Seoul's official Chuseok cultural calendar is now out. The busiest cluster runs from 24–27 September, with programmes at Namsangol Hanok Village, Seoul Museum of Korean Folk Music, Seoul Museum of History, Hanseong Baekje Museum, Unhyeongung and the Han River.
1. The quick plan: 24–27 September is the key window
Chuseok falls in a period when many Seoul residents are travelling or spending time with family, but the city is not shutting down culturally. The official programme concentrates a large number of free or low-cost traditional events between Thursday 24 September and Sunday 27 September.
If you only have one day, Saturday 26 September has the broadest museum programme. If you prefer an outdoor riverside event, Sunday 27 September adds a special Chuseok edition of the car-free Jamsugyo Bridge festival at Banpo Hangang Park.
2. Namsangol Hanok Village: three days of traditional holiday culture
From 25–27 September, Namsangol Hanok Village hosts the Namsan Moonlight Yard from 10:00 to 20:00. The programme combines tightrope walking, Arirang and traditional-music performances with seven hands-on traditional activities, quilting craft, hanbok and traditional-hair styling, and interpretation of Chuseok food and ritual-table customs.
Some activities are paid, so treat the village as a flexible cultural stop rather than assuming every booth is free. The programme also connects with the fourth World Pansori Festival, making this one of the stronger choices for visitors who want more than a photo-op in hanbok.
3. Museums turn Chuseok into a family cultural day
The Seoul Museum of Korean Folk Music runs 'Under the Full Moon, Korean Sound' from 24–27 September, 10:00–17:00, with traditional games, a photo zone and participatory folk activities. On 24 September it adds a special programme combining calligraphy, music and ganggangsullae.
On 26 September, the Seoul Museum of History runs 'Five-colour Chuseok' from 12:00–16:00, with Gilssamnori at 12:00, 13:00 and 14:00, fusion gugak busking at 13:30 and 15:00, plus craft activities. Hanseong Baekje Museum also runs a holiday programme that day from 10:00–17:00, including samulnori and Bukcheong lion dance performances at 11:00 and 14:00. The city lists the Hanseong Baekje programme as free.
4. Unhyeongung and Seoul Urban Life Museum offer smaller-scale options
Unhyeongung runs a Chuseok programme from 24–27 September, 11:00–17:00, mixing traditional games, craft experiences and performances. Some experiences carry a fee, but the palace complex is a convenient central option if you are already around Jongno or Insadong.
Seoul Urban Life Museum in Nowon joins in on 26 September from 13:00–17:00 with balloon magic, fusion gugak, traditional play and craft activities. It is a useful alternative for families staying in northern Seoul who do not want to cross the city just to find a holiday programme.
5. Sunday 27 September: Moonlight Chuseok at Jamsugyo
The car-free Jamsugyo Bridge festival continues every Sunday from 6 September to 25 October. On Sunday 27 September, the Riverside Stage at Banpo Hangang Park hosts a 'Moonlight Chuseok Festival' from 15:00–18:00.
Seoul's official programme lists traditional performances involving Korea, Argentina, Bulgaria, Russia, Panama and Kazakhstan, plus Korean traditional games that visitors can join without a separate booking. Because this is an outdoor river event, weather and crowd conditions can still affect the experience on the day.
6. SeoulDal and the wider Seoul Autumn Festa extend the holiday options
SeoulDal in Yeouido Park is running a special Chuseok programme from 24 September to 5 October, with the holiday activity window listed as 15:00–21:00. General SeoulDal operating hours are Sunday–Thursday 12:00–22:00 and Friday–Saturday 12:00–23:00, although weather can affect balloon operations.
The broader Seoul Autumn Festa runs from 18 September to 29 November — 73 days with roughly 270 public and private performing-arts works and festivals across the city. That means the holiday weekend sits inside a much larger autumn cultural season rather than being a stand-alone burst of events.
7. Practical holiday planning
Do not assume every museum, attraction or restaurant keeps normal hours over Chuseok. The programmes above are specifically listed by Seoul for the holiday period, but individual institutions can still adjust entry, capacity or session arrangements.
Use public transport where possible, leave extra time around Banpo and Namsangol during performance windows, and re-check official event pages on the morning you go. For travellers, the best approach is to choose one anchor event and keep the rest of the day flexible rather than trying to tick off several programmes across opposite sides of Seoul.
8. Sources & verification
Material facts in this report were checked on 21 September 2026 against Seoul Metropolitan Government's current Chuseok cultural calendar and official city event pages, including the car-free Jamsugyo Bridge programme.
Outdoor events, operating hours and programme details can change. Re-check the official Seoul city listings before travelling, especially if weather or crowd management could affect an outdoor event.
- Seoul Metropolitan Government MediaHub — 2026 Chuseok cultural calendar
- Seoul Metropolitan Government — car-free Jamsugyo Bridge festival
TATS News Team
Current Seoul news for residents and travellers, checked against official city sources.