Boryeong Mud Festival

A strange and exciting summer festival whose goal is to cover your whole body in mud

Among Korea's summer festivals, this may be the only place where you go deliberately to get dirty. Right in front of Daecheon Beach in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, a huge mud field, slides, and mud pools are set up on the sand, and people run around laughing with gray mud smeared even on their faces. First held in 1998, this festival has now become an experiential event that highlights Boryeong mud's minerals, with a particularly high share of foreign visitors. When I went, I heard English, Chinese, and Japanese everywhere, so it felt like a place where you could easily enjoy yourself even without knowing Korean.

The core idea is simple: mud during the day, stages at night. Around the Mud Expo Square, the area is divided into the Steel Mud Challenge Zone for friends competing against one another, the Family Zone for families with children, and the Water Park Zone for playing like at a water park. When the sun goes down, the same space turns into a performance venue. In 2025, the lineup included the World DJ Festival, K-Hip Hop Festival, a stage linked with Mnet's M Countdown, KBS K-POP Super Live, a drone light show, and even an Air Force Black Eagles air show, so many people went just for the mud play and ended up staying for the night performances. In 2026, the 29th edition will be held for 17 days from July 24 (Fri.) to August 9 (Sun.) around Daecheon Beach.

From Daecheon Station to Mud Square — a route even solo foreign travelers can manage

If you're coming from Seoul, the train is the most comfortable option. Take the Janghang Line from Yongsan Station and get off at Daecheon Station. From Daecheon Station to the festival site (Daecheon Beach), you can take a city bus or a taxi. During the festival period, a tourist information booth operates at Daecheon Station, so finding your way is not difficult. If you come by car, temporary parking lots open around the beach, and the daily parking fee is roughly 5,000 to 10,000 won.

Entry uses a paid wristband system that you wear on your wrist. Without the wristband, you cannot enter the paid zones. As of 2025, the general zone cost 10,000 won on weekdays (Mon. to Thu.) and 14,000 won on weekends (Fri. to Sun.), while the Family Zone cost 9,000 won on weekdays and 11,000 won on weekends for children. Operating hours also vary by day: weekdays ran from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., while weekends ran from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with one closed day in between. Since fees, hours, and closed days change slightly from year to year, be sure to check the official page once more for the day-of schedule before you go.

The route is easiest if you plan it like this: have fun in the mud zone during the day -> wash up at the shower area -> change clothes -> watch the beach stage performances in the evening. You have to take off your shoes before entering the mud zone, so you'll be asked to leave your slippers or sneakers at the shoe storage area near the entrance. They are not responsible for loss, so it's better to leave expensive shoes behind. If you stay for the night performances, it gets late, so if you came by train, I recommend checking the last train time from Daecheon Station in advance and planning accordingly.

Before you go, make sure you know this — the things you'll really regret not bringing

First of all, clothing. Mud can stain your clothes, so avoid light colors; a dark swimsuit or rash guard is best. Clothes that can get dirty and be thrown away are also fine. And you must bring a separate change of clothes for after all the fun. Towels too.

Second is your phone. Mud splashes everywhere, so your phone can turn gray in an instant. A waterproof pouch is practically essential. A cap that fits snugly on your head is useful because it protects you from both mud and the sun, and sunglasses can easily get damaged or lost in the mud, so be careful.

• Dark-colored swimsuit or rash guard (or clothes you can throw away)
• Change of clothes + towel
• Waterproof phone pouch
• Cap and slippers
• Both card and cash (payment options may vary by zone)

One more practical tip: the mud zone has long lines during peak times. Popular programs such as the Steel Mud Challenge may also close early for advance registration, so if there's a particular activity you want, make sure to reserve it in advance once the schedule is announced. And before entering the Water Park Zone, you must wash the mud off your body with water. The public showers may only have cold water, so even in midsummer it can feel chilly. It's best to be mentally prepared — or use a nearby paid shower facility.

So who is this for?

It's perfect for friends who want to shed their inhibitions and get happily filthy without worrying about ruining their clothes, and for foreign travelers who want to blend into the atmosphere even if they can't speak Korean. Spending the day laughing covered in mud and then watching K-pop and a drone show on the beach at night makes for a surprisingly long and rewarding day. It may not suit someone looking for a clean, relaxing getaway, but if you want to properly let loose at least once, I highly recommend Boryeong's summer.