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FestivalAutumn 2026

Busan Mackerel Festival

부산고등어축제

This edition · Data as of · Published · Compiled by

The 17th Busan Mackerel Festival runs from Friday 30 October to Sunday 1 November 2026 at Songdo Beach in Seo-gu, Busan, 10:00–21:00 daily. Entry is free. Expect bare-hand mackerel catching, a kayak treasure hunt, a surprise fish auction, stage shows every day and a big seafood food court. Fees for the pre-registration activities are published. The bare-hand catching fee and session times are not yet out. We combined the official listings with blog posts from people who went in 2023–2025.

Busan Mackerel Festival
2026 부산고등어축제 (2).jpg2026 부산고등어축제 (3).jpg2026 부산고등어축제 (4).jpg2026 부산고등어축제 (6).jpg2026 부산고등어축제 (7).jpg
Photos: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type3). Shown uncropped, as supplied.

What's on

Based on the Korea Tourism Organization listing (updated 12 October) and the official website (checked 23 October). Times for the pre-registration activities are out; times for bare-hand catching, the auction and stage shows are not yet published, so check the official timetable before you go.

Songdo Beach (inflatable pool)

Bare-hand mackerel catchingWalk-in
Three sessions a day, 100 per session (times TBC)
Wade into an inflatable pool and catch a mackerel by hand. The official site lists it as sign-up on the day.

Songdo Beach, offshore

Kayak mackerel treasure huntBooking₩10,000 Per two-person team, paid on site
Sat 31 Oct – Sun 1 Nov · Sat 11:00, 13:00, 15:00; Sun 11:00, 13:00 (one hour each)
Paddle a two-person kayak to find mackerel hidden in floating treasure chests. Under-18s must come with a guardian; no paddling after drinking. Online pre-registration has closed; check the official notice page for any on-the-day sign-up.

Songdo Beach

Surprise mackerel auctionWalk-in
An impromptu mackerel auction; time not yet announced.

Offshore (sea arena)

Mackerel paper-boat raceBooking₩20,000 Per team, materials included
Sun 1 Nov · 12:00
Teams build boats from cardboard and tape, then race them. 30 teams; online pre-registration has closed.

Beach, in front of Songdo Tourist Information Centre

Fly, Mackerel Rocket!Booking₩5,000 Per team, one kit
Sat 31 Oct · 13:00–15:00, 16:00–18:00
Teams build air rockets and compete on flight distance; 50 teams per session. Online pre-registration has closed; check the official notice page for any on-the-day sign-up.

Busan Cooperative Fish Market

Busan Cooperative Fish Market dawn tourBooking₩12,000 Per person, breakfast included, paid on site
Sat 31 Oct and Sun 1 Nov · 06:00–08:00
See mackerel landed and auctioned at dawn; 50 per session, and the content may change with the weather. Online pre-registration has closed; check the official notice page for any on-the-day sign-up.

Activity zone, Songdo Beach

New mackerel menu tastingBooking₩5,000 Per person, one dish each
Sat 31 Oct – Sun 1 Nov · Sat 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 17:00; Sun 13:00, 15:00, 17:00
Taste new mackerel dishes created by chefs Kim Seong-heon (Mirak Super) and Jeon Ji-seong (Les Sens) with Busan Tourism High School students; 20 per session. Online pre-registration has closed; check the official notice page for any on-the-day sign-up.

Special stage, Songdo Beach

Songdo Street Dance ContestBookingFree Teams, free
Sat 31 Oct · 18:00–20:00
Choreography, K-pop cover and b-boy contest (20 teams). Entry required a screening video and has closed. We could not confirm whether watching needs any sign-up.

Songdo Beach stage

Opening concertWalk-in
Fri 30 Oct
Seo-gu women's choir, singers Na Sang-do and Baek Su-jeong, retro band Countdown
Local Stars in Seo-guWalk-in
Sat 31 Oct
Performances by local clubs and residents

Songdo Beach

Songdo Busking PlayWalk-in
Sat 31 Oct – Sun 1 Nov
Marionette puppet street shows

Songdo Beach stage

Mackerel Hot StageWalk-in
Sun 1 Nov
Young bands Tandanji, Roco Band and SORA
Songdo Youth NightWalk-in
Sun 1 Nov
DJ Mino, a girl duo and performance group Vista

Songdo Beach

Mackerel food courtWalk-in
Fri 30 Oct – Sun 1 Nov · Festival hours 10:00–21:00
Pay-as-you-go stalls serving mackerel sashimi, grilled mackerel and more.
Direct seafood marketWalk-in
Fri 30 Oct – Sun 1 Nov · Festival hours 10:00–21:00
Buy mackerel and other seafood direct from producers.

