Seoul Lantern Festival 서울빛초롱축제
Every year in Dec to Jan
2025 edition ended Jan 18, 2026.
Next: usually Dec to Jan.
Source: Seoul city report on the 2025 opening (Seoul Media Hub, Dec 16, 2025)
About
A winter festival of lit lanterns along Cheonggyecheon stream in central Seoul. It first ran in 2009, and 2025 was the 17th edition.
In 2025 it ran from Dec 12 to Jan 18, from 18:00 to 22:00. Admission was free. It also ran on Uicheon stream in Gangbuk-gu, until Jan 4.
Cheonggyecheon was split into four zones, from Cheonggye Plaza to Samil Bridge, each with its own theme. The lanterns mixed traditional hanji paper with media art. There were more than 400 pieces on Cheonggyecheon and about 50 on Uicheon.
Good to know
- It is an evening festival. Walking all of Cheonggyecheon took about 30–40 minutes in 2025, and Uicheon about 20.
- Dress warm. Parking nearby is hard, so use Gwanghwamun (Line 5), Jonggak (Line 1) or Euljiro 1(il)-ga (Line 2) stations.
- The 2026–27 dates were not announced when we checked.
How busy is Gwanghwamun
Live crowd level for the area, and a normal week. It does not show the festival crowd itself.
Eat here
Memil guksu
Buckwheat noodles in an anchovy-kelp broth, made from 100% buckwheat.
Memil mukbap
Buckwheat jelly over rice.
Memil jeonbyeong
Buckwheat crepe rolled around a filling.
Sources
Checked Oct 16, 2026. Dates can change, so check the notice before you go.