Seoul Wow Book Festival
Oct 16 – Oct 18, 2026 · Seoul
Overview
The 22nd Seoul Wow Book Festival is a book festival held for three days from October 16 (Fri) to October 18 (Sun), 2026, in the area in front of Hongdae in Mapo-gu, Seoul. This year's theme is "Changing, Unchanging." The festival aims to create a space where books and people meet. Planners, musicians, and publishers gather together, making it a venue where authors, editors, and readers come face to face to talk. It is a festival that aims to be a time when reading deeply, alone or together, becomes an experience in itself. The event venues are Hongdae Red Road R1·R2 (Book Fair), Platform P Multipurpose Hall (Lectures), Sanulim Theater (Younghee Festival), Sanulim Cafe (Reading Wave), and Red Road Power Plant Promotion Hall Gallery (Imagination in Full Bloom Book Illustration Exhibition).
Why go
The 22nd Seoul Wow Book Festival brings a three-day celebration of books to the streets in front of Hongdae, with a book fair, author and editor talks, performances, and a book illustration exhibition built around this year's theme, 'Changing, Unchanging'. It's designed as a meeting point for writers, publishers, musicians, and readers rather than a passive expo, with an emphasis on reading as a shared or solitary experience.
Getting there from Seoul
The festival is held in Mapo-gu, in the area in front of Hongdae, so if you're already in Seoul this is a short subway ride rather than an intercity trip. Hongik University Station (Seoul Subway Line 2, also served by the Gyeongui-Jungang Line and AREX) is the nearest stop, with the Hongdae Red Road and surrounding venues within easy walking distance of the station exits.
Tips
- The festival spans several separate venues (Hongdae Red Road, Platform P, Sanulim Theater and Cafe, Red Road Power Plant Gallery), so get a sense of the layout before you go so you don't miss a venue on the far side of the area.
- It runs Friday to Sunday in mid-October, when Seoul evenings turn cool, so bring a light jacket for outdoor parts of the Red Road book fair.
- Weekends typically draw larger crowds than the opening Friday, so arrive early if you want good access to talks or the illustration exhibition.
Best for: book lovers, readers, literature fans, art enthusiasts.
Photos
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization 
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization 
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization 
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization 
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization 
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization
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Dates and programs can change. Check the official site before you go. Official site