Halloween In Seoul 2026: Theme Parks, Parties And Staying Safe

Halloween in Seoul 2026 falls on Saturday 31 October. The easiest way for you to enjoy it is at a theme park: Lotte World runs its Halloween season until 15 November and Everland until 22 November. Hongdae and Itaewon draw huge crowds on the night itself, under heavy police crowd control. Since the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, safety comes first here, and it should for you too.

Sunbae Says: Do your costume night at a theme park, then have a normal dinner in a quieter neighbourhood. You get all the fun and none of the crush.

First, Some Context

On the night of 29 October 2022, 159 people died in a crowd crush in a narrow, sloping alley beside the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon. Many were young people out for Halloween, and 21 foreign nationals were among those who died. In 2025 the government held its first official memorial, and the prime minister said the tragedy came from the government’s failure in safety management. In 2026 a special commission also recognised a local merchant and two firefighters who helped that night and later died, bringing the official victim count to 162.

This year is the fourth anniversary. Bereaved families and civic groups have declared October a month of remembrance (in Korean), with a memorial march on 24 October and a ceremony at 10:29am on 29 October at Gwanghwamun North Plaza. Families of foreign victims are flying in for it.

You do not need to avoid Halloween. You do need to understand why the barriers, one way walking routes and skipped stations exist, and follow them without argument. The alley itself is now marked as the Path of Memory and Safety. Walk through quietly if you pass; it is not a photo stop.

Pick Your Halloween

Option	Best For	Cost	Time	My Take
Lotte World Adventure	First timers, families, rainy nights	55,000 to 67,000 won adult	Half a day, on the subway	My top pick. Indoors, central, and the 8:20pm parade is the payoff.
Everland	Horror fans, teens, a full day out	About 46,000 to 68,000 won adult, by date	Full day, 1 to 1.5 hours each way	Worth the trip if zombies are your thing. Not for small kids after 4pm.
Hongdae streets	Costume spotting, solo night owls	Free	7pm to 9pm	Go early, leave early. After 10pm it is a slow shuffle.
Itaewon	People who know the area	Free	Early evening only	I’d skip it on the 31st. Respectful, crowded, and heavily managed.

If I had one night, I’d take Lotte World on Friday 30 October and keep Saturday calm.

The Theme Parks: Worth It

This is where Halloween in Korea is done best.

Lotte World Adventure (Jamsil)

The 2026 autumn festival is called “Invitation to a Strange World” (기묘한 세계의 초대), a dark fantasy theme running 12 September to 15 November (in Korean). The night parade, Dark Fantasy Festival, starts at 8:20pm. The big news this year is a Junji Ito collaboration from 19 September (in Korean), billed as the first time the horror manga artist’s world has been built into a theme park, with Tomie and Souichi photo zones, themed food and limited merch.

A 1 Day ticket is 67,000 won for adults, 58,000 for teens and 50,000 for children. The After 4 ticket, entering from 4pm, is 55,000, 47,000 and 39,000 won. Most of the park is indoors, so rain cannot ruin your evening.

[SUNBAE FIELD TEST: where to stand for the 8:20pm parade on a Friday in late October, and how early the good spots fill]

Heads Up: After 4 tickets are the obvious Halloween hack, so the park fills up again in the evening on Fridays and weekends. Buy in advance and get there around 4pm, not 7pm, if you want rides as well as the parade.

Everland (Yongin)

Korea’s biggest theme park runs Blood City Zero: Hell Gate from 12 September to 22 November (in Korean, Everland’s official blog), daily from 4pm to 9pm. It is an immersive zombie show across five zones, directed with filmmaker Lee Seok-hoon, and it is free with your park ticket. Blood City turns 10 this year. A separate horror maze costs extra and is booked in the Everland app.

By day it is a different park. The Wild Savannah Expedition walking safari runs through late November at no extra charge, and the Smiley Pumpkin Parade runs daily. Everland uses date based pricing; Korean ticket guides list adult day tickets from about 46,000 to 68,000 won depending on the date, so check the calendar before you go.

