Gwangju Seochang Reed Festival 2026: Your Essential Guide

The season when the Yeongsan Riverfront (영산강변) is filled with silver reeds has arrived.

The 11th Gwangju Seochang Reed Festival (광주서창억새축제) opened on October 15th.

I visited on the opening day, and not only did I stroll along the reed path,

but I also personally experienced the SG Reed Field Lounge (SG 억새밭 라운지)

and the Reed Soundscape (억새 사운드 스케이프)

by applying on-site.

The festival continues until Sunday, October 18th,

lasting for four days.

I've compiled everything you need to know, from the schedule, venue, shuttle bus,

parking, and even the programs,

all in one place.

Gwangju Seochang Reed Festival Basic Information

Category	Details
Festival Name	The 11th Gwangju Seochang Reed Festival (광주서창억새축제)
Theme	A Walk into Autumn, Delivered by Silver Reeds
Period	October 15th (Thu) ~ 18th (Sun), 2026
Operating Hours	13:00 ~ 18:00
Location	Yeongsan Riverfront (영산강변) area (Geungnakgyo Bridge (극락교) ~ Seochanggyo Bridge (서창교) Nanum Nuri Forest (나눔누리숲))
Address	377 Seochangdukgil (서창둑길), Seo-gu (서구) (Yeongsan River Bicycle Path Information Center (영산강 자전거길 안내센터))
Admission Fee	Free (Some experiences, food items are paid)
Parking	Gwangju Outlet (광주아울렛) temporary parking lot, use shuttle bus
Inquiries	062-350-4792

Festival Area at a Glance

The festival venue stretches

long along the Yeongsan River.

Zone	Location	Main Facilities
Chakan Seo-gu Zone (착한 서구존)	Geungnakgyo Bridge side entrance	General Information Desk, Small Stage, Cheonwon Guksu (천원국시), Eoksaejumak (억새주막), Shuttle Bus Stop
Healing Reed Zone (힐링 억새존)	Center of the Festival Venue	Main Stage, SG Reed Field Lounge, Soundscape, Reed Path with Melody (선율이 흐르는 억새길)
Emotional Sunset Zone (감성 노을존)	Across Seochanggyo Bridge	Seochang Emotional Observatory (서창 감성 조망대), Noeul 530 (노을 530), Sunset Live (선셋 라이브)

Since the distance from the entrance to the observatory

is quite considerable,

utilizing the trolley bus

is much more convenient.

My friend dropped me off at Gwangju Outlet,

so I took the shuttle bus from there.

There isn't enough parking space

inside the event venue,

so you'll need to use public transport or temporary parking lots.

When I went to the venue, I took the shuttle

from Gwangju Outlet,

and on my way back,

I got off at Exit 4 of Kim Daejung Convention Center Station (김대중컨벤션센터역).

Shuttle Information

Category	Details
Route	Kim Daejung Convention Center (김대중컨벤션센터) Exit 4 → Gwangju Outlet → Festival Venue → Across Gwangju Outlet (Drop-off) → Kim Daejung Convention Center Exit 4
Operation	Thu, Fri, Sun 12:30 ~ 18:30 / Sat 12:30 ~ 20:30
Frequency	Approx. 20-minute intervals (2 buses operating)
Distance	Approx. 5km
Parking for Persons with Reduced Mobility	Next to Yeongsan River Bicycle Path Information Center

Shuttle Bus Timetable

Departures from Kim Daejung Convention Center	Departures from Gwangju Outlet	Departures from Festival Venue
12:30	12:35	12:40
12:50	12:55	13:00
...	...	...
15:30	15:35	15:40
17:50	17:55	18:00
18:00	18:05	18:10
19:00 (Sat)	19:05 (Sat)	19:10 (Sat)
19:20 (Sat)	19:25 (Sat)	19:30 (Sat)
19:40 (Sat)	19:45 (Sat)	19:50 (Sat)
20:00 (Sat)	20:05 (Sat)	20:10 (Sat)

Buses departing from the festival venue

will pass by the opposite side of Gwangju Outlet

and head to Kim Daejung Convention Center Exit 4.

Please note that the route may be diverted

on Saturday, the 17th, from 3 PM to 7 PM.

SG Reed Field Lounge

The place I spent the longest time at this festival

was the SG Reed Field Lounge.

In the LP Listening Zone, you can request a song from the DJ

and listen to your own personalized music.

