What to Know Before a Performance at Gwangju Arts Center’s Grand Theater: Seating, Tickets, and Bus Routes

How are the 1,517 seats in the Main Theater different from the 464 seats in the Small Theater?

The official English name of Gwangju Arts Center is Gwangju Arts Center. The Main Theater has 1,517 seats, including paid and invitation seats, with 16 seats reserved for people with disabilities, while the Small Theater has 464 seats.

The official performance listings include municipal arts ensemble performances, concerts, traditional Korean music, musicals, and operas. There are cases where concerts and traditional Korean music and opera are listed as Small Theater performances, while musicals are listed as Main Theater performances. The gallery also hosts special exhibitions and exhibitions.

How to read the genres on the performance schedule together with Gwangju Performance Maru

When choosing a performance, check the venue listing first. The official schedule lists not only the Main Theater and Small Theater, but also the Traditional Music Hall, Gwangju Performance Maru, and the gallery as separate venues. Therefore, even within the same arts center, the venue entrances and seating capacities differ.

The facilities guide also includes the Traditional Music Hall, administration building, sculpture park, and circular stage. However, no fixed operating hours confirm that all areas are open to visitors even on days without performances, so it is safer to choose a specific performance or exhibition as your destination.

How to walk 573–665 m from Unam Library Bus Stop

Nearby bus stops include Gwangju Arts Center, Gwangju Arts Center Rear Entrance, and Unam Library. Materials concerning the area around Unam Library indicate a distance of 573–665 m to Gwangju Arts Center Bus Stop, so do not assume that the building entrance will be immediately visible after getting off the bus.

At Unam Library, buses Suwan 12, Songam 72, Suwan 49, Geumnam 58, Sangmu 63, Unrim 51, Songjeong 29, Bongseon 27, Munheung 18, Maewol 16, and Village 777 stop. At the rear entrance stop, Munheung 53, Cheomdan 95, Yongjeon 85, Yongjeon 84, Sangmu 63, and Songjeong 29 are listed. The indicated distance to the next stop around the rear entrance is approximately 674 m or more.

• Trunk buses listed in the event information: Songjeong 29, Cheomdan 95, Geumnam 58, Unrim 51, Maewol 16, Munheung 18, Bongseon 27, Suwan 12
• Feeder buses listed in the event information: Unheung 53, Sangmu 63, Yongjeon 84, Yongbong 83, Cheomdan 192, Songam 72, Suwan 49
• Village bus: Village 777

When departing from Gwangju Station or the airport, enter the bus stop name first

The guidance materials for Gwangju Arts Center do not provide subway station names and exit numbers that foreigners can use directly, nor confirmed direct travel times from the airport. If departing from Gwangju Station or Gwangju Songjeong Station in central Gwangju, or from Gwangju Airport, enter “Gwangju Arts Center” or “Unam Library” as the destination in a map app, and show the arrival bus stop name to the driver.

Bus routes vary by direction. Since the routes stopping at Unam Library and Gwangju Arts Center Rear Entrance are different, check with the venue map whether to get off at “Rear Entrance” or “Unam Library.” Since the stated distance from Unam Library to the stop near the arts center is 573–665 m, avoid arriving just before the performance starts.

Telephone reservations: weekdays 09:00–18:00, Saturdays 09:00–17:00

The main information number is 062-613-8333. Telephone reservations can be made at 1544-6399. Hours are weekdays 09:00–18:00 and Saturdays 09:00–17:00; the service is closed on Sundays. The telephone reservation fee is 3,000 won per ticket.

Ticket prices vary by performance, and tickets are sold at the on-site box office from one hour before the performance only when seats remain. Tickets reserved on the day of the performance can also be collected from the box office starting one hour before the performance. For personal collection, one of an identification document, reservation number, or reservation confirmation is required.

• Collection by another person: reserver’s name and contact information or reservation number
• Cancellation deadline: 17:00 one day before the performance
• Venue rental information: 062-613-8353

Why you should arrive 20 minutes before the performance starts

The official audience regulations advise completing arrival at the venue at least 20 minutes before the performance and taking your seat 10 minutes before it begins. In principle, entry to the venue is prohibited after the performance starts, so allow time both to walk 573–665 m after getting off the bus and to wait at the box office.

Children aged 7 or younger are restricted from entering. Food and beverages may not be brought into the venue, and movement during the performance should preferably take place during the intermission. Photography, presenting wreaths, entering the audience area, and chatting during the performance are prohibited, and smoking is prohibited inside the venue.

A 434-space parking lot and accessible seating for visitors arriving by car

As of August 2026, there are 434 parking spaces in total: 327 indoors and 107 outdoors. The guide lists 12 indoor and 9 outdoor spaces reserved for people with disabilities. Parking fees are not included in the available information.

The Main Theater has 16 accessible seats. Discounts are 50% for up to two tickets for people with disability grades 1–3, and 50% for one ticket for people with disability grades 4–6. Patriots and May 18 Democratic Meritorious Persons are also eligible for a 50% discount on up to two tickets each. The relevant registration card or bereaved family certificate is required to receive a discount.

A venue where you reserve performances to attend after its 2023 reopening

A Gwangju MBC video about Gwangju Arts Center introduced its reopening on June 16, 2023, along with the message “closer to citizens.” The current official schedule includes municipal arts ensemble performances, concerts, traditional Korean music, musicals, and operas, so it is more accurate to understand the venue as a place for reserving a specific performance rather than simply touring the building.

A video review of a performance was posted on September 30, 2024. Some performance information indicates an approximate duration of 90 minutes including intermission, but this does not apply to every production. Rental hours are divided into morning 08:00–12:00, afternoon 13:00–17:00, and evening 18:00–22:00; these are rental-use standards, not general visitor operating hours.