Haeundae Sand Festival
해운대 모래축제 · Haeundae-gu, Busan
– Past
This edition has finished.
Korean festivals usually keep to roughly the same window each year, so the next
one should land near those dates — but the organizer publishes the confirmed
dates and they move, sometimes by weeks.
Last verified: 2026-10-19.
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Korea's largest sand festival, held on Haeundae Beach before the summer swimming season — world-class sand sculptures on a different theme each year.
Who it suits: Anyone visiting Haeundae in late spring rather than peak summer — this is Korea's largest sand-sculpture festival, before the beach crowds arrive.
What to expect
Korea’s largest sand festival, held before swimming season. The 2026 edition ran 15 to 18 May on Haeundae Beach and the square beside it, with the finished sculptures kept on display until 14 June. Theme and sculptures. The theme was ‘Busan’. Press reports describe 17 large sand sculptures by international artists, a viewing platform built of sand, a sand-sledding slope and a play area, a ’try being a sand sculptor’ class and a night-time media-art show. It is free to look. Viewing was free and only some of the hands-on activities cost money. Next year. The festival is held in mid-May, but dates move year to year. Watch Haeundae-gu’s announcement in spring.When, where, how much
From the organizer
Organized by Haeundae-gu. We have not found a festival site for this one that stays current; the city's own tourism pages are the next place to look.
Where it is
Where it is in the country — 331 km south-east of Seoul
About 108 km across — 12 other places we cover sit inside it. The pick of them is listed below.
331 km south-east of Seoul, in Haeundae-gu, Busan (straight-line distance from Seoul City Hall, calculated from the venue's official coordinates).
We have not timed these connections ourselves, so rather than print a number we have not checked, here is the route on the two apps Koreans actually use — Haeundae Beach and Haeundae Square (Gunam-ro), Busan as the destination, already filled in:
- Directions on Kakao Map — live bus and train times, and which platform
- Naver Map — the stronger of the two in English
From Seoul, journeys to Haeundae-gu start at Seoul Station (KTX and regular rail) or the Express Bus Terminal. Which of the two wins depends on how many cities you are stringing together — our rail pass guide works through the break-even, and getting around Korea covers why these two apps beat Google Maps once you are on the ground.
Getting there and staying
For a bed near the festival, Klook's accommodation search for Haeundae-gu is the quickest way to see what is left — festival weeks fill local rooms earlier than you would expect.
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 Haeundae Sand Festival and are worth checking before you commit to a route.
- Icheon Ceramics Festival — 2026/04/24 – 05/05, Icheon, Gyeonggi, 47 km from Seoul.
- Hampyeong Butterfly Festival — 2026/04/24 – 05/05, Hampyeong, Jeonnam-Gwangju, 282 km from Seoul.
- Boseong Green Tea Festival — 2026/05/01 – 05/05, Boseong, Jeonnam-Gwangju, 317 km from Seoul.
- Hadong Wild Tea Cultural Festival — 2026/05/01 – 05/05, Hadong, South Gyeongsang, 267 km from Seoul.
- Mungyeong Chasabal Festival — 2026/05/01 – 05/10, Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang, 132 km from Seoul.
- Damyang Bamboo Festival — 2026/05/01 – 05/05, Damyang, Jeonnam-Gwangju, 249 km from Seoul.
Other festivals in Busan
Same province, different times of year — useful if you are choosing when to visit Busan rather than when to leave home.
- Busan International Rock Festival — October, Sasang-gu, Busan
- Dongnae Eupseong History Festival — October, Dongnae-gu, Busan
- Gwangalli Eobang Festival — June, Suyeong-gu, Busan
Our own guide to the area
- Busan — Korea's second city, and cherry blossom reaches it two weeks before Seoul.
Other museums within reach
- National Maritime Museum of Korea — Yeongdo, Busan, about 12 km away. Sea and ecology rather than history.
- Gimhae National Museum — Gimhae, South Gyeongsang, about 28 km away.
- Jangsaengpo Whale Museum — Nam-gu, Ulsan, about 43 km away. Sea and ecology rather than history.
The coast from here
- The Namparang Trail — Oryukdo, Nam-gu, Busan, about 8 km away. The trail itself runs 1,470 km along the south coast, so it likely passes closer than this.
Filmed near here
- Busan K-Pop Locations — Gamcheon, Saha-gu, Busan, about 15 km away.
Quick answers
When is the Haeundae Sand Festival?
Is the Haeundae Sand Festival free?
Where is it?
Where this comes from: Kairnews, 2026 festival opening report. Programmes and prices change; the organizer's own announcement decides.