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FestivalAutumn 2026

Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival

김해분청도자기축제

This edition · Data as of · Published · Compiled by

Gimhae has made buncheong — the grey-glazed, white-slipped stoneware of early Joseon — for centuries, and this is the festival where its potters sell direct. You buy bowls and cups from the person who made them, try the wheel, or dig for pots buried in sand, each for a few thousand won. The 2026 (31st) edition moves: after three decades at the Buncheong Pottery Museum and Clayarch in rural Jillye, it runs 6–10 November (Friday to Tuesday) at Lotte Garden Park beside the Lotte Outlet in Gimhae. We read Korean blog posts from people who went in 2023, 2024 and 2025 at the old site — what they say about pottery, activities and food should still hold; what they say about parking and layout will not.

Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival
2025 김해분청도자기축제 32025 김해분청도자기축제 42025 김해분청도자기축제 5
Photos: Korea Tourism Organization (KOGL Type3). Shown uncropped, as supplied.

Videos

생각보다 훨씬 재밌다.. 김해 분청도자기 축제 브이로그유난히 오늘 · YouTube

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What’s on

The detailed 2026 schedule is not out yet (checked 4 October). This list is from the 2026 programme filed with the Korea Tourism Organization, with last year's prices. Hours 10:00–20:00 (Monday and Tuesday until 18:00). Because of the move there is no busking stage this year.

Lotte Garden Park

Pottery salesWalk-inPay for what you buy
6–10 Nov
Bowls, tea sets and small pieces from Gimhae potters. One past year gave 20% off purchases over ₩100,000.
Wheel throwingWalk-in₩3,000 (2025)
6–10 Nov
Pieces are not fired.
Dig for buried potteryWalk-in₩7,000 (2025)
6–10 Nov
Dig pots out of the sand and keep what you find. Messy.
Decorate a mugWalk-in₩6,000 (2024)
6–10 Nov
Paint a mug and it is fired for you (20 minutes in 2024).
Family contestsBookingNot announced
Online entry in advance in past years. Date not announced.
Public pottery auction and big-pot demonstrationWalk-inNot announced
Dates and times not announced.

Sources: the festival's official notices (2026 venue and dates, no busking), the Korea Tourism Organization listing (2026 programme and hours) and past visitors' posts (prices).

The essentials

Dates2026-11-06 – 2026-11-10
WhereLotte Garden Park, beside Lotte Outlet Gimhae, 1410 Sinmun-dong, Gimhae
CostNot yet announced (entry was free in past years; activities ₩1,000–7,000)
OrganisersGimhae Ceramic Artists Association · Gimhae City (+82 55-345-6036)
Address경상남도 김해시 장유로 551 (신문동)
Contact055-330-3244 · festival.buncheong.co.kr/main.web
ProgrammePottery sales, wheel, dig and decorating activities, family contests, a public auction — see “What’s on” below.

What 28 visitors said

We searched Naver, the blog platform most Koreans use, for posts written during each festival and the month after (20 for 2023, 29 for 2024, 30 for 2025), read every one to the end, kept only people who went, and took up to ten per year (eight for 2023). Sponsored posts were dropped and no writer is counted twice. Every number counts the posts that mentioned something. All three years were at the old Jillye site.

What people liked

Buy pottery straight from the potters14 of 28 posts

Many studios side by side, small plates under ₩10,000, seconds sold by the kilo 23-01 23-10 23-11 23-14 24-12 24-13 24-14 24-19 24-21 25-14 25-16 25-18 25-20 25-22

Cheap, plentiful clay activities10 of 28 posts

Wheel throwing, coiling, a dig for buried pots, painting a mug — mostly ₩1,000–7,000 23-01 23-09 23-14 24-19 24-23 24-25 25-07 25-09 25-12 25-18

Decent food at fair prices6 of 28 posts

Soup and pancakes from the village women’s association, food trucks 23-09 24-12 24-21 25-12 25-14 25-21

A quiet tea picnic3 of 28 posts

Free tastings of Gimhae’s Janggun tea under the trees 25-07 25-14 25-19

What people struggled with

Parking was hard (at the old site)11 of 28 posts

Full even on weekday mornings; people parked along the verge 23-01 23-14 24-14 24-16 24-23 24-25 25-07 25-09 25-12 25-18 25-21

First-come items and bookings go early6 of 28 posts

Stamp-tour keyrings run out, queues to book activities, afternoon cut-offs 23-14 24-21 25-09 25-14 25-19 25-21

Some places take cash only4 of 28 posts

Some activities, the by-the-kilo pottery, the soup stall 23-01 23-09 24-19 25-12

The best pieces are expensive4 of 28 posts

Large pieces run past ₩300,000 23-14 24-16 24-19 25-12

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

Who goes, and when

Families, couples, friends and people on their own — and plenty of adults who came mainly to buy tableware. Children loved the dig, painting mugs and traditional games, but got bored at exhibitions. Weekday openings were quiet; weekends filled early. Dogs were welcome outdoors but not inside the sales halls.

Who they went with

With friends1 of 28 posts
With children6 of 28 posts
As a couple2 of 28 posts
In a group (incl. volunteer teams)1 of 28 posts
Alone2 of 28 posts

16 of the 28 posts did not say.

Time of day

Evening1 of 28 posts
Day into night3 of 28 posts
Afternoon6 of 28 posts
Morning7 of 28 posts

11 of the 28 posts did not say.

