A million expected as crowds arrive early for Seoul fireworks festival

The best viewing spots along Seoul’s Han River were filling up from early afternoon, hours before the city’s fireworks festival was due to begin. Sixteen-year-old Kim Si-young arrived from Incheon with friends and spread out a mat near the southern end of Mapo Bridge in Yeouido.

“I came because I wanted to enjoy the festival atmosphere while watching the fireworks in a crowded Hangang Park,” Kim said. She planned to attend the eve event at 8 p.m. and said this was her third year visiting Yeouido. “I want to take lots of photos with the fireworks in the night sky behind us,” she said.

Hanwha Group’s 2026 Seoul International Fireworks Festival will take place on Oct. 4 and 5 around Yeouido in Yeongdeungpo District and Ichon Hangang Park in Yongsan District. For the first time, organizers added an eve program featuring fireworks and a drone show. The main performance will run for about 70 minutes from 8 p.m. to 9:10 p.m. on Oct. 5, with teams from Britain, the United States and South Korea presenting shows in turn. Daytime civic programs and food trucks will also operate.

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I came because I wanted to enjoy the festival atmosphere while watching the fireworks in a crowded Hangang Park.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government expects about 1 million visitors and will run a joint safety headquarters with Hanwha, the fire and disaster headquarters, four district offices and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Authorities will deploy 6,800 safety personnel, emergency vehicles, medical staff and six emergency medical stations. Police will assign 4,700 officers over the two days to manage crowds and traffic.

Yeouidong-ro, a roughly 1.5-kilometer stretch from the southern end of Mapo Bridge to the 63 Building, will close completely from 3 p.m. on Oct. 5 until midnight. Wonhyo Bridge will also close to vehicles from 9 p.m. until 3 a.m. the next day for fireworks installation and removal. The city plans to remove mats placed before noon on Oct. 5 to prevent people from reserving spaces by leaving them unattended. Resale listings for prime viewing spots and nearby parking permits have also drawn controversy.

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I want to take lots of photos with the fireworks in the night sky behind us.