This guide summarizes official announcements and is not a firsthand visit review. Character illustrations are GPT-generated.
- Dates
- Fri, Oct 30, 2026 ~ Sun, Nov 1
- Hours
- Oct 30 (Fri) 16:00~20:00 · Oct 31 (Sat) 10:00~20:00 · Nov 1 (Sun) 09:00~19:00 (per timetable)
- Venue
- Songdo Beach area (송도해수욕장 일원)100 Songdohaebyeon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan, Songdo Beach (부산 서구 송도해변로 100)
- Fee
- Free admission (some experiences are paid, e.g. bare-hand mackerel catching 8,000 won)
- Performers
- 나상도 · 백수정 · 카운트다운 · 탄단지 · 로코밴드 · SORA
- Organizer
- Seo-gu, Busan Metropolitan City (organized by Busan Seo-gu Cultural Center)
- Official
- Official notice (Korean) ↗
- Updated
- when we last re-checked the official notice
📅 Schedule at a glance
October 20261/2
November 20262/2
Event daysHighlightsTodayKorean public holidays
📌 What's on each day
- 10/30Fri★ Opening · Opening showToday
- 10/31Sat★ Hand catch · Grilling · Auction · Street danceToday
- 11/1Sun★ Hand catch · Grilling · Auction · Bridge walk · Hot StageToday
Busan Mackerel Festival 2026 Dates, Bare-Hand Mackerel Catching & Parking – What to Know Before Visiting Songdo Beach with Kids
17th Busan Mackerel Festival poster — Oct 30, 2026 (Fri) ~ Nov 1, 2026 (Sun), Songdo Beach area (송도해수욕장 일원) (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 3)
As the sea breeze turns cool in late autumn,
a mackerel festival comes to the Songdo seaside 🐟
The 17th Busan Mackerel Festival (부산고등어축제)
runs October 30 (Fri) to November 1 (Sun)
for three days around Songdo Beach.
Admission is free.
A few experiences have a fee.
I’ve summarized the timetable on the official festival website
and the Busan city listing.
🎪 About the Festival
past festival — Spectators and performers enjoying a moment together at a beach event venue (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 3)
Busan Songdo Beach — Songdo Beach’s sandy shore and high-rise coastal buildings (Jun 2021) (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization Photo Gallery · 한국관광공사 이범수 · KOGL Type 1)
This festival is all about mackerel,
Korea’s “national fish,“
and runs for three days at Songdo Beach.
This year’s slogan is
”Tasty mackerel, a fun Seo-gu!”
It is hosted by Seo-gu, Busan
and organized by the Busan Seo-gu Cultural Center.
On the sea there are kayaks and a paper boat race,
on the sand bare-hand mackerel catching and grilling,
and on stage performances and contests.
There is also a surprise mackerel auction
run by professional auctioneers
from the Busan Cooperative Fish Market.
✨ What’s On Each Day?
The first day, the 30th (Fri),
centers on the evening opening stage.
| 30th (Fri) | Program · Location |
|---|---|
| 16:00~17:00 | Street parade (gilnori) · Central Plaza |
| 17:00~18:00 | Intangible heritage performance Gudeok Mangkkae Sori · Central Plaza |
| 18:00~18:30 | Opening ceremony · Performance Zone |
| 18:30~20:00 | Opening concert (Na Sang-do · Baek Su-jeong · Countdown) |
On the 31st (Sat),
the daytime experiences get going.
| 31st (Sat) | On-site Program · Location |
|---|---|
| 10:00~19:00 | Mackerel wish cards · Central Plaza |
| 12:00 · 14:00 · 16:00 | Bare-hand mackerel catching · Experience Zone |
| 12:00~18:00 | Wood-fired mackerel grilling · Experience Zone |
| 12:00 · 13:00 · 14:00 | Surprise mackerel auction (30 min each) · Central Plaza |
| 12:30~13:00 | Mackerel Physical Challenge · Performance Zone |
| 14:30~17:00 | Local Star in Seo-gu · Performance Zone |
| 18:00~20:00 | Songdo Street Dance Contest · Performance Zone |
The last day, the 1st (Sun),
opens with a morning walking event.
| 1st (Sun) | On-site Program · Location |
|---|---|
| 09:00~13:00 | Namhang Bridge walking event |
| 10:00~19:00 | Mackerel wish cards · Central Plaza |
| 12:00 · 14:00 · 16:00 | Bare-hand mackerel catching · Experience Zone |
| 12:00~18:00 | Wood-fired mackerel grilling · Experience Zone |
| 13:30 · 15:00 | Surprise mackerel auction (30 min each) · Central Plaza |
| 14:00~15:00 | Mackerel Physical Challenge · Performance Zone |
| 15:30~17:00 | Mackerel Hot Stage (Tandanji · Roco Band · SORA) |
| 18:00~19:00 | Songdo Youth Night (EDM party) |
🐟 What Can You Do On Site?
past festival — Fish being grilled under a beach tent (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 3)
The three below need no pre-registration;
you sign up or join on the day.
They are open to everyone.
| Experience | Fee · Notes |
|---|---|
| Bare-hand mackerel catching | 8,000 won · 100 people per session, three sessions a day (600 in total) |
| Wood-fired mackerel grilling | 3,000 won per fish |
| Surprise mackerel auction | Join on site · goes to the highest bidder |
Bare-hand mackerel catching means
grabbing live mackerel with your hands
in a large inflatable pool.
