Christmas Lights In Seoul 2026: Where To See Them (And The Best Light Festivals Near Seoul)

Sunbae Says: Do the lights on a weeknight, starting at blue hour (about 5:20pm in December), and save Shinsegae for last. Its soundtrack only played from 10pm last season.

You come up out of Hoehyeon Station into air that hurts your teeth, look up, and a whole building is a snow globe. This page is the map: which exit, how long, and when to go. For Christmas Eve plans, read my Christmas in Seoul guide; for markets, the Seoul Christmas market guide.

Season At A Glance

Most 2026 dates were not announced on 16 October 2026, so this is last season (2025/26).

Spot	Last Season (2025/26)	Hours	Cost	Station Or Access	Best For
Shinsegae facade, Myeongdong	7 Nov to 31 Jan	5pm to midnight; sound 10pm to midnight	Free	Hoehyeon, Line 4 (sky blue), Exit 7	The big one
Lotte main store facade, Myeongdong	31 Oct to 31 Dec	5:30pm to 11pm	Free	Euljiro 1(il)-ga, Line 2 (green), Exit 6	Pairing with Shinsegae
Seoul Light Gwanghwamun	12 Dec to 4 Jan	5:30pm to 9:30pm (10pm Fri, Sat)	Free	Gwanghwamun, Line 5 (purple), Exit 9	Projection shows
Cheonggyecheon lanterns	12 Dec to 18 Jan	6pm to 10pm (11pm later)	Free	Gwanghwamun, Line 5, Exit 5	A slow walk
Seoul Light DDP	18 to 31 Dec	6pm to 10pm, every 30 min	Free	Dongdaemun History & Culture Park, Exit 1	The giant curved screen
Seoul Plaza tree	17 Nov to 1 Jan	Not listed; lit after dark	Free	City Hall, Lines 1 and 2, Exit 6	A quick photo
Starfield Library tree, COEX	13 Nov to 31 Jan	10:30am to about 10pm	Free	Samseong, Line 2 (green), Exit 5	Rain or freezing nights
Lotte Town tree and market, Jamsil	20 Nov to 4 Jan	11:30am to 10pm	Free before 4pm, 5,000 won after	Jamsil, Lines 2 and 8, Exit 10	Kids, a 13 m tree
Garden of Morning Calm, Gapyeong	5 Dec to 15 Mar	Lights 5pm to 9pm (Sat to 11pm)	11,000 won adult	Cheongpyeong Station, then bus	The full light festival
Gwangbok-ro tree festival, Busan	5 Dec to 22 Feb	5:30pm to 10pm	Free	Nampo Station, Busan Metro Line 1	A Busan weekend

The Myeongdong Facades

Shinsegae main store. The whole front is a permanent screen called Shinsegae Square, and every winter it plays a Christmas film. CBC News reported (in Korean) about 350,000 LEDs, a loop of roughly three and a half minutes, lights from 5pm to midnight and sound only from 10pm. VisitKorea’s department store roundup lists the 2025 show as 7 November 2025 to 31 January 2026. In 2024 it started on 1 November. Give it 20 minutes. Hoehyeon Station (Line 4, sky blue), Exit 7.

Lotte Department Store main store and Young Plaza. Last season Lotte wrapped its main store and Avenuel in about 30,000 LEDs, 31 October to 31 December, 5:30pm to 11pm, per VisitKorea. This year Lotte is adding “Lotte Town Light”, a 77 m by 21 m screen on Young Plaza that Newspim reports (in Korean) will be the largest facade in Myeongdong, teaser in November, full operation in December. My Myeongdong shopping guide maps the streets between them.

Gwanghwamun, Cheonggyecheon And DDP

Seoul Light Gwanghwamun. The city turns the Gwanghwamun gate and the north end of the square into a projection canvas. The 2025 edition (in Korean) ran 12 December 2025 to 4 January 2026, 5:30pm to 9:30pm Sunday to Thursday and to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays, with a 24 minute show repeated eight or nine times a night. The 2024 edition ran 13 December to 5 January. For 2026, the city’s festival portal (in Korean) lists 11 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, 5:30pm to 10pm; treat that as provisional. Allow 30 minutes. Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5, purple), Exit 9.

Cheonggyecheon. The lanterns start a few minutes away, listed for 11 December 2026 to 31 January 2027; see my Seoul Lantern Festival guide.

