Seoul unveils year-round festival plans

As foreign tourist numbers surge, Seoul plans to transform itself into a year-round festival city by expanding its seasonal events into a continuous, integrated program.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday announced its “365 Festival City Seoul” initiative, aimed at elevating the capital’s global brand with the Han River at the center of the festivities.

The city said the plan is expected to draw 30 million foreign visitors to Seoul this year, attract 60 million attendees across its festivals and generate an economic impact of 500 billion won ($334 million).

“By revitalizing festivals, we will strengthen Seoul’s brand power and quickly position the city among the world’s top five destinations,” a city official said.

Since 2022, Seoul has launched seasonal festivals, including the Seoul Spring Festival, the Seoul Winter Festival in 2023, the Syuem Syuem Hangang Three-Series Festival in 2024, and the Seoul Autumn Festival in 2025. Beginning this year, the city plans to link the events into a seamless year-round celebration.

The spring festival will be expanded into a large-scale cultural, performance and tourism event. Its duration will increase from seven days last year to 26 days, and the main venue will shift from Seoul Plaza to Hangang parks.

The Syuem Syuem Hangang Three-Series Festival, a summer sports event, will take place from June 5-7 at Ttukseom and Jamsil Hangang parks. A newly added intermediate category will complement the existing beginner and advanced divisions, while additional courses will be introduced for children and foreign participants.

The Seoul Autumn Festival, now in its second year, will be extended by about a month, running for 72 days from Sept. 19 to Nov. 29. A total of 204 performing arts programs and events will be held across the city.

The city has allocated about 9.7 billion won for this year’s four major seasonal festivals.

To boost global recognition, all festivals will adopt a unified brand, “Fun Seoul.” The city will introduce a new brand identity for Fun Seoul and replace the previously used Korean-English hybrid term “festa” with the more internationally familiar “festival” to improve understanding among international visitors.

According to the city, participation in Seoul’s seasonal festivals has surged since the first spring event launched in 2022. Attendance grew from about 80,000 in 2022 to an estimated 13 million in 2025, reflecting the rapid expansion of Seoul's festival landscape, the city said.