At a glance
| Dates | Expected Oct 2027Seven days, Saturday to Friday, in mid to late October 2027 if the pattern since 2022 holds; nothing announced as of 18 October 2026. |
|---|---|
| Next edition | 2027: Seven days, Saturday to Friday, in mid to late October 2027 if the pattern since 2022 holds; nothing announced as of 18 October 2026. |
| Weather | October average 20/11 °C (68/51 °F), 52 mm of rainComfortable: light layers. Monthly averages, not a forecast: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020, Seoul station. |
| Admission | Free. The electric shuttle, parking and market goods are paid.Entry: Free · Maengkkongi electric shuttle, adult one way: ₩2,000 (2026 prices) |
| Venue | Haneul Park, World Cup Park서울특별시 마포구 하늘공원로 95 |
| Nearest station | World Cup Stadium Station (월드컵경기장역), Seoul Subway Line 6, Exit 1About 40 minutes to the silver grass: through Peace Park, over the footbridge, then up the 291-step Haneul Stairs |
| From Seoul | In Seoul · SubwayFull route |
| Organizer | Seoul Metropolitan Government (Western Park Leisure Center)서울특별시 서부공원여가센터 |
| Usual timing | Seven days, Saturday to Friday, in mid to late October (14–20 Oct 2023, 19–25 Oct 2024, 18–24 Oct 2025, 17–23 Oct 2026). Held every year since Haneul Park opened in 2002, except 2020 (cancelled) and 2021 (online only). Browse October festivals. |
| First held | 2002 |
| Last checked | 18 October 2026Checked against 21 sources · See sources |
What it is like
Haneul Park ("sky park") is the flat top of a hill in World Cup Park, about 100 m above sea level, built on the former Nanjido landfill beside the Han River. When it opened in 2002 the city planted about 94,000 m² of silver grass (eulalia) across the plateau, and the festival has been held there every October since, apart from 2020, when it was cancelled, and 2021, when it moved online. The 2026 edition is the 25th.
For one week the park, which normally closes around 19:00 in October, stays open until 21:00, and the plumes are lit after dark. The 2026 programme has light shows every 30 minutes from 19:00 to 20:30, busking on the central stage from 14:00 to 17:30, hands-on workshops from 13:30 to 17:30 (silver-grass bouquets, bottle gardens and similar, some booked in advance), a new zero-waste market from 14:30 to 18:30, and four themed "five senses" gardens with art balloons of Seoul's mascot Haechi. The opening ceremony is at 18:00 on Saturday 17 October.
Entry is free. Getting up is the effort: from World Cup Stadium Station it is about 40 minutes on foot, ending with the 291-step Haneul Stairs or a longer paved slope. The alternative is the Maengkkongi electric shuttle from the Nanjicheon Park car park, which is paid and queues for a long time at weekends.
The honest caveats: weekends are crowded with visitors from all over the capital region, the hilltop is exposed and cold in the evening, and the car parks fill in the morning. Since 2026 the grass is no longer cut in November, so the field stays standing through the winter, but outside festival week the park closes at its normal evening hour.
Highlights
- About 94,000 m² of silver grass on a plateau about 100 m above the Han River, planted when Haneul Park opened in 2002
- Light shows every 30 minutes from 19:00 to 20:30 during festival week (2026), when the park stays open until 21:00
- Opening ceremony at 18:00 on Saturday 17 October 2026; busking on the central stage 14:00–17:30 daily
- Four "five senses" gardens (wishes, rest, comfort, and a night photo garden) with art balloons of Haechi and the Soul Friends mascots
- Re-born market of about 16 zero-waste sellers, 14:30–18:30 daily, new in 2026
- Hands-on workshops 13:30–17:30, such as silver-grass bouquets and bottle gardens; some take advance bookings
Who it suits. Best for couples, photographers and families who want an easy, free autumn outing inside Seoul, especially at sunset; less suited to anyone who cannot manage a 291-step climb or a 40-minute walk, unless they queue for the paid shuttle.
