The 2026 Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival will be held for 16 days from Saturday, October 3rd to Sunday, October 18th, in the areas of Jinjuseong Fortress and the Namgang River. This year's theme is 'River of History, Embracing Peace.' Admission to the festival grounds is free, and the lanterns will be lit daily from 6 PM to midnight. Fireworks and drone shows are only on specific dates, so aligning your visit with these dates is key to this festival. The information below is based on official website announcements.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Period | October 3 (Sat) ~ October 18 (Sun), 2026, 16 days |
| Location | Jinjuseong Fortress, Namgang River area |
| Theme | River of History, Embracing Peace |
| Admission Fee | Free for festival grounds (some experiences like pontoon bridges, wish lanterns are charged) |
| Lantern Lighting | Daily 18:00 ~ 24:00 |
| Pontoon Bridge/Booth Operation | Daily 13:00 ~ 23:00 |
| Fireworks | October 3 (Sat) · 9 (Fri) · 17 (Sat) 20:00 |
| Drone Light Show | October 3 · 17 at 19:50, October 10 at 20:00 |
| Hosted/Organized by | Jinju City·Jinju Cultural & Arts Foundation / Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival Organizing Committee |
Other regional festivals in the same month can be found in the Autumn Festival Calendar.
| Date | Event | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 3 (Sat) | Goyu-je (Ancestral Rite) | 18:00 | Jinjuseong Fortress (Imjindaechopgyesasunuidan) |
| October 3 (Sat) | Town/Village/Neighborhood Symbolic Lantern Parade | 18:30 | Departs from Music Fountain → Gongbukmun Gate·Jinju Bridge → Manggyeong-dong |
| October 3 (Sat) | Chohonjeomdeung (Opening Ceremony) | 19:30 | Special Stage in Manggyeong-dong |
| October 3 (Sat) | Drone Light Show → Fireworks | 19:50 / 20:00 | Namgang River |
| October 9 (Fri·Hangeul Day) | Fireworks | 20:00 | Namgang River (Jinju Bridge↔Cheonsu Bridge) |
| October 10 (Sat) | Drone Light Show 'Pearl in the Night Sky' | 20:00 | Namgang River |
| October 17 (Sat) | Drone Light Show → Fireworks | 19:50 / 20:00 | Namgang River |
If you want to see both the drone show and fireworks on the same day, you can choose the opening day (October 3) or October 17. October 9, the first day of the Hangeul Day holiday, only has fireworks, and October 10 only has a drone show. The drone show on October 10 was introduced as a program where visitors can display messages they want to convey in the night sky.
The festival grounds are free, but crossing the river or personally hanging lanterns are paid experiences. These are the fees based on the official 'Experience Zone' guide.
| Experience | Time | Location | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crossing the Love Bridge (4 pontoon bridges) | 13:00 ~ 23:00 | Namgang River 1st-4th Pontoon Bridges | One-way 2,000 won, All-day pass 6,000 won |
| Hanging Wish Lanterns | 13:00 ~ 23:00 | Manggyeong-dong Namgang Riverside | 10,000 won |
| Making and Floating Lanterns | 18:00 ~ 23:00 | Manggyeong-dong Namgang Riverside | 5,000 won |
| Making Hanji Lanterns | 13:00 ~ 23:00 | Jinju Daecheop History Park | 15,000 won |
| Making Wearable Lanterns | 13:00 ~ 23:00 | Jinju Daecheop History Park | 15,000 won |
| Jinjuseong History Mission Tour | 13:00 ~ 21:00 | Jinjuseong Fortress area | 5,000 won (souvenir provided) |
| LED Hanbok Experience·Night Tour | 13:00 ~ 23:00 | Chokseongnu Pavilion | 1 hour 10,000 won · 2 hours 15,000 won · 3 hours 20,000 won |
| Citizen Participation Lantern Making | 13:00 ~ 23:00 | Sinan-dong Music Fountain | Free |
| AI Reactive Lanterns | 13:00 ~ 23:00 | Jinju Daecheop History Park | Free |
The pontoon bridges are named 1st Pontoon Bridge Baedari (Cheongsachorong), 2nd Pontoon Bridge Mulbitnaru Bridge, 3rd Pontoon Bridge Yongdari Jeonseol Bridge, and 4th Pontoon Bridge Byeolbityunseul Bridge. If you plan to cross more than once, an all-day pass is equivalent to three one-way fares. Floating lanterns is only possible from 6 PM.
Fireworks are launched from the Namgang River between Jinju Bridge and Cheonsu Bridge. There are no officially designated viewing spots, so the following is guidance based on the launch area and event layout.
Roads around the festival grounds are closed on weekends and holidays. This is based on official traffic information.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Control Dates | October 3-5, 9-11, 16-18 |
| Control Times | Fridays 19:00 ~ 23:00, Holidays 16:00 ~ 23:00 |
| Controlled Sections | Nongae-gil (Jinjuseong Samgeori↔Chokseongmun Gate), Namgang-ro (Seojangdae↔Jinju Bridge Intersection), Gangnam-ro (Cheonsu Bridge Samgeori↔Jinyang Bridge Intersection) |
| Free Shuttle Operation Days | October 3-5, 9-11, 16-18 |
| Shuttle Operation Times | 16:00 ~ 23:00 |
Temporary parking lots for shuttles are located near ICs and national highway entrances. These include Innovation City (near Wing Tower, 1,433 spaces) in the direction of Jinju IC, Jinju Station temporary parking lot (1,200 spaces), Jeongchon-myeon temporary parking lot (850 spaces) in the direction of Sacheon IC, and Jinju Public Stadium parking lot in the direction of Seojinju IC. Shuttles drop off at the event venue near Gyeongnam Culture & Arts Center·Nabulcheon Bokgaedoro. On weekdays, there are no shuttles, so use the Jungang District Public Parking Tower or Insadong Public Parking Lot within walking distance of the venue, or take a city bus marked 'Bus to Festival Grounds.' For those coming from nearby areas like Busan, it can be combined with a Busan trip.
Is there an admission fee? Admission to the festival grounds and viewing of fireworks/drone shows are free. Only experiences like the pontoon bridge (2,000 won one-way) and wish lanterns (10,000 won) are charged.
Is there anything to see if I go on a weekday? The lanterns are lit daily from 18:00 to 24:00 throughout the 16 days. However, fireworks and drone shows are only on October 3, 9, 10, and 17, and shuttle services and road controls only operate on weekends and holidays.
Will fireworks be held if it rains? No specific rain criteria have been announced on the official website. It may change depending on weather conditions, so please check daily announcements and official social media.
Can I use local currency? It varies by store. Discounts available at autumn festivals are summarized in Autumn Festival Local Currency Discounts.
I missed the Seoul Fireworks Festival, how are the Jinju fireworks? The Seoul International Fireworks Festival already ended on September 5. If you want to see fireworks in October, Jinju's three fireworks displays are the closest option. A detailed comparison is available in Seoul International Fireworks Festival 2026 Summary.
Sources
Last checked: 2026-09-29