Seoul Light DDP. The curved wall of Dongdaemun Design Plaza becomes a 222 m screen. In 2025 it ran 18 to 31 December, 6pm to 10pm, every 30 minutes (in Korean), about 21 minutes of films. Take Exit 1 at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station (Line 2 green, Line 4 sky blue, Line 5 purple).

Seoul Plaza. The city tree went up on 17 November 2025 and stayed to 1 January (in Korean), City Hall Station Exit 6. From mid December the Seoul Plaza ice rink sits beneath it.

South Of The River

Starfield Library, COEX. Your bad weather card: a gold tree about 10 m tall, up 13 November to 31 January last season, free, about 350 m from Samseong Station (Line 2, green) Exit 5. Twenty minutes is plenty; my Starfield COEX guide covers the rest.

Lotte World Tower and Lotte Town. The 13 m tree with fake snow anchors the Lotte Town Christmas Market. Last season: 20 November to 4 January, 11:30am to 10pm, free before 4pm and 5,000 won after. Jamsil Station Exit 10, about six minutes on foot. My Lotte World Mall guide has the indoor backup.

The Hyundai Seoul. An indoor Christmas village, not a facade. Last year’s “Christmas Atelier” ran 1 November to 31 December; the first Naver booking round opened 23 October and sold out in about 30 minutes. If 2026 follows that timing, bookings open any day now. See my The Hyundai Seoul guide.

Apgujeong. Galleria’s Luxury Hall East wore Goyard’s pattern last season, and Hyundai’s main store had a tree. Worth ten minutes if you are on Apgujeong Rodeo Street, not a special trip.

Light Festivals Beyond Seoul

Garden of Morning Calm, Gapyeong (아침고요수목원 오색별빛정원전). Themed gardens across the whole arboretum, lit after dark for the 19th winter running. VisitKorea lists the 2025/26 edition as 5 December 2025 to 15 March 2026, lights 5pm to 9pm (Saturdays to 11pm), 11,000 won adults, 8,500 won teens, 7,500 won children. In 2022/23 it ran 9 December to 19 March. Getting there: the Gyeongchun Line to Cheongpyeong Station, Exit 1, walk to Cheongpyeong Bus Terminal and take a bus signed for the garden, per Gyeonggi Province. ITX-Cheongchun trains use the same line; check Korail for Cheongpyeong stops. Budget two hours inside.

Herb Island, Pocheon (허브아일랜드 불빛동화축제). Lights every night of the year after sunset; a September 2026 report lists 10am to 9pm (Saturdays to 10pm), adults 10,000 won weekdays, 12,000 won weekends, closed Wednesdays. Mostly a car or tour trip; Korean travel pieces mention buses 57 and 57-1 from Soyosan Station (Line 1, dark blue).

Everland and Lotte World. Both are ticketed. Everland’s 2025 “X-mas Fantasy” ran 28 November to 31 December with a 30 minute Christmas parade and a nightly fireworks show. Lotte World’s winter season ran 22 November 2025 to 2 March 2026, with the Christmas parade at 2pm and 8pm and projection mapping on the castle. My Lotte World vs Everland guide helps you pick.

Busan: Gwangbok-ro (광복로 겨울빛 트리축제). The festival once sold as the Busan Christmas Tree Culture Festival now runs as the Gwangbok-ro Winter Light Tree Festival. The Busan city listing gives 5 December 2025 to 22 February 2026, lit 5:30pm to 10pm, and it was free. Take the KTX to Busan Station, then Busan Metro Line 1 two stops to Nampo.

Boseong tea fields. The last 보성차밭 빛축제 I could document was the 17th, 29 November 2019 to 5 January 2020, with nothing announced since. Skip it.

A Lights Walk For One Evening

Free, about 3 km, three to four hours. Walking times are map estimates.

1. 5:30pm, Gwanghwamun Square. Catch a full Seoul Light show from the start (once it opens in mid December). 30 minutes.
2. 6:05pm, Cheonggye Plaza. About 5 to 8 minutes’ walk south. Walk the first stretch of lanterns to the second bridge, then climb out. 40 minutes.
3. 7pm, Seoul Plaza. About 10 minutes’ walk. Tree photo, skate if the rink is open. 20 to 60 minutes.
4. 8pm, Lotte main store. About 5 minutes’ walk east. Eat in Myeongdong, then see Lotte Town Light.
5. 10pm, Shinsegae. About 5 to 6 minutes’ walk. Watch two loops with sound.