Getting there
From Seoul
Line 6 to World Cup Stadium Station, Exit 1 (change to Line 6 at Hapjeong from Line 2, or at Gongdeok from Line 5 or AREX). Walk through Peace Park and over the footbridge to the foot of Haneul Park, then climb the 291-step Haneul Stairs (about 20 minutes) or the paved Haneul-gil path (about 25 minutes); allow about 40 minutes from the station in all. Mapo-gu Office Station, also on Line 6, is the alternative.
From Incheon Airport
AREX all-stop train to Digital Media City Station, then Line 6 one stop to World Cup Stadium Station, Exit 1.
Last leg from World Cup Stadium Station
Seoul Subway Line 6, Exit 1. About 40 minutes to the silver grass: through Peace Park, over the footbridge, then up the 291-step Haneul Stairs
Festival shuttle
The Maengkkongi electric shuttle runs from the Nanjicheon Park car park to the top of Haneul Park in about 5 minutes. Fares listed by KTO and the city's 2023 page: adults ₩2,000 one way or ₩3,000 return, children 4–12 ₩1,500 or ₩2,200. There is no ticket booth at the top, so buy a return at the bottom; weekend queues are long. Festival-week hours for 2026 were not published.
Getting home
The festival closes at 21:00, well before the last Line 6 trains; allow 30–40 minutes to walk back down to World Cup Stadium Station.
Parking
World Cup Park car parks (Peace Park, Nanjicheon Park) charge ₩300 per 10 minutes from 09:00 to 22:00; KTO lists a ₩5,000 flat rate on event days. During the festival they are often full from the morning, and the city asks visitors to come by public transport.
How to switch Naver Map and Kakao Map to English
Google Maps shows train, subway and bus routes in Korea but not walking or driving directions yet, so for the walk from the station Naver Map or Kakao Map is more reliable.
Before you go
1330 · Travel hotline
The Korea Tourism Organization’s helpline answers in English, Japanese and Chinese around the clock, and in several other languages from 08:00 to 19:00. Dial 1330 from a Korean phone, or +82-2-1330 from a phone registered abroad.
112 / 119 · Emergencies
112 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance. Both are free from any phone. Police on 112 can add an English or Chinese interpreter to the call.
T-money card
Buy one at a convenience store such as GS25, CU or 7-Eleven and top it up there with cash. It pays for subways and buses in most cities, and for most taxis.
Maps
Use Naver Map or Kakao Map for walking and bus directions; Google Maps does not yet give walking directions in Korea. Both apps can be switched to English. Naver Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → Language (Japanese and Chinese also available). Kakao Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → App settings → Language. If the option is missing, change your phone’s language and reopen the app. Small shop names and some reviews stay in Korean.
Trains and buses
Book trains on Korail’s English site and express buses on Kobus. Holiday weekends sell out first.
Checked 18 October 2026.
Tickets, prices and practical details
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Free | |
| Maengkkongi electric shuttle, adult one way | ₩2,000 | ₩3,000 return; children 4–12 ₩1,500 one way / ₩2,200 return (fares from KTO and the city's 2023 listing; no 2026 fare notice found) |
| World Cup Park car parks | — | ₩300 per 10 minutes, 09:00–22:00 (World Cup Park FAQ) |
- Booking
- No booking for entry. Some hands-on workshops took advance bookings from 12 October 2026, 10:00, first come first served; daily performance times are posted on the city's Garden City Seoul site.
- English on site
- No festival information in English was found; KTO's 1330 travel hotline answers in English, Japanese and Chinese.
- Crowds
- Busy, especially at weekends, when visitors come from across the capital region; the ministry's festival listing counts about 700,000 visitors a year.
- Best time to go
- A weekday, arriving in the late afternoon to see the grass in low sun and staying for the light shows between 19:00 and 20:30.
- What to bring
- Comfortable shoes for the 291 steps or the long slope, a warm layer for the exposed hilltop after dark, and money for the shuttle.