Category	Details
Operation	October 15th ~ 18th, all day
Location	Healing Reed Zone
Activities	LP Listening, DJ Song Requests, Table Art Experience
Cost	Free to use, desserts sold for a fee

With the reed field as a backdrop,

LP music flows,

and even though you're right in the middle of the festival,

it felt like a resting place where I could truly catch my breath.

After a long stroll along the reed path,

it's a perfect spot to take a short break.

If you're visiting with your parents,

I highly recommend stopping by.

You can also enjoy it via Bluetooth.

Reed Soundscape

The second experience I definitely want to introduce

is the Reed Soundscape.

What kind of sound does silvergrass make?

That's the question that kicks off

this ecological sound ASMR experience!

After listening to explanations from a professional sound instructor,

we put on specialized equipment

and immersed ourselves in the sounds of the silvergrass field.

You can hear a rich tapestry of sounds

that you might usually just pass by: the rustling of silvergrass, the wind,

birds, and insects.

The same silvergrass field felt completely different!

Category	Details
Schedule	October 15 ~ 18, 3 times a day
Sessions	1:30 PM / 3:30 PM / 5:00 PM
Capacity	10 people per session
Location	Healing Silvergrass Zone (힐링 억새존) ~ Seochangcheon Stream (서창천) area
Registration	Pre-registration (Naver Form) & On-site registration
Cost	Experience is free, ₩5,000 (~$4) if selecting a sound card

If pre-registration closes,

on-site registration won't be possible.

So, if you're aiming for on-site registration,

make sure to check the registration desk

as soon as you arrive!

Main Program Schedule

Program	Schedule	Location	Details
Melodic Silvergrass Path	Oct 15 ~ 18, continuous	Healing Silvergrass Zone	Sound Walking remembered by sound
SG Silvergrass Field Lounge	Oct 15 ~ 18, continuous	Healing Silvergrass Zone	LP listening, art experience
Strollin' Silvergrass Expedition	Oct 15 ~ 18, 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:00 PM	Healing Silvergrass Zone	Children's family ecological exploration, 20 people per session, 40 min
Find the King of Rest	Oct 18 (Sun) 3:30 PM ~ 5:00 PM	Main Stage	Total prize money ₩1,000,000 (~$751), Award ceremony 5:00 PM
Sunset 530	Oct 15 ~ 18, 5:30 PM ~ 6:00 PM	Seochang Emotional Observatory (서창 감성 조망대)	Sunset photo shoot, free printing

Thematic Program Schedule

Program	Schedule	Location	Details
Silvergrass Soundscape	Oct 15 ~ 18, 1:30 PM, 3:30 PM, 5:00 PM	Healing Silvergrass Zone ~ Seochangcheon Stream	Ecological sound experience, 10 people per session
Making a Sound Walk Map	Oct 15 ~ 18, continuous	Festival area	Maps distributed at the Good Seogu Zone (착한 서구존) booth
Woof Woof Run	Oct 18 (Sun) 1:00 PM ~ 2:30 PM	Gather at Sub-stage, Main Stage	Dog-friendly walk, snack gifts
Emotional Trolley Bus	Oct 15, 16, 18, 1:00 PM ~ 5:30 PM	Departs in front of Yeongsangang River Bike Path Information Center (영산강 자전거길 안내센터)	Free, approx. 20 min, 8.3 km, departs every hour on the hour and half-hour
Silvergrass Photo Zone	Oct 15 ~ 18	Festival area	Photo spot

The trolley bus will operate as a photo zone

on Saturday, Oct 17.

Performance Program

Performance	Schedule	Location
Silvergrass Busking	Oct 15 ~ 18	Main Stage, Sub-stage
Sunset Live	Oct 15 ~ 18, 5:00 PM	Seochang Emotional Observatory
Seogu (서구) Resident Participation Festa	Oct 16 (Fri) 4:30 PM ~ 5:30 PM, Oct 17 (Sat) 3:30 PM ~ 4:30 PM	Main Stage
Family Healing Performance	Oct 17 (Sat) 2:00 PM	Main Stage

Weekend Associated Events

Event	Schedule	Location	Details
Bitgoeul (빛고을) Literary Contest	Oct 17 (Sat) 1:00 PM	Main Stage	Elementary, middle, high school students, university students, general public
Silvergrass Sunset Marathon (Sunset Run)	Oct 17 (Sat) 4:00 PM start	Starts at Sangmu Citizen Park (상무시민공원), arrives at festival venue	5km, 10km
Sunset Macnic	Oct 17 (Sat) 5:30 PM	Sub-stage	Non-alcoholic beer tasting, performance

