Korea Grand Festival

Korea Grand Festival is the first nationwide consumption festival to integrate discount events and consumption-boosting policies—such as gift certificates and coupons—that had been scattered across various government ministries, including Korea Sale Festa (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy), Accommodation Sale Festa (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), Donghaeng Festival (Ministry of SMEs and Startups), agricultural and livestock product discount events (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs), seafood discount events (Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries), post office shopping promotions (Ministry of Science and ICT), and Korea Duty Free Festa (Korea Customs Service).

Government ministries, local governments, the distribution industry, traditional markets, and small and medium-sized enterprises and merchants all participate together, presenting various discounts, consumption benefits, travel, and cultural content across the country.

Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of attractions all in one place, from shopping and food to traditional markets, regional tourism, and travel, and can enjoy a special trip while experiencing distinctive content from various regions.

Korea Grand Festival (29 October – 15 November 2026) is a first-of-its-kind nationwide consumption festival that merges discount and coupon programmes previously run separately by several government ministries, including Korea Sale Festa, the Accommodation Sale Festa, agricultural and seafood discount drives, and Korea Duty Free Festa. It brings together national and local government, retailers, and traditional markets to offer shopping, food, and travel promotions across the country, with an opening event in Andong.

The opening event is held in Andong-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do, behind the old 1942 Jungang Line building at Andong Station, reachable from Seoul's Cheongnyangni Station by KTX-Eum train on the Jungang Line in roughly two hours, or by intercity/express bus from a Seoul bus terminal. Because the festival's discounts and promotions run through local markets and online platforms nationwide rather than at one venue, you don't need to travel to Andong to take part — check for participating stores and markets in whichever region you're visiting.

This isn't a single ticketed event — it runs as discounts spread across stores and markets nationwide. The one live show was the opening "win-win concert" in Andong's old downtown on October 31: after a 5pm opening ceremony, trot singers Song Ga-in and Lee Chan-won headlined alongside Beatfellahaus, Candy Shop and Hitgis from about 5:40 to 7:40pm, and that one-off performance has already happened. What's left for the rest of the run is the K-Sale Festa discount programme at department stores, marts, duty-free shops, online malls and traditional markets, plus roughly 40 neighbourhood events in local markets and alleys around the country. Discount size varies by shop and item, and no further concerts have been announced before the festival ends November 15.

There's no admission ticket for the festival itself. The official hub site lists around 14 online retail partners, including Gmarket and 11st — Gmarket runs a separate English- and Chinese-language "Global Shop" for overseas customers, the easiest online entry point if you don't read Korean. For in-person shopping, the linked Korea Duty Free Festa runs through November 15 at airport, downtown and online duty-free shops with discounts of up to 25%; Shinsegae Duty Free's Myeongdong store also has a pop-up selling award-winning regional souvenirs with coupons for nearby restaurants and attractions. The only paid ticket tied to the festival, for the October 31 Andong concert, was sold solely through the Korean platform Yanolja (NOL), and that sale has already closed.

The official festival site has an English toggle, but the pages that matter day to day — regional event listings, the local gift-certificate bonus — are Korean only; that bonus (an extra 5 to 17 percent depending on region) is a domestic resident scheme, not something built for tourists. Andong, where the opening was held, has no subway. The town's station relocated in December 2020 to a new building in Songhyeon-dong, about two hours ten minutes from Seoul's Cheongnyangni Station on the KTX-Eum line, while the outdoor stage for the opening concert stood behind the old station building in Unheung-dong — the original downtown, and a different spot from where trains arrive today.

Is Korea Grand Festival the same event as Korea Grand Sale or "Korea Black Friday"?

No. Korea Grand Festival is the October 29 – November 15, 2026 nationwide discount campaign covered on this page. Korea Grand Sale is a separate, long-running (since 2011) shopping-tourism programme aimed specifically at foreign visitors, with its own English site; its most recent run was December 17, 2025 to February 22, 2026, so it has already ended for this season.

Do I need a ticket to take part?

No. The festival is discounts at participating stores and markets, with no gate or entry fee. The only ticketed item was the October 31 opening concert in Andong (20,000 won, sold through Yanolja/NOL), and that sale is already closed.

Is there still a line-up or concert to catch?

The headline performance — Song Ga-in, Lee Chan-won, Beatfellahaus, Candy Shop and Hitgis — played the opening concert on October 31 in Andong. No further concerts have been announced for the remaining days through November 15; what's left is the shopping and duty-free programme.

Can I get by without Korean?

Mostly not, though parts are workable. The main hub site and regional listings are Korean-first with just a basic English toggle, but Gmarket, one of the listed online partners, runs a full English/Chinese storefront, and duty-free shops are set up for overseas customers as usual.

How do I reach the opening-event area in Andong?

Andong has no subway. The KTX-Eum from Seoul's Cheongnyangni Station takes about two hours ten minutes to Andong's current station in Songhyeon-dong — but the opening concert's outdoor stage was behind the old station building in Unheung-dong, a different spot in the old downtown, not where trains arrive today.