- Step-free access
- Haneul Park's paths are step-free but partly gravel. Wheelchairs and strollers can be borrowed at the summit information centre, which has an accessible toilet, and there are eight accessible parking spaces in front of the Nanjicheon Park Children's Forest Experience Center. Whether the electric shuttle takes wheelchairs was not published.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Seven days, Saturday to Friday, in mid to late October 2027 if the pattern since 2022 holds; nothing announced as of 18 October 2026. | expected | The city usually publishes the dates in late September. |
| 2026 | 17–23 Oct 2026 | ended | 25th edition, theme "Silver Grass: Nature's Comfort" (억새, 자연이 건네는 위로). Daily performance times differ and are posted on the city's Garden City Seoul site. |
| 2025 | 18–24 Oct 2025 | ended | 24th edition, theme "Silver grass, dyed with light". After the festival the park stayed open until 20:00 to 2 November. |
| 2024 | 19–25 Oct 2024 | ended | 23rd edition. After the festival the park stayed open until 20:00 to 3 November. |
| 2023 | 14–20 Oct 2023 | ended | 22nd edition. |
Nearby
- Noeul Park (노을공원). The neighbouring hill, also a former landfill, known for sunset views over the Han River, a sculpture park and campsites.
- Mapo Oil Tank Culture Park (문화비축기지). A 1970s oil depot turned into a free culture park with exhibitions inside the old tanks (Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00).
- Seoul World Cup Stadium (서울월드컵경기장). The 2002 World Cup stadium, next to World Cup Stadium Station and Peace Park.
- Metasequoia Road and Nanji Hangang Park (메타세쿼이아길 · 난지한강공원). A tree-lined path at the foot of Haneul and Noeul parks leading towards the Han River.
Questions travelers ask
When is the Seoul Silver Grass Festival 2026?
17–23 October 2026 (Saturday to Friday), 10:00–21:00 daily, at Haneul Park in World Cup Park. The opening ceremony is at 18:00 on 17 October, and light shows run every 30 minutes from 19:00 to 20:30.
Is the Seoul Silver Grass Festival free?
Yes. Entry to Haneul Park and the festival is free; only the electric shuttle (₩2,000 one way, ₩3,000 return for adults), parking and market goods cost money.
How do I get to Haneul Park?
Take Line 6 to World Cup Stadium Station, Exit 1, walk through Peace Park and over the footbridge, then climb the 291-step Haneul Stairs or the paved path: about 40 minutes in all. Or take the paid Maengkkongi electric shuttle from the Nanjicheon Park car park, about 5 minutes to the top.
What time are the light shows?
In 2026 they run every 30 minutes from 19:00 to 20:30 during festival week. The park stays open until 21:00 that week, instead of closing around 19:00 as it normally does in October.
Can I see the silver grass after the festival ends?
Yes, during the park's normal hours. In 2024 and 2025 the park stayed open until 20:00 for about ten days after the festival; no such extension had been announced for 2026 as of 18 October. Since 2026 the grass is left standing through the winter instead of being cut in November.
Is it suitable for wheelchairs and strollers?
The paths on top are step-free but partly gravel, and wheelchairs and strollers can be borrowed at the summit information centre. Avoid the Haneul Stairs; the paved Haneul-gil path is longer but has no steps. Whether the shuttle takes wheelchairs was not published.
What is the weather like at Seoul Silver Grass Festival in October?
October in Seoul: average high 20 °C (68 °F), low 11 °C (51 °F), 52 mm of rain (Seoul station, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Comfortable: light layers.
Sources and verification
Facts checked
18 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
This page is desk research from the sources below, not a firsthand report of the 2027 edition. Confidence in the current facts: high.
