This is a guide put together from official announcements, not a review of our own visit — we haven't been yet. Sources: Seoul Metropolitan Government's October 2026 event plan (September 30), the city's news site (내 손안에 서울, August 25), the festival's official website, and the Yeouido Hangang Park parking and directions pages (Seoul Future Hangang Headquarters), all checked on October 7, 2026. The character illustrations are GPT-generated images.
- Dates
- Sat, Oct 17, 2026 ~ Sun, Oct 18
- Hours
- 10:00–17:00 (both days)
- Venue
- Plaza in front of the Mulbit Stage, Yeouido Hangang Park (여의도한강공원 물빛무대 앞 광장)Around 83-6 Yeouido-dong, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul (서울 영등포구 여의도동 83-6 일대)
- Fee
- PLAY Zone, Pet Talk and watching the adoption show are free (the Animal Happiness Run has its own entry fee; registration closed)
- Organizer
- Seoul Metropolitan Government, The Hankook Ilbo
- Official
- Official notice (Korean) ↗
- Updated
- when we last re-checked the official notice
📅 Schedule at a glance
October 2026
Event daysHighlightsTodayKorean public holidays
Korea Meteorological Administration · 10/15, 5 AM issued · forecasts can change
📌 What's on each day
- 10/17Sat★ Happiness Run · ★ Pet Talk Live · Opening · Second LifeToday
- 10/18Sun★ Adoption Show · Yellow CarpetToday
🔁 Daily · PLAY Zone 10:00–17:00 · consultations · pet registration · adoption campaign · O/X Quiz
Seoul Animal Happiness Festa 2026 at Yeouido Hangang Park — Schedule, Parking & a Free VR Zoo for Kids (No Pet Needed)
It’s October, and the breeze
off the Han River is turning cool 🍂
A Seoul city festival
marking ‘Seoul Animal Protection Day’
on October 4,
Seoul Animal Happiness Festa 2026
(2026 서울동물행복페스타)
runs October 17 (Sat) – 18 (Sun)
on the plaza in front of the Mulbit Stage
at Yeouido Hangang Park.
We put this together from
Seoul’s October event plan (September 30)
and the official website.
everyone is welcome
🎪 What kind of event is it?
An animal-protection festival
held by the Seoul Metropolitan Government
together with the Hankook Ilbo newspaper —
this is its 3rd year.
The official website says
”anyone can visit,
whether or not they bring a pet.”
It’s also the first event of
’Seoul Animal Happiness Week 2026’,
a series the city has grouped together.
Here are the dates and venues of all three.
| Date | Event & venue |
|---|---|
| Oct 17–18 | Seoul Animal Happiness Festa — Yeouido Hangang Park |
| Oct 24–25 | Seoul Pet-lympics (서울 펫-림픽) — World Cup Park |
| Oct 31 | Seoul Daengnyang Days (서울 댕냥데이즈) — Oil Tank Culture Park |
Join all three events
and, they say, you’ll get a gift
at the Daengnyang Days HQ booth.
🙆 No pet? Is that OK?
Yes! The FAQ on the official website
says you can join even without a pet.
What you can enjoy without a pet:
the Animal Protection PLAY Zone,
the Pet Culture O/X Quiz
and the adoption campaign
for abandoned animals.
The PLAY Zone runs 10:00–17:00 both days.
It’s free,
with no sign-up — just join on the spot.
The PLAY Zone’s 5 activities
① Wild animals: a team game
② Farm animals: find the code
stamped on eggshells
③ Lab animals: a game about
alternatives to animal testing
④ Service animals: an etiquette O/X quiz
⑤ Zoo animals: a VR zoo
The VR zoo lets you meet animals
and their habitats digitally,
with no live animals on display.
Collect a QR stamp at each activity —
gather all 5 for a souvenir.
No app needed; it runs in your phone’s browser.
When it’s busy, you may have to wait.
✨ What’s on, and when?
Here’s the program for both days,
sorted by date and time.
| Date & time | Program |
|---|---|
| Oct 17 (Sat) 10:00 | Opening ceremony & warm-up exercises |
| Oct 17 (Sat) 10:30 | Animal Happiness Run starts (registration closed) |
| Oct 17 (Sat) 12:00 | Pet Culture O/X Quiz & lucky draw |
| Oct 17 (Sat) 13:00 | Pet Talk Live with Seol Chae-hyun |
| Oct 17 (Sat) 15:00 | ‘Second Life’ dog show-off contest (registration closed) |
| Oct 18 (Sun) 10:30 | Fimki Red Carpet Adoption Show, part 1 |
| Oct 18 (Sun) 12:00 | Pet Culture O/X Quiz & lucky draw |
| Oct 18 (Sun) 13:00 | ‘Yellow Carpet of Temptation’ show-off contest |
| Oct 18 (Sun) 15:00 | Fimki Red Carpet Adoption Show, part 2 |
| Both days, 10:00–17:00 | PLAY Zone · behavior & health consultations · pet registration · adoption campaign · photo zone |
The O/X Quiz and Pet Talk Live
are open to people without pets, too.