Sources: Korea Tourism Organization festival listing; official Busan Mackerel Festival website (busangde.co.kr)

The essentials

Dates2026-10-30 – 2026-11-01
WhereSongdo Beach, 100 Songdohaebyeon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan
CostFree entry. Activities and food are paid separately. Fees for the pre-registration activities are as follows.
- Fish market dawn tour: 12,000 won, breakfast included, paid on site
- Kayak hunt: 10,000 won per two-person team, paid on site
- New menu tasting: 5,000 won (one dish per person)
- Mackerel rocket: 5,000 won per team (one kit)
- Paper-boat race: 20,000 won per team, materials included
We could not confirm the fee for bare-hand mackerel catching or other on-site activities.
OrganisersOrganised by Seo-gu District Office, Busan, and the Busan Seo-gu Cultural Centre · Enquiries (Korean) 051-231-4085, 070-8658-4085
Address부산광역시 서구 송도해변로 100 (암남동)
Contact051-231-4085 · busangde.co.kr/
ProgrammeBare-hand mackerel catching, kayak treasure hunt, surprise fish auction, paper-boat race, daily stage shows, food court and seafood market

Official poster

2026 부산고등어축제 포스터.jpg

The organisers’ own poster, in Korean. Source: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type3), shown unaltered. Tap to open full size.

What 13 visitors said

For each of the last three years we read 30 blog posts about the festival, 90 in all. Of those, 5 (2023), 1 (2024) and 9 (2025) were genuine visit reports; we kept 3, 1 and 9 respectively, 13 posts in total. Promotional write-ups by people who did not go were left out. Blogs describe past years; where they differ from this year's announcements, the announcements win.

What people liked

Mackerel sashimi straight from the tank6 of 13 posts

Past visitors singled out the mackerel sashimi, cut from live tanks on site, as fresh and not at all fishy. 23-25 25-20 25-23 25-26 25-29 25-30

Fair prices for food and seafood7 of 13 posts

Visitors found food stalls reasonably priced and portions generous; the seafood market was also good value. 23-26 23-29 24-29 25-19 25-24 25-27 25-29

Eating with a sea view7 of 13 posts

The open-air dining area on the beach, with sunset and night views over Songdo, was a highlight for many. 23-25 23-26 24-29 25-19 25-23 25-26 25-30

Plenty for children7 of 13 posts

Craft booths, a kids' art zone, goldfish scooping and bare-hand mackerel catching kept children busy; several activities were free. 23-25 23-29 25-20 25-24 25-27 25-28 25-29

Seafood market discount coupons6 of 13 posts

Discount coupons were handed out for the direct seafood market; in 2025 it was 2,000 won off per 10,000 won spent. 23-26 24-29 25-20 25-24 25-27 25-30

Opening-night fireworks4 of 13 posts

In 2025 the fireworks after the opening ceremony impressed visitors. Fireworks are not mentioned in this year's official listing. 25-23 25-26 25-27 25-30

What people struggled with

No seats at the evening food court7 of 13 posts

By early evening the food court was packed, with queues to order and to collect; mackerel sold out early one year. 23-26 23-29 25-23 25-24 25-26 25-27 25-29

Parking is hard5 of 13 posts

Nearby car parks were usually full; visitors circled for ages. Most advised the bus or arriving early. 23-25 23-29 25-20 25-28 25-29

Popular activities fill up early5 of 13 posts

Pre-booked activities were full, and on-site sign-ups closed by early afternoon; kayaking did not run on the Friday one year. 23-26 23-29 25-19 25-20 25-29

Cold sea wind2 of 13 posts

The beach is exposed; visitors found it cold and one left before the last show. 24-29 25-27

These are raw counts, not percentages. Someone who did not mention something is not someone who disagreed.

Who goes, and when

Past visitors describe a family crowd; 2 of the 13 posts we kept were written by parents who brought their own children. Others went alone on a weekday lunchtime, with friends for an evening of sashimi, or with dogs in tow. Older locals filled the seats early for the opening ceremony.

Who they went with

7 of the 13 posts did not say.

Time of day

2 of the 13 posts did not say.

Visiting from abroad

Online pre-registration has closed for every bookable activity (checked 26 October): the fish market dawn tour, the kayak hunt, the new menu tasting, the mackerel rocket, the paper-boat race and the street dance contest. The official site says any on-the-day sign-up will be announced on its notice page (in Korean); no such notice had been posted when we checked. Bare-hand mackerel catching is sign-up on the day. The official website shows the English name, but programme details and forms appear only in Korean. We could not confirm any English-language help desk or interpreters. None of the 13 posts we kept (0 of 13) mentioned foreign visitors or English signage. Food stalls are point-and-pay; in 2025 cards were accepted.