Experiences and Food

Category	Details
Silvergrass Field Experience Playground	13 types of resident participation experiences, sea glass upcycling, 8 types of social economy 'Ieum' market, forest education experience, Seochang Village Tour (서창 마을투어), One-Thousand Won Picnic (천원 피크닉)
AI Photo Studio	Operates only on Oct 17 (Sat)
Food	Cheonwon Guksu (천원국시), Senior Cafe, Seochang Sunset Village Silvergrass Joomak (서창 노을 마을 억새주막), F&B Flea Market
Amenities	General Information Center, Tourist Information Center, Sunset Postbox, Shared Bicycle Rental Station, Temporary Restrooms
Operating Hours	1:00 PM ~ 6:00 PM

Don't Miss Out on the Great Payback

Category	Details
Condition	Receipts of ₩30,000 (~$23) or more from Seogu Alleyway-type Shopping Districts (서구 골목형 상점가)
Benefit	₩10,000 (~$8) Onnuri Gift Certificate (온누리상품권)
Receipt Acceptance Period	Oct 5 ~ 18
Number of Recipients	First 500 people per day, total 2,000 people
Location	Good Seogu Zone General Information Center

Honest Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Free admission	Festival venue is long, so there's a lot of walking
Less parking worry with the shuttle bus	Popular experiences have small capacity per session
Emotional experiences like the lounge and soundscape	Relatively little shade Festival noise
Walking course that extends to the beautiful sunset	Jet fighter noise during weekday daytime

On weekday afternoons,

the nearby military airport had fighter jets

continuously taking off and landing,

making it quite noisy.

Since the festival is a place to quietly relax

in the silver grass fields, this part

was a bit disappointing.

If you're visiting on a weekday afternoon,

please keep this in mind.

If You're Visiting with Kids or Parents

Companion	Recommended Program
Kids	Strollin' Silver Grass Explorers, Silver Grass Field Experience Playground, Sound Walk Map
Parents	SG Silver Grass Field Lounge, Sentimental Trolley Bus, Sunset 530
Pets	Woof Woof Run (왈왈런) (Oct 18th)

The trolley bus is free,

so you can comfortably explore the entire silver grass path

with seniors.

Mellow Trip's Practical Tips

It's most convenient to leave your car at Gwangju Outlet (광주아울렛)

and take the shuttle.

If you're parked at the outlet when you return,

you can get off at the stop across the street.

Pre-Visit Checklist

✔︎ Festival period until October 18th

✔︎ Check the last shuttle bus time

(Thu, Fri, Sun from the festival venue at 18:10)

✔︎ Check on-site registration availability for each experience

✔︎ Bring receipts from local alleyway shops

✔︎ Comfortable sneakers, outerwear, water

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is there an admission fee for the Seochang Silver Grass Festival (서창억새축제)?

A. It's free.

Only some experiences and food items are paid.

​

Q. Where can I park?

A. You can park at Gwangju Outlet (광주아울렛),

which serves as a temporary parking lot, and take the shuttle bus.

​

Q. Where can I catch the shuttle bus?

A. You can catch it at Exit 4 of Kim Daejung Convention Center (김대중컨벤션센터) and

Gwangju Outlet (광주아울렛).

It runs approximately every 20 minutes.

​

Q. What time is the Silver Grass Soundscape (억새 사운드 스케이프)?

A. It runs 3 times a day,

at 13:30, 15:30, and 17:00,

with 10 people per session.

​

Q. Is there a fee for the Soundscape?

A. The experience is free,

and if you want a sound card, it's ₩5,000 (~$4).

​

Q. Is a reservation required for the SG Silver Grass Field Lounge (SG 억새밭 라운지)?

A. It operates continuously during the festival period,

so you can use it freely.

Only desserts are paid.

​

Q. Where can I take sunset photos?

A. Sunset 530 (노을 530) is held at the Seochang Sentimental Observatory (서창 감성 조망대)

from 17:30 to 18:00, and free photo printing is also provided.

Mellow Trip's Overall Review

This year's Seochang Silver Grass Festival

felt different, evolving from a festival where you simply view silver grass

to one where you truly immerse yourself in it.

In particular, the SG Silver Grass Field Lounge and

Silver Grass Soundscape were

unique to Seochang (서창) and hard to find

at other silver grass festivals.

If you visit on a weekend,

I recommend taking the shuttle bus for comfort

and staying to see the sunset.

Official Website

seogu.gwangju.kr

Which do you prefer at the silver grass festival,

walking or relaxing?

Let me know in the comments.

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