South of the river instead: COEX’s library tree late afternoon, then Line 2 (green) three stops to Jamsil, Exit 10, for the Lotte Town tree after dark. Save The Hyundai Seoul for a booked daytime slot. See the subway map.

Photography Tips

Phone night mode handles every spot here; brace your elbows and hold still. Shoot facades at blue hour, 20 to 30 minutes after sunset. For Shinsegae, cross the road: the full screen only fits from the far side.

Leave the tripod at the hotel. I found no posted ban, but on a packed pavement it is a trip hazard and staff will move you on. Filming strangers up close is a sore point here; my guide to photos and privacy explains why.

Heads Up: On peak nights, crowd control and one way flows are normal. On Christmas Eve 2023, Segye Ilbo reported (in Korean) police estimated 98,000 people in Myeongdong by 7pm, with about 210 officers running detours and one way routing. Keep moving and follow the arrows.

What Locals Know

Search 점등 to find switch on dates. Typing 신세계 미디어파사드 점등 into Naver finds switch on dates long before English pages do. My travel apps guide shows how.

The store facades are a contest. Shinsegae, Lotte and Hyundai compete for the most photographed Christmas, so dates creep earlier: Lotte switched on 31 October last year.

The city lights come later. A late November trip gets the store facades and Jamsil, not Gwanghwamun.

Pick Your Version

If It’s Your First Time

Do the walk on a mid December weeknight, then Jamsil another evening.

If You’re Bringing Kids

I’d do Jamsil before 4pm while entry is free, then COEX. Skip Myeongdong after 8pm on weekends; strollers stall.

If You’re Travelling Solo

A weeknight at the Garden of Morning Calm is an easy solo trip, and 10pm Shinsegae is better alone than it sounds.

Sunbae’s Picks

My pick for one night: Seoul Light Gwanghwamun at 5:30pm, Shinsegae at 10pm, everything between on foot.

My day trip: the Garden of Morning Calm on a Saturday, when the lights run to 11pm.

Worth It Or Skip It: worth it is Shinsegae after 10pm on a weeknight. Skip Myeongdong after 7pm on 24 December; the same screens are there on 22 December with half the people.

Offers Worth Knowing

Every Seoul light on this page was free last season, apart from evening entry to Jamsil’s market. Lotte World sold a 20,000 won “After4” ticket from 4pm in November 2025, worth checking for the evening parade.

What’s Changing In 2026

A second giant screen. With Lotte Town Light due in December, Myeongdong becomes the best and most crowded lights block in Seoul.

City lights start on 11 December. The Winter Festa is now listed for 11 December 2026 to 31 January 2027, one day earlier than last year, and Seoul Light Gwanghwamun, Seoul Light DDP and the lanterns all start that night, per the Seoul Winter Festival official site (in Korean).

Weather And What To Wear

Under the KMA’s 1991 to 2020 normals, Seoul averages 0.2°C in December and minus 1.9°C in January (in Korean), with average highs of 4.2°C and 2.1°C and lows of minus 3.4°C and minus 5.5°C. Standing still for 20 minutes feels colder than walking, so bring a padded coat, touchscreen gloves and a hat; my what to wear guide has the full list, and Korea in December covers the month.

When The 2026 Dates Drop

On 16 October 2026 no store had announced 2026 dates. Watch Seoul’s media hub (mediahub.seoul.go.kr) and the Fun Seoul portal for city shows, store Instagram accounts and newsrooms, and Visit Seoul. Last year the stores announced in late October and early November. Every confirmed date goes on our what’s on calendar, and the bell and countdowns are in my New Year’s Eve guide.

Word Of The Stop

점등 (jeomdeung): “switching on the lights”. 점등식 (jeomdeungsik) is the lighting ceremony, and 점등 시간 (jeomdeung sigan) means “what time do the lights come on?”

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Map And Directions

Frequently Asked Questions

When Do The Christmas Lights Start In Seoul?

Store facades switch on in late October or early November (Lotte 31 October 2025, Shinsegae 7 November 2025); city light shows follow in December.

Are Seoul’s Christmas Lights Free?

Yes, apart from evening entry to Jamsil’s market last season.

How Do I Get To The Garden Of Morning Calm Lighting Festival?