[AFFILIATE: Klook Everland ticket with shuttle from Seoul]

Which park suits you better is a longer conversation, and I cover it in Lotte World vs Everland.

Getting There

Lotte World. Take Line 2 (green) or Line 8 to Jamsil Station. Exit 4 connects directly to Lotte World, and the park is joined to the Line 2 station underground. Line 2 runs there from City Hall with no transfer, for the 1,550 won base fare by card. Not sure which card to tap? My transit card guide sorts it out.

Everland. You have two routes. The red express bus 5002 runs from the Gangnam Station area (Sinnonhyeon, Gangnam and Yangjae stops) to Everland, and Gyeonggi express seat bus fares rose to 3,200 won by card in October 2025. Several queues share the Gangnam stop, so check Naver Map for the exact 5002 stand. The rail option is the Suin Bundang Line to Giheung, then the EverLine to Jeondae Everland Station; take Exit 3 for the free park shuttle. Allow 90 minutes or more either way. I’d take the 5002: one seat, no transfers.

Hongdae. Hongik University Station (Line 2, AREX (blue), Gyeongui Jungang Line). Check Naver Map for the exit nearest where you are headed; the main exits jam first.

Itaewon. Itaewon Station is on Line 6 (brown). Know your backups before you go: Noksapyeong and Hangangjin, one stop either side, also on Line 6.

Where People Party

On Halloween night the crowds go to Hongdae, Itaewon, Gangnam and Seongsu. The numbers are big. Kyunghyang Shinmun reported (in Korean) that on Friday 31 October 2025 about 110,000 people were in the Hongdae area by 10pm. In Itaewon, around 14,000 to 16,000 gathered near the station, police restricted access to the alley beside the Hamilton Hotel from 10:20pm, and trains skipped Itaewon Station from 11pm, with people sent to Noksapyeong or Hangangjin instead.

Heads Up: If Itaewon Station is set to “non stop” (무정차 통과), your train will roll straight through. Walk to Noksapyeong or Hangangjin, about one stop each way, and expect that walk to be slow too.

Skip It: the main Itaewon strip and Hongdae’s busiest streets from 10pm to midnight on 31 October if you do not love crowds. It is loud, slow and mostly queues. Worth It: an earlier evening, or a ticketed venue where door staff control numbers for you.

[AFFILIATE: Klook or NOL World Lotte World Adventure tickets]

How To Stay Safe In A Crowd

After two decades of DJing in Seoul’s clubs, my rules are short.

1. Check crowd levels before you go. Seoul City’s Real-time City Data site (in Korean) shows live congestion for 50 of the city’s busiest spots. The colour scale is easy to read even without Korean.
2. Keep right. Barriers and loudspeakers keep everyone walking on the right. Go with it.
3. Never enter a sloping or narrow alley that is already full. If you cannot see the ground in front of you, you are too late.
4. Know your exit and a second station. If your station is skipped, walk to the next one.
5. If it gets tight, move sideways, not forward, keep your arms up in front of your chest and stay on your feet.
6. Save the numbers: 112 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance, and 1330 for the Korea Travel Helpline, free and in English around the clock.

Heads Up: Your phone may buzz with a loud Korean emergency text on Halloween night. It is a crowd alert, not a drill to ignore. Paste it into Papago or your camera translate and follow it.

What Locals Know

The city plans for this like a festival with no organiser. Last year Seoul ran a priority safety period from 24 October to 2 November (in Korean) across 14 busy areas, with joint command posts, crowd sensing CCTV, more than 200 barriers and over 600 safety staff in Hongdae alone. Itaewon had a plan to split entrances and exits and stop trains once congestion hit alert level. The 2026 plan usually lands in the week before Halloween.

