Christmas in Korea is a date night, not a family day. Families gather at Lunar New Year and Chuseok; on December 24 and 25 couples and friends fill Myeongdong, Gwanghwamun and Jamsil, and the queues for cake shops start a week early. If you are spending your first Korean Christmas away from home, Seoul has plenty to do. You just need to book a few things now.
Last updated: October 26, 2026 (KST)
Here is the bottom line. December 25, 2026 is a Friday, so Christmas is a three-day weekend from Friday to Sunday, and it is a public holiday: banks and government offices close, while most shops, cafes and restaurants stay open. The two Nutcracker productions are on sale now. The big free events, the Gwanghwamun Christmas Market and the Seoul Lantern Festival, had not announced 2026 dates as of today; in 2025 they opened on December 12 and were announced in late November. Lotte's Jamsil market opened on November 20 last year and its weekend night tickets sold out in 10 minutes.
Christmas 2026 at a Glance
| Event | 2026 status | 2025 dates | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gwanghwamun Christmas Market | Not announced | Dec 12 to 31 | Free entry |
| Seoul Lantern Festival (Cheonggyecheon) | Not announced | Dec 12 to Jan 18 | Free |
| Seoul Plaza ice rink | Not announced | Dec 19 to Feb 8 | Paid |
| Lotte World Tower Christmas Market | Not announced | Nov 20 to Jan 4 | Night entry ticketed |
| Starfield Library tree, COEX | Not announced | Mid Nov to Jan 31 | Free |
| Korean National Ballet, The Nutcracker | Confirmed | Dec 11 to 27, 2026 | 10,000 to 120,000 KRW |
| Universal Ballet, The Nutcracker | Confirmed | Dec 17 to 30, 2026 | 30,000 to 140,000 KRW |
We will update this table as the 2026 dates come out.
Gwanghwamun Market and the Seoul Lantern Festival
These two make up most of Seoul Winter Festa, the city's year-end festival. In 2025 it ran from December 12 to January 4 across Gwanghwamun Square, Cheonggyecheon, Seoul Plaza, DDP and Bosingak.
- Gwanghwamun Christmas Market: a European-style market with a Santa Village theme, a carousel and food stalls, open December 12 to 31 in 2025. Hours started at 17:30 to 21:30 and were extended to 22:30 after 1.48 million people came in the first five days. Walking in is free; food and gifts are paid.
- Seoul Light Gwanghwamun: a projection show on the buildings around the square, every evening through January 4.
- Seoul Lantern Festival: large lantern sculptures along Cheonggyecheon stream, December 12 to January 18 last year, open 18:00 to 23:00 after the extension.
- Seoul Plaza ice rink: open December 19 to February 8 in 2025, a short walk from City Hall Station.
Go on a weekday if you can. At about 7 pm on Christmas Day 2025, the market queue stretched back to Gwanghwamun Station Exit 9, with waits of over an hour.
Lotte World Tower Christmas Market in Jamsil
Lotte's market on the World Park lawn next to Lotte World Tower drew about 400,000 people in 2024. In 2025 it ran from November 20 to January 4, open 11:30 to 22:00.
Daytime entry is free. After 16:00, entry is ticketed, sold in batches through Naver Reservation, and the first weekend batch in 2025 sold out in 10 minutes. Blogs reported night tickets at about 5,000 KRW (about $3.60) with a photo print included, but Lotte had not confirmed 2026 prices at the time of writing. If you want a weekend evening, watch for the ticket announcement in early November.
💡 TIP: Night tickets go on sale in batches, roughly two weeks apart. If the first batch sells out, the second and third batches in late November and early December are your next chance.
Myeongdong, Christmas Lights and Christmas Mass
Myeongdong is the classic Christmas walk: department store light shows, street food and the cathedral, all within 10 minutes of Myeongdong Station (Line 4) or Euljiro 1-ga Station (Line 2).
- Shinsegae main store facade: the department store's giant screen usually lights up in early to mid November and plays a short loop from evening until 22:30. The best view is from in front of Seoul Central Post Office.
