October 29, 2026 – October 31, 2026

Seoul's Jeongdong night festival opens the historic buildings around Deoksugung Palace after dark. The city festival page lists October 29 to 31, 2026, with a pre-event on Oct 29 and the opening palace concert in front of Junghwajeon Hall in Deoksugung on Oct 30 at 19:00 (planned). Night opening of cultural venues, guided Jeongdong tours and a history experience zone along Deoksugung-gil. Admission is not yet announced.

A night when Jeongdong stays open

Jeongdong is the lane behind Deoksugung Palace where Korea’s first modern schools, churches, legations and newspapers were built. Jeongdong Yahaeng is the night festival that opens those buildings after dark. The Seoul city festival page lists the 2026 edition as October 29 to 31, with Pre-Jeongdong Yahaeng on Oct 29 (Thu) and the opening ceremony on Oct 30 (Fri) — a palace concert in front of Junghwajeon Hall inside Deoksugung, 19:00–20:00 (listed as planned).

What happens

• Night opening of the historic and cultural venues around Jeongdong, each running its own event
• Guided Jeongdong walking tours
• A history experience zone along Deoksugung-gil

Practical

Jeongdong starts at City Hall Station (Line 1, 2) exit 1–2, and the whole area is walkable in an evening. Admission is not stated in the city announcement, and the individual venue programmes are usually published close to the date — check the Seoul festival portal or Jung-gu District notices before going. The palace concert time is marked as planned, not confirmed.

If you have already seen the palaces by day, this is the other half of the same neighbourhood: the modern city that grew up against the palace wall, with the lights on.