The police side is just as big. In 2025 about 4,900 officers and 443 live CCTV cameras (in Korean) covered eight hotspots, from Itaewon and Hongdae to Seongsu cafe streets, Ikseon-dong and Apgujeong Rodeo. If you are standing still on a busy street, someone in a fluorescent vest will ask you to keep moving.

Korean feeds call it 핼러윈 (haelleowin), and the tone has changed. Many Korean twenty somethings now do their costumes at theme parks, house parties or ticketed club nights rather than out on the street. Follow their lead.

Pick Your Version

If It’s Your First Time

Make Halloween one fun evening, not the whole weekend. I’d do Lotte World on Friday 30 October for the 8:20pm parade, then spend Saturday somewhere calm. My first timer hub and Seoul in late October guide will fill the rest of your week, and my Korea travel apps guide gets Naver Map and Papago set up before you land.

If You’re Bringing Kids

The theme parks are the whole answer. Lotte World is mostly indoors and right on the subway. Everland is bigger and further, so do the safari and parade by day and leave Blood City zones before 4pm if your kids scare easily. Keep the evening streets of Hongdae and Itaewon off the plan. My Seoul with kids guide has more family days.

If You’re Travelling Solo

You will want to see the costumes, and that is fine. Go around 7pm to 9pm, when it is busy but moving, and leave before the late crush. Tell someone where you are, keep your phone charged, and know your second station. My solo in Seoul guide has safer nights out for the rest of your trip.

Sunbae’s Picks

My pick for Halloween weekend: Lotte World on the Friday with an After 4 ticket, then a quiet Saturday dinner in Seochon or Mangwon, away from the party strips.

If I only had one Halloween evening, I’d do Everland: safari in the afternoon, Blood City from 4pm, and the bus back to Seoul before the streets fill.

I’d skip Itaewon’s main strip after 10pm on 31 October. Not because it is forbidden, but because you will spend the night in a slow queue behind barriers, in a neighbourhood that is also remembering.

I’d dress for a long cold evening. Late October nights get chilly, and costumes are thin. My autumn packing guide has the layers.

[SUNBAE STORY: a short, general memory of how Halloween nights in Seoul’s clubs felt before 2022 compared with the calmer, more careful nights since]

Offers Worth Knowing

Everland’s Blood City Zero performances and missions and the Wild Savannah Expedition are included in your park admission. Lotte World’s After 4 ticket saves 12,000 won on an adult entry. The 1330 Korea Travel Helpline is free.

What’s Changing In 2026

A Saturday Halloween. In 2025, Halloween fell on a Friday. This year it is a Saturday, so expect the busy stretch to run from Friday 30 October through Sunday 1 November. My read: if you want a normal night out that weekend, go early or go somewhere else.

The 2026 safety plan is not out yet. As of 4 October, Seoul and the police had not published this year’s Halloween measures. Every year since 2023 has brought a special period of around ten days, barriers, one way routes and station skips, so plan for the same.

Bigger theme park seasons. A world first Junji Ito tie in at Lotte World and Blood City’s tenth year at Everland mean the parks are pushing harder than ever. Good news for you: more reasons to skip the street crush.

A Quieter Halloween

Not a party person? Do a daylight costume photo walk or hunt down pumpkin desserts in a cafe. The silver grass at Sky Park is still glowing that week; see my Haneul Park silver grass guide. The What’s On calendar shows everything else that weekend.

Word Of The Stop

우측통행 (ucheuk tonghaeng): keep right. You will hear “우측통행하세요!” (ucheuk tonghaeng haseyo, please keep right) on crowded streets on Halloween. It is the one Korean phrase that matters most that night.

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Map And Directions

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Halloween Celebrated In Seoul?

Yes, mostly by young people in Hongdae, Itaewon, Gangnam and Seongsu, and in big theme park seasons at Lotte World and Everland. It is not a public holiday.

Is It Safe To Go To Itaewon On Halloween?

