Gyeongju Silla Cultural Festival
신라문화제 · Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang
– Confirmed dates
9–11 October 2026, the 53rd edition, confirmed on Gyeongju City's own festival site on 3 September 2026. The contentid is no longer carried in the English tourism dataset, so --verify flags it; the city page is the source. Hours and admission not published.
Festival dates move every year — confirm on the organizer's own site before booking.
Last verified: 2026-09-03.
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Running since 1962, the oldest festival here — parades, folk games and competitions across Gyeongju's historic core.
Who it suits: Anyone already planning Gyeongju — it runs across the historic core you would be walking anyway. Book accommodation well ahead; this week fills the city.
When, where, how much
From the organizer
Organized by Gyeongju City, run by the Gyeongju Cultural Foundation. These pages are the organizer's own and open on their site. They are usually Korean only — but that is where the confirmed programme, stage times and site map appear first, and times and prices read the same in any language.
Read our longer write-up on this festival →
Where it is
Where it is in the country — 277 km south-east of Seoul
About 115 km across — 6 other places we cover sit inside it. The pick of them is listed below.
277 km south-east of Seoul, in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang (straight-line distance from Seoul City Hall, calculated from the venue's official coordinates).
Getting there, from our own checks:
- KTX from Seoul Station — about 2h02 (fastest run; the station itself sits 15-20 minutes outside downtown by bus or taxi)
Nearby, if you are making a trip of it
Within about 20 km of the venue, by distance:
- Cheonmachong Tomb (Daereungwon Ancient Tombs) (0.3 km)
- Gyeongju Historic Area [UNESCO World Heritage] (0.3 km)
- Gyeongju Hwangnidan Street (0.4 km)
- Gyeongju Ssambap Street (0.2 km)
- Hwangnambbang (0.3 km)
Places and distances from the Korea Tourism Organization's location data. We have not visited all of them.
Getting there and staying
We have a full guide to this area — see our Gyeongju guide for where to stay and how the town fits together.
Festival weeks fill local rooms earlier than you would expect. What is available in Gyeongju right now:
Outside the big cities, wifi is not something to plan around. Shuttle stops, stage times and the day's program are posted on the organizer's Korean-language page or a Naver Map pin, and they change on the day. A Korean eSIM is the cheapest way to have it working before you land.
Planning a trip around it
On at the same time
If your dates are fixed, these run within ten days of Gyeongju Silla Cultural Festival and are worth checking before you commit to a route.
- Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung Palace — 2026/09/10 – 10/17, Seoul, 2 km from Seoul.
- Andong Maskdance Festival — 2026/09/24 – 10/04, Andong, North Gyeongsang, 192 km from Seoul.
- Gimje Horizon Festival — 2026/10/01 – 10/05, Gimje, North Jeolla, 202 km from Seoul.
- Jeongseon Arirang Festival — 2026/10/01 – 10/04, Jeongseon, Gangwon, 150 km from Seoul.
- Geumsan World Insam Festival — 2026/10/02 – 10/11, Geumsan, South Chungcheong, 170 km from Seoul.
- Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival — 2026/10/03 – 10/18, Jinju, South Gyeongsang, 282 km from Seoul.
Other festivals in North Gyeongsang
Same province, different times of year — useful if you are choosing when to visit North Gyeongsang rather than when to leave home.
- Mungyeong Chasabal Festival — May, Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang
- Andong National Heritage Night - Wolyeong Night Stroll — July, Andong, North Gyeongsang
- Andong Maskdance Festival — September, Andong, North Gyeongsang
Running every week nearby
These are not tied to the festival and run on their own schedule, so they are there whether your dates line up with Gyeongju Silla Cultural Festival or not.
- Silla Ogi at Gyochon Village — Four Saturdays in spring only — 11 and 25 April, 16 and 23 May 2026, at 13:00 and 15:00. Gyochon Traditional Village Square.
Our own guide to the area
- Gyeongju — A thousand years as Silla's capital, covered in three days on foot and by coast.
Other museums within reach
- Gyeongju National Museum — Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, about 2 km away.
- Jangsaengpo Whale Museum — Nam-gu, Ulsan, about 41 km away. Sea and ecology rather than history.
- National Lighthouse Museum — Homigot, Pohang, North Gyeongsang, about 42 km away. Sea and ecology rather than history.