2026 K-Royal Culture Festival opens in April as spring returns to palaces

The 2026 Spring K-Royal Culture Festival, the country’s largest national heritage celebration, is back for the spring season.

Now in its 12th year, the 10-day festival opens on April 24 and runs through May 3.

Hosted by the Korea Heritage Service and organized by the Korea Heritage Agency, the biannual festival draws visitors to Seoul’s five major palaces — Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung and Gyeonghuigung — as well as Jongmyo Shrine, which houses the ancestral tablets of Korea's Joseon-era royal family (1392-1910).

Visitors can look forward to a rich lineup of performances, exhibitions, interactive experiences and ritual reenactments that highlight the unique heritage of each palace and hall.

Popular programs, such as Saenggwabang, a royal sweets experience in the Gyeongbokgung Palace kitchen, and nighttime tours and performances at Seokjojeon Hall in Deoksugung Palace, remain all-time festival favorites.

Last year, the spring and fall editions of the festival attracted a record 1.37 million attendees.

The festival’s opening ceremony will take place at 7:30 p.m. on April 24 at Heungnyemun Gate in Gyeongbokgung Palace. Yang Jung-woong, appointed as this year’s festival artistic director, is leading the ceremony. Yang is one of Korea’s most prominent performance directors, having served as artistic director for the 2025 APEC gala dinner cultural performance and the opening ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.

“Now, more than ever, global interest in Korean culture is at its peak,” Yang said in a press release. “It is an honor to share the historical and artistic value of our palaces and shrines, and we will do our utmost to ensure visitors can fully experience and enjoy the beauty of Korea’s national heritage.”

The festival is also recruiting volunteers, affectionately known as Goong-ee Doong-ee, who will guide visitors and support festival operations. Open to South Korean citizens born in 2007 or earlier, as well as foreign nationals fluent in Korean, the program will select roughly 70 participants through a document and video screening process, with final results announced on March 27. Volunteers will receive uniforms, free entry to the four main palaces during the festival and certificates of participation. Applications are open until March 12.