Lights from Mid-December, and Cheonggyecheon’s Lanterns Are Free 6–10 pm! Seoul Winter Festa 2026-27 [Awaiting Announcement] — Six Venues from Gwanghwamun to DDP, Read Through the 2025-26 Record

On a December night in Seoul, simply walking from Gwanghwamun to Cheonggyecheon is a show in itself. The city folds six venues into one festival, the Seoul Winter Festa, with lights on every evening — and almost all of it is free.

In 2025-26 it ran from December 12 to January 4. Gwanghwamun Square had a giant Christmas tree and a 100,000-piece LEGO Haechi (Seoul’s mascot), Cheonggyecheon was lined with traditional lanterns, and skating on Seoul Plaza cost 1,000 won an hour. New Year’s Eve ended with the bell at Bosingak.

As of September 2026, when this was written, the 2026-27 dates haven’t been announced. The city usually announces in late November, so here is the 2025-26 record, with dates and hours, as the ‘awaiting announcement’ edition. Year to year it doesn’t change much — that’s the pattern.

Gwanghwamun, Cheonggyecheon and Seoul Plaza are within walking distance, and a loop takes about an hour and a half. Hours and prices by venue, how to book the rink, and which days are quieter are all here, so plan your December Seoul evenings with this.

Six Venues in One ‘Winter Festa’! Dec 12 to Jan 4 in 2025-26, and Almost All Free

✔ Gwanghwamun, Cheonggyecheon, Seoul Plaza, DDP, Bosingak, Uicheon — lit every night
Since the winter of 2023, Seoul has run its winter events together as the Seoul Winter Festa (서울윈터페스타). In 2025-26 it ran from Friday December 12 to Sunday January 4 at six venues: Gwanghwamun Square, Cheonggyecheon, Seoul Plaza, DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza), Bosingak and Uicheon. The theme was ‘FANTASIA SEOUL’, billed as a fantasy city built together with citizens.

What matters for travelers is that Gwanghwamun Square, Cheonggyecheon and Seoul Plaza are within walking distance of each other. Get off at Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5) for the tree and media art on the square, enter Cheonggyecheon at Cheonggye Plaza and walk downstream past the lanterns, then skate on Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall — about an hour and a half in that order. DDP is at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station (Lines 2, 4, 5) and Bosingak at Jonggak Station (Line 1), each one or two subway stops away.

Apart from the rink (1,000 won an hour) and some workshops, it’s free. The K-culture experience zones (K-idol-style makeup workshops, traditional culture exhibits, K-pop dance parties) had plenty of free slots, and in 2025-26 a 100,000-piece LEGO model of Seoul’s mascot Haechi stood on Gwanghwamun Square as the photo spot.

Seoul Winter Festa dates and prices by venue [2025-26 record, awaiting the 2026-27 announcement]

Venue	Program	2025-26 dates	Hours and price
Gwanghwamun Square	Seoul Light Gwanghwamun (media art, tree)	Dec 12–Jan 4	Evenings · free
Gwanghwamun Square	Gwanghwamun Market (Christmas market)	Dec 12–Dec 31	5:30–10 pm · free entry
Cheonggyecheon / Uicheon	Seoul Lantern Festival (빛초롱)	Dec 12–Jan 4 (Cheonggyecheon extended to Jan 18)	6–10 pm · free
Seoul Plaza	Ice rink	Dec 19–Feb 8	1,000 won an hour (skates and helmet included) · book next week’s slots on Mondays at seoulskate.kr
DDP	Seoul Light DDP (media facade)	Dec 18–Dec 31	Evenings · free
Bosingak / DDP / Gwanghwamun	Bell-ringing and countdowns	Dec 31–Jan 1	Free

Read next: To warm up after the lights, see 『−3°C Outside, 25°C Inside! You Can Build a Whole Seoul Winter Day Indoors—The National Museum Is Free and Open Until 9 pm on Wednesdays and Saturdays, the Aquarium Is 35,000 Won, the Observation Deck 33,000, the Jjimjilbang 14,000, and Here Is How to Chain Them on a Cold-Wave Day』.

Gwanghwamun Square Is Media Art and a Christmas Market! Dec 12–31, 5:30–10 pm

✔ ‘Seoul Light Gwanghwamun’ and the ‘Gwanghwamun Market’ share the square
Gwanghwamun Square has two stars. One is ‘Seoul Light Gwanghwamun’ (서울라이트 광화문), media art projected onto the square’s buildings and structures, combined with a big Christmas tree and photo zones. The other is the ‘Gwanghwamun Market’ (광화문 마켓), which in 2025-26 ran December 12–31 from 5:30 to 10 pm with European-style Christmas-market huts and a carousel.

The market is mostly food and craft stalls, and the city’s own report described it as having ‘a storybook village atmosphere’. There were participation booths (play a game, win a small prize) and photo-stamp missions, so even a short visit feels like a proper one — that’s the strength of the Gwanghwamun course. With Gyeongbokgung’s Gwanghwamun Gate as the backdrop, walking end to end takes 20–30 minutes.