You can then grill the fish you caught
over a wood fire in the same Experience Zone.
📝 Pre-Registration: Two Programs Still Open
past festival — A child riding a boat they made themselves (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 3)
past festival — People taking part in an on-site fish market experience (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 3)
As of October 15, the website says
’Fly, Mackerel Rocket! and the Mackerel paper boat race
are now open for registration!’
The other three are marked ‘closed’.
| Pre-registration Program | Date · Fee · Status |
|---|---|
| Fly, Mackerel Rocket! | 31st 13:00 · 16:00 (2 hours each) · 5,000 won per team · 100 teams · Open |
| Mackerel paper boat race | 1st 12:00 · 20,000 won per team · 30 teams · Open |
| Kayak mackerel treasure hunt | 31st · 1st · 10,000 won per 2-person team · Closed |
| New mackerel menu tasting | 31st · 1st · 5,000 won · Closed |
| Busan Cooperative Fish Market dawn tour | 31st · 1st 06:00~08:00 · 12,000 won · Closed |
The mackerel rocket is a contest of how far
your homemade air rocket flies,
and in the paper boat race you build a boat
from cardboard and tape and race it on the sea.
Sign up under ‘Pre-registration’ on the festival website.
To find out whether on-site sign-up is offered for the closed programs,
the festival asks you to check its notices page.
🚌 Getting There & Parking
2024 festival — A large crowd walking along the road (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 3)
The address is 100 Songdohaebyeon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan
(부산 서구 송도해변로 100), Songdo Beach.
The website says nearby roads
get very congested during the festival.
The fastest way is Busan Metro Line 1
to Jagalchi or Nampo Station, then a bus.
| Get Off At | Bus |
|---|---|
| Songdo Entrance (송도입구) | Bus 6 · 9 · 16 · 61 · 96-1 · 134 · 171 · 172 · 3006 |
| Songdo Beach (송도해수욕장) | Bus 7 · 26 · 30 · 71 · 96 |
| Songdo Beach (Songdo Cloud Trail) | City Tour Bus Orange Line · Green Line |
If you drive, use the public parking lots.
| Parking Lot | Spaces · Hours |
|---|---|
| Songdo Ocean Park Plaza (temporary) | 88 spaces · 08:00~22:00 during the festival |
| Songdo Off-street Public Parking Lot | 49 spaces · open 24 hours daily |
| 6 on-street public lots in Amnam-dong | 28~50 spaces · hours vary by lot |
For parking fees, check the signs
at each parking lot.
👨👩👧 If You’re Visiting with Kids
past festival — Children enjoying a water play activity (Photo: Korea Tourism Organization · KOGL Type 3)
Most experiences are packed into
Sat & Sun 12:00~18:00.
Do bare-hand mackerel catching first,
then head to the grill
for two experiences in one go.
The surprise auction is at 12:00, 13:00 and 14:00 on the 31st (Sat),
and 13:30 and 15:00 on the 1st (Sun).
12:00, 14:00, 16:00 — only 100 people per session
Get to the Experience Zone before your session
⏳ Not Yet Announced
□ Sign-up start time and method for bare-hand catching
□ How to join the Namhang Bridge walk
□ Parking fees
□ Operation in case of rain
□ Food zone opening hours
These are not yet in the official information.
The website says the schedule may change
depending on the weather and on-site conditions.
If you have questions, contact the Busan Seo-gu Cultural Center
at 070-8658-4085.
👍 Recommended for These Families
✔ Families with kids who want to catch a live mackerel
✔ Families who want to grill the fish they caught right away
✔ Families who want to show their kids a real auction
The same weekend, across Namhang Bridge in Yeongdo,
the 34th Yeongdo Bridge Festival takes place.
Our guide → Yeongdo Bridge Festival 2026
Catch it, grill it, even bid on it —
a festival that easily fills a whole day by the sea.
This article is based on official information, organized before visiting in person. Event photos are from the Korea Tourism Organization, released under KOGL Type 3 (attribution, no derivatives) and shown unedited. Photos marked ‘Photo Gallery’ are from the Korea Tourism Organization under KOGL Type 1 (shooting dates noted). The character illustrations are GPT-generated.
📷 The festival in photos 18
Swipe to see more
🔄 Updates
- Extra check
- First write-up
📎 Sources
- 한국관광공사 국문 관광정보(TourAPI) — 부산고등어축제 행사 사진 (contentid 1399532) 한국관광공사 · 관공서
- 한국관광공사 관광사진 갤러리 — 송도해수욕장 사진(공공누리 제1유형) 한국관광공사 · 관공서
- 제17회 부산고등어축제 행사안내 (행사 일정표·현장 프로그램) 부산고등어축제 공식 누리집 (부산서구문화원) · 주최
- 제17회 부산고등어축제 세부 프로그램 (사전접수) 부산고등어축제 공식 누리집 (부산서구문화원) · 주최
- 제17회 부산고등어축제 축제소개 (오시는 길·주차) 부산고등어축제 공식 누리집 (부산서구문화원) · 주최
- 제17회 고등어 축제 홈페이지가 새롭게 단장했습니다 (대중교통 안내) 부산서구문화원 · 2026.9.4 · 주최
- The 17th Busan Mackerel Festival 부산광역시 · 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.
AI-assisted translation. Numbers and article structure were checked against the Korean original on 2026-10-10 and re-synced with the Korean original on 2026-10-15. This is not a new verification of the event announcements. Original post (Korean)