Jeongseon Arirang Festival
정선아리랑제 · Jeongseon, Gangwon
– Confirmed dates
Festival dates move every year — confirm on the organizer's own site before booking.
Last verified: 2026-08-22.
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Jeongseon Arirang in the mountain county it comes from, alongside the town's famous five-day market.
Who it suits: Folk music travellers, and anyone combining it with the Jeongseon market — the mountain valley setting is half the experience.
When, where, how much
From the organizer
Organized by Jeongseon-gun. 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.
Program: Chilhyeon Ritual Ceremony, Arirang Parade, National Arirang Singing Contest, A (Arirang)-POP Dance Competition
Photos: Korea Tourism Organization · visitkorea.or.kr · KOGL Type 3
Where it is
Where it is in the country — 150 km east of Seoul
About 108 km across — 4 other places we cover sit inside it. The pick of them is listed below.
150 km east of Seoul, in Jeongseon, Gangwon (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 — Jeongseon Public Stadium 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 Jeongseon 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.
Nearby, if you are making a trip of it
Within about 20 km of the venue, by distance:
- Byeongbangchi Skywalk (3.2 km)
- Deokwoo Experience Village (4.7 km)
- Deoksangigyegok Valley (4.8 km)
- Auraji Lake (12.1 km)
- Gariwangsan Mountain (13.1 km)
- Pyeongchang Yukbaekmajigi (13.7 km)
Places and distances from the Korea Tourism Organization's location data. We have not visited all of them.
Getting there and staying
Festival weeks fill local rooms earlier than you would expect. What is available in Gangwon 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 Jeongseon Arirang 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.
- 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.
- Suwon Hwaseong Festival — 2026/10/04 – 10/11, Suwon, Gyeonggi, 32 km from Seoul.
Other festivals in Gangwon
Same province, different times of year — useful if you are choosing when to visit Gangwon rather than when to leave home.
- Pyeongchang Trout Festival — January, Pyeongchang, Gangwon
- Cheorwon Hantangang River Ice Trekking Festival — January, Cheorwon, Gangwon
- Daegwallyeong Snow Festival — February, Pyeongchang, Gangwon
- Chuncheon Mime Festival — May, Chuncheon, Gangwon
- Gangneung National Heritage Night — August, Gangneung, Gangwon
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 Jeongseon Arirang Festival or not.
- Ttetkkun — The Raftsmen — Saturdays, 14:00 · 4 April to 28 November 2026, ₩5,000, all seats — returned to you as a ₩5,000 local gift voucher. Arirang Hall, Jeongseon Arirang Center.