Weather and crowds

Late October on Songdo Beach means a stiff sea breeze; past visitors left early because of the cold or told readers to bring a coat. Crowds peak in the evening: 7 of 13 posts describe a full food court or long queues, one already full by 5pm. Friday morning and the first afternoon were quiet, though stages and stalls were still setting up early on and the opening day had little beyond the ceremony. Check the forecast a day or two before.

Getting there and access

No shuttle or parking information has been published for this year yet. 6 of 13 past visitors complained about parking or recommended public transport.

  • Bus is the easy option: routes 7, 26, 30, 71 and 96 stop at Songdo Beach; 6-1, 16, 17, 61 and 161 stop at the beach entrance. The metro does not reach the beach; visitors changed to a bus at Jagalchi station.
  • Taxi: show the driver the Korean address below.
  • Car: nearby car parks were full on weekend afternoons, and in 2025 the Songdo Ocean Park car park was reserved for event vehicles. Arrive before 10am if you must drive.
The official listings say nothing about step-free routes or accessible toilets, and no past visitor wrote about using a wheelchair. One parent found pushing a buggy through the evening crowds very hard, and another found the toilets dirty. The dining area had plenty of tables and chairs. With a wheelchair or buggy, a weekday daytime visit is the safer bet.

Year by year

Autumn 2023

2023 ran from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 October, with the opening ceremony at 6pm on day one. Bare-hand catching cost 5,000 won (one fish guaranteed); sashimi with a bottle of soju or a soft drink was 25,000 won, grilled mackerel 7,000 won and a mackerel kebab 6,000 won. Mackerel sold out by 8.30pm one evening.

Autumn 2024

2024 ran from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 October. Our one post describes a windy, chilly Friday lunchtime with the stage and flea market still setting up; a seafood pancake was 8,000 won and the writer advised bringing cash.

Autumn 2025

2025 ran from Friday 31 October to Sunday 2 November, with a street parade, opening ceremony and fireworks on the first evening. Bare-hand catching was 7,000 won (one fish guaranteed, grilled on the spot), goldfish scooping 5,000 won, the wood-fired grill session 3,000 won and kayaking 10,000 won. Sashimi was 27,000 won (30,000 with a drink), grilled mackerel about 9,000 won, and cards were accepted. Kayaking did not run on the Friday and dogs were not allowed into the food court. This year may differ.

Tips from people who went

  • Sign up for bare-hand mackerel catching as soon as you arrive: it closed before 2pm in 2023 and by about 5pm in 2025. Bring a change of clothes.
  • Online pre-registration for bookable activities such as the new menu tasting and the mackerel rocket had all closed when we checked on 26 October. Any on-the-day sign-up would be announced on the official notice page (in Korean).
  • Bring a warm coat; the beach is windy after dark.
  • Grab a food-court seat early in the evening. Pick up a tray when you pay; card payers were given meal tickets to hand in at each counter.
  • Ask near the information desk for seafood-market discount coupons.
  • Dogs were not allowed in the food court in 2025.
  • Combine the visit with the Songdo Cloud Trail and the Songdo Marine Cable Car next door.

The 13 posts we read

  1. 23-25 · 2023-10-27 싱싱한 고등어회 먹으러 오세요! 부산 송도 고등어축제(2023년 10월 27....
  2. 23-26 · 2023-10-28 2023 부산 고등어축제 후기(행사 안내 및 일정 소개)
  3. 23-29 · 2023-10-29 부산 송도 고등어축제 기본정보 주차 후기 리뷰 2023년 제14회
  4. 24-29 · 2024-10-25 2024 제15회 부산고등어축제 송도해수욕장 다녀온 후기
  5. 25-19 · 2025-10-31 부산고등어축제 행사 체험 일정표 먹거리장터 시간
  6. 25-20 · 2025-10-31 부산고등어축제 기본정보 2025 리뷰 고등어회 먹거리 일정 개막식 초....
  7. 25-23 · 2025-11-01 제16회 부산 고등어 축제 리얼 후기! (송도 해수욕장 맛집, 야경, 불....
  8. 25-24 · 2025-11-01 [부산 서구] 부산 송도 '2025 고등어 축제' / 가을 축제 / 부산 축제 / ....
  9. 25-26 · 2025-11-01 2025 송도 부산 고등어축제 후기(고등어회/고등어구이/먹거리)
  10. 25-27 · 2025-11-01 2025 부산고등어축제 개막식후기와 이벤트 인생네컷
  11. 25-28 · 2025-11-01 2025 부산 송도 고등어축제 방문 후기 먹거리 장터 체험부스 가격 정....
  12. 25-29 · 2025-11-01 2025부산 송도 고등어축제 먹거리, 체험, 주차, 고등어회 찐후기
  13. 25-30 · 2025-11-01 부산 가볼만한곳 추천 2025 <송도 고등어 축제> 개막식,1일차 첫 방문....

All posts are in Korean. We summarise them in our own words rather than quoting.