Gwacheon Performing Arts Festival

Name: Gwacheon Performing Arts Festival
Start: 2026-09-18
End: 2026-09-20
Location: 64 Gwanmun-ro, Jungangdong, Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do

과천공연예술축제

Founded in 1997 as the World Street Theater Grand Marketplace, this is South Korea's first street theater festival. For over 25 years every September, it features high-level experimental theater and street art attracting over 100,000 spectators annually. The festival brings together Korean and international artists for varied outdoor performances, innovative exhibitions, and creative works. Since 2023, renamed Gwacheon Performing Arts Festival (GPAF), the event has shifted toward a public plaza-centered celebration where citizens actively participate alongside professional artists.

Book on the official site

Dates: Sep 18, 2026 → Sep 20, 2026
Venue: 64 Gwanmun-ro, Jungangdong, Gwacheon, Gyeonggi-do · 🌸 Gyeonggi
Price: Free
Ticketing: Official event site

Practical information

Opening hours: 12:00~22:00
Exact location: Gwacheon Citizen Plaza and Gwacheon Civic Hall area
Organiser: Gwacheon City
Phone: 02-2009-9735

🎟️ How to book — Official event site

1
Most regional festivals are free entry
Korean municipalities fund a huge number of free festivals (flowers, food, light shows) — free entry is the norm, not the exception, sometimes with paid stalls or activities on site.
2
Check the event's official site
The link sits on the event's VisitKorea page — it's the most reliable source for the program, hours, and any last-minute changes.
3
Book via a Korean platform if a reservation is required
When a festival has paid premium activities or an attached concert, booking usually goes through NOL or YES24 — see the matching guide on this page.
4
Call 1330 when in doubt
Korea's tourism hotline answers in English, Chinese and Japanese, 24/7 — handy for confirming a time or address when the official site is Korean-only.

💡 Good to know

When a price shows as "see details", the organiser simply hasn't published one in advance: in almost all of those cases entry is free and only some on-site activities are paid. Bring a little cash — many stalls don't take cards.