Cheongju's 'Haunted House' Festival to Beat the Last of Summer Heat

As summer wanes, Cheongju is set to host a festival to ward off the lingering heat. The city announced that the '2026 Midsummer Night's Spooky Horror Festival' will take place on August 21-22 in the Central Park and Cheoldanggan area of Cheongju's old downtown.

Under the theme 'Cheongya (Cheongju's Night), Real Cheongju Stories Under the Blue Moonlight,' the horror festival will run nightly from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. The first floor of the former Young Plaza in front of Cheoldanggan will be transformed into a "haunted shopping mall" concept, where visitors can earn an entry ticket by finding ghost characters and completing missions throughout the festival grounds. Central Park's ancient trees, Mangseonru pavilion, and the area around the monument to the "repelling of the barbarians" and Cheoldanggan will be decorated with a misty, eerie atmosphere. The event will also feature performances like random dance, magic shows, classical concerts, and EDM.

Additionally, the 'Seong-an Is Back' festival will be held on August 22-23 along Seongan-gil in the old downtown. This festival, themed around 2000s millennial culture, attracted over 82,000 visitors last year. It will showcase 33 programs connecting the past and present, centered around dance culture. The former Lotte Cinema plaza will host dance competitions, K-pop dance performances, and street shows. Experiential programs include alleyway tours, "Romantic Canmore," and "Mini Game Paradise."