- Lotte Town Light, new for 2026: Lotte is opening a 77 by 21 m 4K screen on its Young Plaza building, the largest in Myeongdong. A teaser runs in November and the full show starts in December.
- Myeongdong Cathedral: the red-brick cathedral holds a midnight mass on Christmas Eve and masses on Christmas Day, in Korean. The tree and lights stay up through the end of the year. Check the times with the cathedral (02-774-1784).
- English services: several churches offer English Christmas services, including the Catholic International Parish, the Seoul Anglican Cathedral English Mission and the International Lutheran Church in Hannam. Times change every year, so confirm on each church's website in December.
The Nutcracker, Both on Sale Now
Seoul has two full productions, and both play matinees on Christmas Day.
- Korean National Ballet: December 11 to 27, 2026, Opera Theater at Seoul Arts Center (Nambu Bus Terminal Station, Line 3). Weeknights at 19:30, weekends at 14:00 and 18:30, and Christmas Day at 14:00 only. Tickets are R 120,000, S 100,000, A 60,000, B 30,000 and C 10,000 KRW at sac.or.kr.
- Universal Ballet: December 17 to 30, 2026, Sejong Center Grand Theater at Gwanghwamun, a short walk from the Christmas market. Christmas Day has shows at 14:00 and 18:00. Tickets are VIP 140,000, R 120,000, S 90,000, A 60,000 and B 30,000 KRW, on sale since October 15 through NOL Ticket. Ages 4 and up.
Both run about two hours with an interval. A Universal Ballet matinee followed by the Gwanghwamun market at dusk is an easy Christmas Day plan.
Theme Parks and Indoor Trees
- Starfield Library, COEX: the giant tree in the two-storey library usually goes up in mid November and stays until the end of January. In 2025 it was a 10 m paper tree with a carousel and snow globe photo zones. Free, 10:30 to 22:30. Samseong Station, Line 2.
- Everland: the Christmas Fantasy season ran November 28 to December 31 in 2025, with a Christmas parade and nightly fireworks.
- Lotte World Adventure: the winter season began on November 22 in 2025 and ran into March, with Christmas projection mapping on the castle and a holiday parade.
What Is Open on December 25
- Closed: banks, post offices, government offices and immigration offices. Do anything with your ARC or bank before Thursday, December 24.
- Open: department stores, malls, cinemas, convenience stores and most restaurants and cafes. Expect long waits for brunch and dinner in Myeongdong, Seongsu, Hongdae and Gangnam; book anywhere you care about.
- Subway and buses: run on the holiday timetable, with fewer trains than a weekday. Plan to leave busy areas before the last trains, around midnight.
- Crowds: Seoul runs extra safety management in Myeongdong, Hongdae, Gangnam Station and Seongsu over Christmas, with staff directing foot traffic. Follow their directions, keep to the right on narrow streets, and pick a meeting point in case your group gets split up. Christmas evening 2025 had a wind chill of minus 8 degrees, so dress for standing outside; our what to wear by temperature guide has the layers.
Christmas Cake, the Korean Way
Christmas cake is a must in Korea, and most people preorder. In 2025, Paris Baguette took preorders from November 19 to December 19, and Tous Les Jours from November 14 to December 22. Hotel cakes are a status item: the Shilla Seoul's top cake hit 500,000 KRW, with others from 80,000 KRW. At the other end, GS25 convenience stores sold a whole cake for 18,800 KRW (about $14). Preorder by mid December, or pick one up at a convenience store on the day.
💡 TIP: Preordered cakes are picked up at the branch you chose, and the pickup queue on December 24 can take 30 minutes. Choose a branch near home rather than near the place you are going.
Book the Nutcracker if it appeals, keep one evening for Gwanghwamun, and order the cake early.
Looking for a warm place to come home to this winter? Homes in Korea helps foreigners find furnished rooms and monthly rentals across Seoul, with contracts and utilities explained in English.