- Seoul Metropolitan Government — 제25회 서울억새축제 noticeofficial — 2026 dates 17–23 Oct, 10:00–21:00, venue, theme, access by Line 6 and the electric shuttle, organizer and contact
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism — festival listing: 서울억새축제ministry — 2026 dates and hours, free entry, held since 2002 (25th in 2026), about 700,000 visitors a year, new zero-waste market
- Seoul Metropolitan Government — Re-born market seller callofficial — 2026 market at the top of Haneul Park, about 15 booths
- K-Classic News — 2026 programme (reprint of the city's 16 Oct 2026 release)news — Opening ceremony 18:00 on 17 Oct, light shows 19:00–20:30 every 30 minutes, busking 14:00–17:30, market 14:30–18:30 with 16 sellers, workshops 13:30–17:30 and advance booking from 12 Oct
- 한국사회복지저널 — five-senses gardens (16 Oct 2026)news — Four themed gardens, Haechi art balloons, photo printing, electric-car guided tour
- Newspim — 2026 programme (16 Oct 2026)news — Daily performance times posted on the Garden City Seoul site
- Insight — 2026 festival (16 Oct 2026)news — 12 hands-on programmes, 10:00–21:00
- Korea JoongAng Daily — Golden time for silver grass (13 Oct 2026)news — English name Seoul Silver Grass Festival and English theme
- Seoul Metropolitan Government — Haneul Park silver grass kept through winter (15 Jan 2026)official — About 94,000 m² planted in 2002 on a plateau about 100 m above sea level; grass no longer cut in November
- Seoul Mediahub — 2025 festival (16 Oct 2025)municipal — 2025 dates 18–24 Oct, 10:00–21:00; park normally closes at 19:00 in October
- Seoul Metropolitan Government — 제23회 서울억새축제 notice (16 Oct 2024)official — 2024 dates 19–25 Oct, 09:00–21:00, light-show times
- Seoul Mediahub — 2024 festival (17 Oct 2024)municipal — Electric shuttle is paid; park open to 20:00 until 3 Nov 2024 after the festival; access by Line 6
- Seoul Mediahub — 2023 festival (17 Oct 2023)municipal — 2023 dates 14–20 Oct
- Seoul Mediahub — festival history (2 Sep 2022)municipal — Held since 2002; not held in 2020, online only in 2021
- Seoul Metropolitan Government — 2023 Garden Expo location guideofficial — Electric shuttle route (Nanjicheon car park to the top, about 5 minutes), fares, World Cup Stadium Station Exit 1, Haneul Stairs about 20 minutes, Haneul-gil about 25 minutes
- Seoul Mediahub — Haneul Stairs (6 Dec 2023)municipal — 291 steps; walking route from Exit 1 through Peace Park
- Seoul Mediahub — citizen reporter visit (30 Oct 2024)municipal — No ticket booth at the top for the shuttle; weekend crowds; car parks full from the morning
- KTO tourist data — World Cup Park (ktriptips mirror)kto — Electric shuttle fares
- KTO tourist data — Haneul Park (ktriptips mirror)kto — Address 하늘공원로 95, parking rates
- Seoul Danurim (Seoul Tourism Organization) — Haneul Park accessibilitymunicipal — Step-free paths with gravel, wheelchair and stroller loans, accessible toilet and parking
- World Cup Park — Seoul Parks (서울의 공원)official — Parking ₩150 per 5 minutes for cars (₩300 per 10 minutes), charged 09:00–22:00, free after
What we could not confirm
- Electric shuttle fares and hours for festival week 2026 (fares are from KTO and the city's 2023 page; no 2026 notice found)
- Whether the park stays open late after 23 October 2026, as it did for about ten days after the 2024 and 2025 festivals
- Haneul Park's current official monthly opening hours (sources disagree: 19:00 in October per the city in 2025, 18:00 per Seoul Danurim, 20:30 per KTO data)
- Rain policy, pet rules and English support were not published
- Whether the ₩5,000 event-day parking rate applies during the festival
Changes: 2026-10-18 — New record: 2023–2027 editions, 2026 programme, access by Line 6 and the electric shuttle, sources. · 2026-10-18 — Added a photograph from the Korea Tourism Organization (Korea Tourism Content Lab), KOGL Type 1. · 2026-10-21 — Official link updated: parks.seoul.go.kr/template/sub/worldcuppark.do → parks.seoul.go.kr World Cup Park page (parks/detailView.do?pIdx=6).
