Hoengseong Korean Beef Festival

The 22nd Hoengseong Hanwoo Festival will be held for five days from October 7 to 11, 2026, at 221 Bukcheon-ri, Hoengseong-eup, Hoengseong-gun, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. Admission is free, but food items such as the Hoengseong Hanwoo Grill Areas and sales outlets require separate payment. Whether advance reservations will be required in 2026 has not yet been announced. Inquiries can be made at 033-808-8007 or 033-808-8009. While the 21st festival in 2025 was announced as being held around the Seomgang Riverside area, this year’s listed venue has changed to 221 Bukcheon-ri, Hoengseong-eup.

The 22nd Hoengseong Hanwoo Festival features 14 programs continuing until 9 p.m.

The 2026 festival consists of three themes—food, culture and arts, and experiences—and 14 programs. Its slogan is “Delicious, Stay, Shine,” and its theme is “An Autumn to Stay, a City of Shining Flavor: Hoengseong!” Accordingly, the program combines Hanwoo dining and performances within a single day’s itinerary.

Daytime operations run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., while nighttime operations run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Woo-ah! Music Festa is held on the main stage every day from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the Woo-joo Fireworks Show takes place twice, at 9 p.m. on October 7 and 10.

The opening ceremony will be held on October 7, and the closing ceremony on October 11. The 21st festival in 2025 was held from October 22 to 26, and that edition won the Festival Economy category at the 2026 Korea Festival Contents Awards.

The Hoengseong Station shuttle information is from 2025, so you must arrange your 2026 return trip separately

At the 21st festival in 2025, free shuttle routes from Hoengseong Station to Festival Site 1 and Festival Site 2 were announced. The routes, intervals, and operating hours of the temporary shuttles for 2026 have not yet been officially confirmed, so last year’s routes should not be applied unchanged to this year’s schedule.

In 2025, an urban shuttle route to the festival venue was also announced, using Hoengseong Health Center as the terminal stop and passing locations including SG Mart Hoengseong. The same year’s information listed approximately 650 parking spaces at the General Sports Complex parking lot, about 450 at the Culture and Sports Park parking lot, and about 800 temporary roadside spaces between Wonheung 2nd Complex and Hwango Intersection. However, the locations, capacities, and fees of the 2026 parking lots have not been announced.

The 2025 visitor information recommended arriving 60–90 minutes before the main performance began. Since the last bus and shuttle end times for 2026 have not been confirmed, based on the current information it is safer to plan as though a day trip is not feasible and to check accommodation or return transportation first.

Three grill areas and three sales outlets are central to a Hoengseong Hanwoo meal

In 2026, three Hoengseong Hanwoo Grill Areas will operate regularly as self-service restaurants run by the livestock cooperative, the agricultural cooperative, and the Hanwoo cooperative. Admission to the event venue is free, but Hanwoo consumed at these grill areas must be paid for separately, so free admission should not be confused with free meals.

Three Hoengseong Hanwoo sales outlets will also operate regularly and sell every cut of Hanwoo beef. The Hoengseong Matmadang Food Zone, with participating local businesses, and the Hoengseong Local Farm Market, with participating local farms, will also operate regularly, allowing visitors to enjoy Hanwoo and purchase local agricultural products at the same venue.

Even without knowing Korean, you can try purchasing meat and watching performances by following onsite signs and observing what others do, but it has not been confirmed whether English signs, English leaflets, or interpretation services will be available in 2026. Since main-stage performances run every day from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., the schedule is better suited to visitors who want to enjoy the music and stage itself than to those seeking performances that require understanding Korean-language narration.

Until you call 033-808-8007, there are still gaps in the Bukcheon-ri schedule

The operating organization for the 2026 festival is the Hoengseong Culture and Tourism Foundation, and the inquiry numbers are 033-808-8007 and 033-808-8009. Operating, cancellation, and refund policies for programs in rainy weather have not been announced, so on days with a rain forecast, you should confirm whether the event will operate before departing.

Information about wheelchair and stroller routes, restroom and luggage-storage locations, safety routes, and cleanliness management for 2026 has also not been confirmed. Therefore, the schedule centered on the daily 7–9 p.m. performances and the 9 p.m. fireworks shows on October 7 and 10 may not suit travelers who require English guidance, travelers with mobility aids, or travelers seeking a quiet visit.

Whether reservations will be required and which payment methods will be accepted onsite in 2026 have not been announced either. Before deciding on your October visit date, call the inquiry numbers above to confirm the latest operating schedule.

• Which nights should I visit to see the fireworks? — They will be held at 9 p.m. on October 7 and 10, 2026.
• Can I buy Hanwoo and eat it onsite? — Three Hoengseong Hanwoo Grill Areas operate regularly as self-service restaurants, and all cuts of Hanwoo can be purchased at three Hoengseong Hanwoo sales outlets.
• Can I use the 2025 shuttle information unchanged this year? — No. In 2025, shuttles via Hoengseong Station and the terminal were announced, but the 2026 routes, intervals, and operating hours have not yet been officially confirmed.
• Can I see the daytime market and evening performances on the same day? — Daytime operations run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., nighttime operations from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the Music Festa runs every day from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.