| Dates | From about Friday 11 December 2026 into early January 2027. On 13 October 2026 the Seoul Tourism Organization moved the 2026 Gwanghwamun Market to 11 December 2026–10 January 2027 to line it up with the 2026 Seoul Winter Festa, but the city had not announced the festa's own dates or programme as of 18 October 2026. Earlier editions were announced on 22 November 2023, 21 November 2024 and 24 November 2025. |
|---|---|
| Weather | December average 4/−3 °C (40/26 °F), 23 mm of rain January average 2/−5 °C (36/22 °F), 17 mm of rainMonthly averages, not a forecast: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020, Seoul station. |
| Venue | Central Seoul: Gwanghwamun Square, Cheonggyecheon, Seoul Plaza, Bosingak and Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP)서울특별시 종로구 세종대로 172 (광화문광장) |
| Admission | Free: the light shows, lanterns, market, countdowns and bell-ringing have no entry charge. The Seoul Plaza ice rink costs about ₩1,000 for a one-hour session, skates and helmet included. |
| Previous edition | 2025: 12 Dec – 4 Jan 2026 |
| Next edition | 2027: Mid-December 2027 to early January 2028, if the yearly pattern since 2023 holds; nothing announced as of 18 October 2026. |
Program
- Gwanghwamun Market11 December 2026–10 January 2027, in three seller seasons (see its own page)
- Seoul Lantern Festival18th edition expected on Cheonggyecheon from about 11 December; its operator was chosen in July 2026, but dates are not out (see its own page)
Prices
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | — | Free in every edition so far; no 2026 notice yet |
Notes on the 2026 edition
Fourth edition if counted from 2023. Expect the line-up, the Seoul Plaza rink season and the New Year's Eve plans in late November 2026.
About the festival
Seoul Winter Festa (서울윈터페스타) is the Seoul city government's free December–January umbrella festival in central Seoul, joining the Cheonggyecheon lanterns, the Gwanghwamun Market, the Seoul Light media-art shows at Gwanghwamun and DDP, the Seoul Plaza ice rink (about ₩1,000 an hour) and the New Year's Eve bell-ringing at Bosingak. The 2025 edition ran 12 December 2025–4 January 2026 and counted 10.98 million visits. The 2026 dates are not announced, but the Gwanghwamun Market has been moved to 11 December 2026–10 January 2027 to match it. Use Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5) or City Hall Station (Lines 1 and 2).
Transport, booking, crowd and accessibility details are on the main Seoul Winter Festa page, which covers every edition.
Source
Facts checked
18 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
- 2026 edition source
- Seoul Metropolitan Government — 1천만이 즐긴 2025 서울윈터페스타 (6 Jan 2026)official
- Seoul Mediahub — 설렘 폭발! 환상적인 겨울 축제 '서울윈터페스타' 온다 (Nov 2025)municipal
- Seoul Mediahub — 올겨울 가장 예쁜 서울을 만나세요! '서울윈터페스타' 관람포인트 (4 Dec 2025)municipal
- Korea JoongAng Daily — Seoul Winter Festa to return with more to do (25 Nov 2025)news