The 38th Chuncheon Puppet Festival

The 38th edition begins at Chuncheon Puppet Theater, September 10–16, 2026

The 38th Chuncheon Puppet Festival will take place for seven days, from Thursday, September 10, to Wednesday, September 16, 2026. The main venue is Chuncheon Puppet Theater at 3017 Yeongseo-ro, Chuncheon-si, Gangwon State, with events also continuing at the Chuncheon City Hall Grand Conference Room and Festival Theater Momjit. With domestic and international puppet performances, puppet-making experiences, workshops, flea markets, and a special exhibition at the Puppet Theater Museum scheduled, it seems best to set aside a full day rather than simply watching one performance and heading back. The Puppet Carnival, in particular, will be held at Chuncheon City Hall Square from 18:00 to 21:00 on Saturday, September 12, while the Puppet Theater Art Market will take place at KT&G Sangsangmadang Chuncheon from 16:00 to 21:00 on September 16, featuring promotional tables, showcases, special performances, and a closing ceremony. The 2026 festival operating plan also states that on-site staff will be deployed from 09:00 to 21:00 from September 10 to 16, so I thought it would work well to divide the day between daytime performances and evening events. Operating Information for the 38th Chuncheon Puppet Festival

In 2025, the Puppet Carnival marched approximately 1.8 km from Festival Theater Momjit to Chuncheon City Hall Square, and attendees could watch together on-site without a separate reservation. This year as well, I wanted to mark the evening of September 12 on my calendar first, since three hours at City Hall Square should offer a chance to encounter large puppets and human movement up close. 2025 Puppet Carnival Information

Remember Chuncheon Station Exit 1 and the five-language interpreter corps

The nearest train station is Chuncheon Station, and Exit 1 is a convenient starting point for getting around downtown. Chuncheon Puppet Theater, Chuncheon City Hall Square, and KT&G Sangsangmadang Chuncheon are separate locations, so rather than trying to connect them all on foot in one day, it was more realistic to combine buses and taxis. Chuncheon City has posted the 2026 urban and village bus route maps on its transportation portal, so on the day of your visit, it is a good idea to check the performance start time and bus stop together. Chuncheon City Transportation Portal

In terms of language support, the 2026 operating plan calls for approximately 20 interpreters to assist international performance teams, with recruitment of nine English, four French, three Spanish, two Italian, and two Japanese interpreters. However, it has not yet been announced whether these staff members will interpret for general visitors or handle English signage, so saving the performance titles and locations on your phone should make it easier to ask for help at the information booth. The Puppet Theater Museum special exhibition is also part of the festival program, making it easy to follow the scenes through the puppets’ expressions and movements rather than words.

The 18:00 Puppet Carnival on September 12 starts before sunset

The Puppet Carnival will be held at City Hall Square from 18:00 to 21:00 on September 12, so it is best to bring comfortable sneakers and a light outer layer for an outdoor event where you may be standing. Since the parade traveled approximately 1.8 km in 2025, it was much more relaxed to observe the direction in which people were moving and plan the route home rather than insisting on staying at the very front. After the event at City Hall Square ends, it would be wise to double-check the venue and start time for the day so that you do not mistakenly assume the program continues directly to Chuncheon Puppet Theater.

Admission and reservations for each performance, the availability of card, cash, and mobile payments, private-car parking, and food sales plans have not yet been announced. Along with the schedule stating that the September 16 Art Market will be held from 16:00 to 21:00 at KT&G Sangsangmadang Chuncheon, you can review later announcements before deciding on your payment method and transportation. The operating plan includes seating guidance and safety management for indoor and outdoor performance venues, experience and workshop operations, Art Market support, museum exhibition guidance, and information booth operations, so it is a good idea to ask on-site staff first if you get lost or find the waiting route confusing.

Seven days of imagination linking Chuncheon Puppet Theater, City Hall Square, and Sangsangmadang

This festival is especially well suited to travelers who want to explore Korean performing arts in depth, travelers who enjoy photographing street parades, and travelers who want to make a puppet by hand. During the day, visit Chuncheon Puppet Theater and the museum exhibition; on the evening of September 12, head to the Puppet Carnival at City Hall Square; and on the final day, September 16, finish with the Art Market and closing ceremony at KT&G Sangsangmadang Chuncheon. This would leave a vivid impression of the seven-day festival. It is a place where even a brief moment when a puppet silently turns its head can create a story, so it would also be enjoyable to visit with friends who do not know much Korean and walk away discussing the scenes each of you saw.