🐶 Going with your dog
The organizers ask you
to be sure to bring
a leash and poop bags.
Keep a safe hold on the leash
as you move around,
and be considerate of animals
that are sensitive to noise
and unfamiliar surroundings.
On the 17th, a pet-owner skills test
experience (반려인능력시험)
runs 6 times from 11:00,
and there are consultation and
pet registration booths both days.
Here’s how to sign up for each program.
| Program | Sign-up & entry |
|---|---|
| Pet Talk Live (the 17th, 13:00) | Watch with your dog · no sign-up, first 100 teams on site |
| Animal Happiness Run | Registration closed |
| ‘Second Life’ contest | Registration closed |
| Sign-ups to walk the Fimki red carpet | Still ‘open’ as of October 7 |
🚇 Getting there and parking
public transit first
Where to get off the subway or bus, in one table.
| Getting there | Where to get off & walk |
|---|---|
| Subway Line 5 | Yeouinaru Station, exit 2 — about a 10-minute walk |
| Stroller or wheelchair | Elevator near exit 2 recommended |
| Bus | Stops in front of Yeouinaru Station exits 1 and 2 |
| 261, 753, 5633, 5634, 5713 | Stop at both |
If you’re driving,
they recommend Parking Lot 3
(south end of Seogang Bridge, 785 spaces).
Here’s what parking costs.
| Item | Parking fee |
|---|---|
| First 30 minutes | 2,000 won |
| Each 10 minutes after | 300 won |
| Daily maximum | 15,000 won (no daily maximum at Parking Lot 2, south end of Mapo Bridge) |
| Seoul’s multi-child family card (다둥이 행복카드) | 50% off |
| Parking outside designated spots | 50,000 won fine |
👨👩👧 Going with kids
Children can join the PLAY Zone
together with a parent or guardian.
The Animal Happiness Run alone
has 500 teams walking with their dogs.
If your child is scared of dogs,
it’s worth talking it over beforehand.
At the adoption show,
instead of clapping,
greet the animals as the host directs,
then lower yourself to their eye level
and watch calmly, the organizers ask.
If you’re hoping to adopt,
you can talk on site
directly with the foster families.
The venue has medical & operations booths
and a Seoul 119 rescue team,
and a bag storage area is planned.
to the main info & on-site registration desk!
Register by QR and get a wristband
It may be used to check stamps and prizes
⏳ Not announced yet
□ Food & food trucks
□ Where the restrooms & nursing rooms are
□ The Animal Happiness Run route
□ Stamp souvenirs & lucky-draw prizes
□ Age guidelines for the VR zoo
□ Time & place changes if it rains
None of this is in the official notices yet.
If it rains, they’ll announce changes
on the website and official channels.
We’ll update this post once they do.
👍 Recommended for…
✔ Kids who love animals
but don’t have a pet
✔ Families looking for
a Han River outing with their dog
✔ Families who’ve thought about
adopting an abandoned animal
Dog or no dog,
it’s an easy festival to make into
a day of learning about animals
by the Han River in autumn.
We put this together from official announcements before visiting in person. The character illustrations are GPT-generated images.
🔄 Updates
- One-week check
- First write-up
📎 Sources
- 2026년 10월 주요 시민안내사항 및 행사계획 서울특별시 · 2026.9.30 · 관공서
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- 2026 서울동물행복페스타 누리집(타임테이블·자주 묻는 질문·행사장 배치도) 2026 서울동물행복페스타 운영사무국 · 주최
- 2026 서울동물행복페스타 행사 안내 2026 서울동물행복페스타 운영사무국 · 주최
- 2026 서울동물행복페스타 방문 안내 2026 서울동물행복페스타 운영사무국 · 주최
- 동물보호 PLAY존 2026 서울동물행복페스타 운영사무국 · 주최
- 동물행복런 2026 서울동물행복페스타 운영사무국 · 주최
- 설채현의 펫톡 라이브 2026 서울동물행복페스타 운영사무국 · 주최
- 견생2회차 자랑대회 2026 서울동물행복페스타 운영사무국 · 주최
- 핌키 레드카펫 입양제 2026 서울동물행복페스타 운영사무국 · 주최
- 여의도한강공원 주차정보 서울특별시 미래한강본부 · 관공서
- 여의도한강공원 오시는길 서울특별시 미래한강본부 · 관공서
- 2026 서울동물행복위크 서울특별시 · 관공서
This is a guide based on official announcements, not a visit review. Schedules, programs and fees can change, so please re-check the official notice before you go.
Translated from our Korean post with AI assistance. Dates, times, fees and other numbers were checked against the Korean original and the official announcements on October 7, 2026. We did not check whether the festival has English signage or English-speaking staff. Original post (Korean)