Take the Gyeongchun Line or an ITX-Cheongchun train to Cheongpyeong, then a bus from Cheongpyeong Bus Terminal, or book a shuttle tour from Seoul.

What Time Is Best To See The Lights?

Blue hour, about 5:20 to 6pm in December, for photos; after 9:30pm on weeknights for space.

Next Stop

• Christmas In Seoul 2026: Christmas Eve, cake and the villages that need booking.
• Seoul Lantern Festival 2026: the Cheonggyecheon stretch of your lights walk.
• Seoul Christmas Market 2026: where to warm up between facades.

Resources

• Naver Map or KakaoMap: search 신세계백화점 본점, 광화문광장 or 아침고요수목원 for exits and live photos.
• Fun Seoul festival portal: the city’s light show listings (in Korean).
• morningcalm.co.kr and 1544-6703: Garden of Morning Calm hours and fees.
• 1330 Korea Travel Hotline: 24 hour help in English.

How I Checked This

On 22 October 2026 I rechecked the Winter Festa and Seoul Plaza rink dates on the Seoul festival portal and the Seoul Winter Festival official site. On 16 October 2026 I checked store facades against VisitKorea and Korean news, city light shows and trees against Seoul’s media hub and festival portal, Gapyeong against VisitKorea and Gyeonggi Province, Busan against the city listing, theme parks and crowds against Korean news, and weather against KMA. Store dates for 2026, Herb Island buses and any Boseong revival are unconfirmed; walking times are map estimates.

Sources

• CBC News: Shinsegae facade, 350,000 LEDs, sound 10pm to midnight (Korean)
• VisitKorea: department store Christmas events 2025
• Smart Today: Shinsegae 2025 film from 7 Nov, 5pm to midnight (Korean)
• Design Compass: Shinsegae 2024 facade from 1 Nov, 5:30pm to 10:30pm (Korean)
• Financial News: Lotte 2025 facades, 30,000 LEDs, 13 m tree (Korean)
• Newspim: Lotte Town Light, 77 m by 21 m (Korean)
• Seoul Media Hub: Seoul Light Gwanghwamun 2025 (Korean)
• Seoul Media Hub: Seoul Light Gwanghwamun 2024 (Korean)
• Fun Seoul: Seoul Light Gwanghwamun 2026 listing (Korean)
• Fun Seoul: Winter Festa 2026, tentative (Korean)
• Seoul Media Hub: Seoul Light DDP 2025 (Korean)
• Seoul Media Hub: COEX library and Seoul Plaza trees 2025 (Korean)
• Seoul Media Hub: Starfield Library gold tree (Korean)
• Daum (Hankyung): Lotte Town 13 m tree and market hours (Korean)
• Herald Economy: The Hyundai Seoul 2025 booking sold out in 30 minutes (Korean)
• Fashionbiz: Galleria and Goyard 2025 (Korean)
• VisitKorea: Garden of Morning Calm Lighting Festival 2025/26
• Gyeonggi Province: Garden of Morning Calm directions
• Stars and Stripes Korea: Garden of Morning Calm 2022/23 dates
• News Wa: Herb Island hours, fees, Wednesday closing, Sep 2026 (Korean)
• Telltrip: Herb Island lights and bus from Soyosan (Korean)
• Herald Economy: Everland X-mas Fantasy 2025 (Korean)
• Kuki News: Lotte World winter season 2025/26 (Korean)
• Busan Metropolitan City: Gwangbok-ro Winter Light Tree Festival 2025
• Korea Tourism Organization data via KTripTips: Gwangbok-ro free entry and hours (Korean)
• Seoul Shinmun: 17th Boseong tea field light festival, 2019 (Korean)
• Segye Ilbo: Christmas Eve 2023 crowds in Myeongdong (Korean)
• Herald Economy: year end crowd safety period 2025 (Korean)
• KMA: 1991 to 2020 climate normals, Seoul monthly means (Korean)
• Seoul climate table, KMA 1991 to 2020 normals via Wikipedia

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Written by your sunbae. Over 20 years in Korea. We learned the lessons the hard way, so you don’t have to, and we’re here to guide you and help you enjoy Korea. Every fact here is checked against official sources and, wherever possible, on the ground.

Beep Check: verified 22 Oct 2026. Rules, prices and dates change; confirm with the official source before you travel.