Haeundae Beach and Haeundae Square (Gunam-ro), about 120,000 m² in all (Telltrip). The sand observatory and the night show ran only during the four festival days.

Dates15–18 May 2026
HoursProgrammes 10:00–21:00 (KTO listing); the sculptures stayed on display until Sunday 14 June 2026
WeatherMay average 22/15 °C (72/58 °F), 156 mm of rainMonthly averages, not a forecast: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020, Busan station, about 15 km away.
VenueHaeundae Beach and Haeundae Square (Gunam-ro)부산광역시 해운대구 해운대해변로 280 (중동)
AdmissionEntry and sculpture viewing: Free
Previous edition2025: 16–19 May 2025
Next edition2027: Not announced as of 19 October 2026. The last four editions each ran four days from a Friday to the following Monday in mid-to-late May (19–22 May 2023, 24–27 May 2024, 16–19 May 2025, 15–18 May 2026), with the sculptures left on the beach until between 6 and 14 June. Expect a Friday-to-Monday run in mid-to-late May 2027; the dates reached the news by 9 May 2024, 17 April 2025 and 27 April 2026.

Program

  • Fri 15 May 19:30opening performance by the band Rumble Fish
  • Sat 16 May from 13:00 on the beach stage: K-pop dance contest, followed by hip-hop and band performances; beatbox and loop-station acts at weekends
  • 17 sculptures (8 relief, 9 in the round) by 11 artists from Korea, Canada, China, France and Taiwan, on Busan's past, present and future: the Joseon Tongsinsa envoys, the wartime capital, Busan Port, the Busan International Film Festival, baseball cheering, surfing, hot springs, and the planned new airport and opera house
  • Main worka panorama of Haeundae, in place of the usual pyramid, with a 7 m sand observatory; the media-façade show '100 Years of Haeundae' was projected onto it every evening of the festival, with laser art
  • Hands-on'Challenge! I'm a sand sculptor' class, 'Fly, sand board' sledding down a dune, sand playground and rest area, sand treasure hunt
  • Gunam-ro (Haeundae Square)VR history hall, trick-art zone and street performances

Prices

ItemPriceNote
Entry and sculpture viewingFree
Hands-on programmes—KTO: some experience programmes are paid; fees were not published in the sources opened

Notes on the 2026 edition

21st edition (Busan city); theme 'A time journey through Busan in sand' (모래로 떠나는 부산 시간여행). Multilingual guidance, QR-code commentary on the works, rest areas and nursing rooms on site. No visitor total found. Contact: Haeundae-gu, 051-749-4064.

About the festival

The Haeundae Sand Festival (해운대 모래축제) is Haeundae-gu's free sand-sculpture festival on Haeundae Beach in Busan, first held in 2005. The 21st edition ran 15–18 May 2026 (programmes 10:00–21:00), with 17 sculptures by 11 artists that stayed on the sand until 14 June. 2027 dates are not announced; recent editions ran Friday to Monday in mid-to-late May. Entry is free (some hands-on activities charge); take Busan Metro Line 2 to Haeundae Station, Exit 3 or 5.

Transport, booking, crowd and accessibility details are on the main Haeundae Sand Festival page, which covers every edition.

Source

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

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