The 2026-27 dates for Gwanghwamun Square aren’t announced. Both 2024-25 and 2025-26 followed the pattern ‘starts mid-December, market until New Year’s Eve, ends early January’, so a stay in mid-to-late December will almost certainly catch it. The announcement usually comes in late November on Seoul’s official festival site (festival.seoul.go.kr), and this article will be updated at the same time.

Cheonggyecheon’s Lanterns Are Free 6–10 pm! The Seoul Lantern Festival, Extended to Jan 18 in 2026

✔ From Cheonggye Plaza downstream, lanterns lined up on the water
The Seoul Lantern Festival (서울빛초롱축제) along Cheonggyecheon (청계천) is the most ‘Korean’ venue of the Winter Festa. From Cheonggye Plaza, traditional paper lanterns and media art line the stream, and you walk along watching the lights reflect on the water. It’s lit daily from 6 to 10 pm, admission is free, and in 2025-26 it opened on December 12. The year 2025 marked 20 years since the stream’s restoration, and one zone took that as its theme.

The interesting part was the extension. Originally scheduled to end January 4, the main Cheonggyecheon section was extended to January 18 because of demand. Some popular installations, though — including ‘I LOVE 잉어킹’, a Pokémon Magikarp evolving into Gyarados — closed on schedule on January 4. So a stay in early-to-mid January meant ‘lanterns still along the stream, but some of the headline pieces already gone’. Uicheon (우이천) had a smaller venue as well.

The trick is to enter at Cheonggye Plaza (5 minutes on foot from Jonggak Station on Line 1 or Gwanghwamun Station on Line 5) and walk downstream. The path is narrow, and on weekends from 7 to 9 pm it’s managed one-way. For photos, weekday evenings right after 6 pm are quietest, and the reflections on the water are at their best. Wind runs along the stream in winter, so bring earmuffs and gloves.

Seoul Plaza Skating Is 1,000 Won an Hour! Dec 19–Feb 8, Booked Every Monday

✔ 1,000 won including skate and helmet rental; book next week’s slots on Monday
The Seoul Plaza (서울광장) ice rink in front of City Hall is Seoul’s most famous cheap winter fun. In 2025-26 it ran from December 19 to February 8 at 1,000 won per one-hour session, skates and helmet included. Groups got 30% off with advance phone booking, and seniors 65+, people with disabilities and basic-livelihood recipients 50% off. After the Winter Festa itself ended on January 4, the rink alone carried on into February.

Booking is on the official site (seoulskate.kr), where slots for the following week open every Monday. Weekend evenings fill fast, so if you want a weekend skate, book on Monday. There are walk-up slots, but advance booking is the sure way. Sessions run in one-hour rounds, and gloves are mandatory with none for rent — pick up 5,000-won gloves at Daiso beforehand.

‘Seoul Light DDP’ (서울라이트 DDP) ran December 18–31 in 2025-26, a media facade projected across the whole curved building. In the same period DDP also hosted the influencer convention Seoul Con (Dec 29–Jan 1). On New Year’s Eve, Bosingak (보신각) rings the bell, with simultaneous countdowns at Bosingak, DDP and Gwanghwamun — a separate article covers how to spend the night.

Where to See It? Map and Summary — Gwanghwamun Square and Cheonggye Plaza

In short: Seoul’s winter lights run mid-December to early January; walk Gwanghwamun to Cheonggyecheon to Seoul Plaza between 6 and 10 pm; skate for 1,000 won, booked on a Monday. The official 2026-27 schedule will be added after the late-November announcement. Ratings are Google Maps as of September 17, 2026.

• Gwanghwamun Square (광화문광장) — Google ★4.5 (14,271 reviews) · 172 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu · direct from Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5) · Seoul Light Gwanghwamun and the Gwanghwamun Market (from Dec 12 in 2025-26; market until Dec 31, 5:30–10 pm) · free
• Cheonggye Plaza (청계광장) — Google ★4.4 (8,525 reviews, below the bar) · Taepyeong-ro 1-ga, Jung-gu · about 5 min on foot from Jonggak Station (Line 1) or Gwanghwamun Station (Line 5) · entrance to the Lantern Festival, lit 6–10 pm · free

FAQ

When do Seoul’s winter lights start?

In 2025-26 they ran December 12 to January 4 (the Cheonggyecheon lanterns were extended to January 18, and the Seoul Plaza rink ran until February 8). The city usually announces the 2026-27 dates in late November.

Is there an admission fee?

Gwanghwamun Square, Cheonggyecheon, DDP and Bosingak are free. Only the Seoul Plaza ice rink charges — 1,000 won per one-hour session, including skate and helmet rental.

What time are the lights on?

The Cheonggyecheon lanterns are lit daily from 6 to 10 pm. The Gwanghwamun Market ran 5:30–10 pm. Right after lighting on a weekday evening is the quietest time for photos.

How do I book the ice rink?

On the official site (seoulskate.kr), slots for the following week open every Monday. Weekend evenings fill quickly, so book on Monday. Gloves are mandatory and not available for rent.

Can I walk between the venues?

Gwanghwamun Square, Cheonggyecheon and Seoul Plaza are within walking distance — a loop takes about an hour and a half. DDP is at Dongdaemun History & Culture Park Station and Bosingak at Jonggak Station, one or two subway stops away.