Visiting from abroad

None of the posts mention foreign visitors or English signs, so plan on Korean only. Buying pottery needs no language — prices are on the pieces, and potters are used to pointing and nodding. Bring cash: in past years some activities, the by-the-kilo seconds and the soup stall took cash only, while food trucks used QR ordering. Wheel-thrown pieces you make on the day are not fired, so they are a souvenir rather than something to use; painted mugs were fired in about 20 minutes in 2024.

Weather and crowds

Early-November weather was mostly clear and cool. In 2025 one sunny day made the unshaded food-truck seating hot, and one rainy evening left little to see.

Getting there and access

The 2026 venue is Lotte Garden Park, the park beside Lotte Outlet Gimhae (1410 Sinmun-dong, Gimhae). Parking and shuttle details had not been announced when we checked on 4 October. At the old rural site, most visitors found the car parks full even on weekday mornings and parked along the verge; a free shuttle ran at weekends. The new site is next to a large shopping complex, so expect it to be different — check the official website's transport notice before you go.

In 2025 there was wheelchair and stroller hire at the entrance, plenty of portable toilets, an information desk, a lost-child point and a first-aid room. Whether the same applies at the new venue is not yet known.

Year by year

Autumn 2023

20–29 October at Jillye, ten days. Even the opening morning was busy with school groups. Wheel ₩2,000, coiling ₩1,000, the dig ₩5,000 — cash only.

Autumn 2024

5–10 November. The weekday opening was quiet. The KBS antiques show recorded on site, and “pottery hunting” — seconds by the kilo at ₩10,000 — was a hit. Activity bundles (three or five) were cheapest.

Autumn 2025

4–9 November. Car parks were full on weekdays too. Stamp-tour keyrings ran out early; the Janggun tea picnic and the flea market were new favourites. Activities ₩2,000–7,000 (wheel ₩3,000, dig ₩7,000).

Tips from people who went

  • Go on a weekday, at opening time
  • Buy or book activity tickets at the entrance first — bundles are cheaper
  • Bring cash
  • Do the dig last; it is messy
  • Wheel pieces are not fired — paint a mug if you want something usable
  • Activities paused 12–1pm in 2025
  • Monday and Tuesday close at 6pm

The 28 posts we read

  1. 23-01 · 2023-10-20 김해 분청도자기축제 후기 리뷰 무료 도자기 잔뜩 증정
  2. 23-06 · 2023-10-23 김해 진례 포웰CC맛집 매콤한 얼큰이에 반해버린 딸부자국수
  3. 23-09 · 2023-10-25 김해 분청도자기축제 28회 도자기 축제 가볼만한 가을행사
  4. 23-10 · 2023-10-25 김해 분청도자기 축제 다녀왔어요, 도자기 겟겟
  5. 23-11 · 2023-10-25 '집, 도자의 향기를 품다' 2023 김해분청도자전시판매관 Ⅳ (2024. 02. 18....
  6. 23-12 · 2023-10-27 2023년 10월 일상 3rd
  7. 23-14 · 2023-10-30 김해 아이랑 가볼만한곳 김해 분청 도자기 축제 다양한 체험 부스
  8. 23-15 · 2023-10-30 #김해분청도자기축제버스킹#노인스포츠지도레크댄스#노인스포츠국....
  9. 24-12 · 2024-11-05 김해 도자기축제 다녀온 후기 체험과 즐길거리
  10. 24-13 · 2024-11-05 제29회김해분청도자기축제 1일차방문기(김해장유골프레슨김태경프....
  11. 24-14 · 2024-11-05 2024 김해 분청 도자기축제 첫날 방문 후기,가을에 아이랑 갈 만한 축....
  12. 24-16 · 2024-11-06 김해 분청도자기축제 TV 쇼 진품명품 촬영 / 분청도자박물관 / 클레....
  13. 24-19 · 2024-11-07 2024 김해분청도자기축제/ 도자기헌팅, Big3체험(물레, 도자기발굴), ....
  14. 24-20 · 2024-11-08 오늘은 날닮은 동글한 분청 도자기 축제~!
  15. 24-21 · 2024-11-08 김해분청도자기축제가 열리는 클레이아크 다녀온 후기
  16. 24-22 · 2024-11-08 2024 김해분청도자기축제 후기! 뚜벅이 버전 마산에서 김해도자기 축....
  17. 24-23 · 2024-11-09 김해 분청도자기 축제 아이와 다녀온 찐후기 체험 푸드트럭
  18. 24-25 · 2024-11-11 24년 김해분청도자기축제 체험부스 주차장
  19. 25-07 · 2025-11-05 김해 축제|2025년 김해 분청도자기축제에 다녀온 후기
  20. 25-09 · 2025-11-06 김해분청도자기축제 일정 방문 후기ㅣ주차 스탬프투어 체험 안내
  21. 25-12 · 2025-11-07 김해 도자기 축제 즐기기-주차/도자기 만들기 체험예약 방법/푸드코....
  22. 25-14 · 2025-11-07 김해 분청 도자기 축제 2025 후기 주차 강아지 체험 안내
  23. 25-16 · 2025-11-08 제30회김해분청도자기축제에 다녀왔어요(여송도예)
  24. 25-18 · 2025-11-08 김해분청도자기축제 다녀온 후기_행사 일정, 음식, 푸드트럭, 주차
  25. 25-19 · 2025-11-09 김해분청도자기축제 일정 주말 오픈런 솔직후기
  26. 25-20 · 2025-11-09 김해분청도자박물관 방문후기, 특별테마전시 공유
  27. 25-21 · 2025-11-09 2025 김해분청 도자기 축제
  28. 25-22 · 2025-11-09 김해 가볼만한곳 <분청도자기축제> 저녁6시방문한 솔직후기

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