Police and the city now run special crowd management with barriers, one way walking and station skips. It is far better managed than in 2022, but it is still very crowded on the night, and it is a time of remembrance. Go early, check crowd levels and follow instructions.

When Is Lotte World Halloween 2026?

12 September to 15 November 2026, with the Dark Fantasy Festival parade at 8:20pm and the Junji Ito collaboration from 19 September.

When Is Everland Halloween 2026?

12 September to 22 November 2026. Blood City Zero runs daily from 4pm to 9pm and is included in park admission.

What Day Is Halloween 2026 In Korea?

Saturday 31 October 2026. Expect crowds from Friday 30 October through the weekend.

Next Stop

• Lotte World vs Everland: pick the right park for your Halloween night.
• Korea In November 2026: what comes after Halloween, from foliage to festivals.
• Solo In Seoul This Autumn: nights out that do not involve a crush.

Resources

• Lotte World Adventure: official tickets, hours and the parade schedule (phone 1661-2000).
• Everland: date based ticket calendar; book the horror maze in the Everland app.
• Seoul Real-time City Data: live crowd levels before you head out.
• 1330 Korea Travel Helpline: 24 hour help in English by phone (+82-2-1330 from abroad) or chat.
• Naver Map or KakaoMap: exits, bus stops and live transit; Google Maps is weak here.
• Emergency: 112 police, 119 fire and ambulance.

How I Checked This

On 4 October 2026 I rechecked the Lotte World and Everland 2026 dates, prices and programmes against Korean news reports and Everland’s official blog, the 2025 crowd figures and measures in Kyunghyang Shinmun, Seoul Shinmun and Seoul City’s media hub, and the victim count and fourth anniversary plans in The Korea Times, The Korea Herald and Herald Economy. The 2026 police and city plan had not been announced, so this year’s measures are based on 2025; Everland prices come from Korean ticket guides because the official site did not load for me.

Sources

• The Korea Herald: 159 deaths including 21 foreign nationals, first official memorial
• The Korea Times: two firefighters recognised, official victims rise to 162
• The Korea Times: rescue volunteer recognised as victim (June 2026)
• Herald Economy: fourth anniversary month of remembrance (Korean)
• People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy: fourth anniversary programme (Korean)
• New Daily: Lotte World 2026 autumn festival and 8:20pm parade (Korean)
• Edaily: Lotte World Junji Ito collaboration (Korean)
• Hyundai Card magazine: Lotte World 1 Day and After 4 prices (Korean)
• Trip.com Korea: Lotte World Halloween 2026 prices and Junji Ito details (Korean)
• With Everland: Blood City Zero 2026 dates, hours and zones (Korean)
• Herald Economy: Blood City Zero opening details (Korean)
• The Korea Times: Everland safari by day, zombies by night
• Banksalad: Everland 2026 date based ticket prices (Korean)
• Jab Guyver: Everland horror maze booking (Korean)
• Wikipedia: Jamsil station, Exit 4 to Lotte World
• Gyeonggi Province official blog: getting to Everland from Seoul
• With Everland: boarding the 5002 at Gangnam (Korean)
• Newsworks: Gyeonggi bus fares from 25 Oct 2025 (Korean)
• Kyunghyang Shinmun: Halloween 2025 crowds in Hongdae and Itaewon (Korean)
• The Korea Times: Halloween 2025 safety controls in Itaewon and Hongdae
• Seoul Shinmun: 2025 police Halloween safety measures (Korean)
• Seoul Media Hub: 2025 Halloween special safety measures (Korean)
• Seoul Real-time City Data (Korean)
• Stars and Stripes Korea: 1330 helpline hours and languages
• VisitKorea: 1330 Korea Travel Helpline

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Written by your sunbae. 24 years living in Seoul, former Korean TV and radio presenter, university professor, and two decades behind the decks in the city’s clubs. Every fact here is checked against official sources and, wherever possible, on the ground.

Beep Check: verified 4 Oct 2026. Rules, prices and dates change; confirm with the official source before you travel.