The 2026 Royal Culture Festival will be held for nine days from April 25 to May 3 at Seoul’s five major palaces — Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung and Gyeonghuigung — as well as Jongmyo Shrine.
The National Heritage Administration’s Royal Palaces and Tombs Center and the agency-affiliated Korea Heritage Service Foundation said Tuesday that the theme for the spring 2026 festival is “Palace, Awakening Art.”
An opening ceremony will be held April 24 at Heungnyemun Square at Gyeongbokgung. Director Yang Jeong-ung, who served as artistic director for cultural events tied to the “2025 APEC summit,” will stage a performance titled “Palace, Awakening Art — Hyper Palace,” combining K-content sensibilities with palace aesthetics.
The program will begin with the National Dance Company’s “Mongyudowonmu,” followed by rapper Woo Won-jae and the foundation’s arts troupe performing “Ganggangsullae,” a hanbok fashion show blending Korean traditional music with EDM, and joint stages featuring Choi Ho-jong and Heo Yun-jeong, an accredited performer of the national intangible heritage geomungo sanjo. Performances will also include singer Choi Ye-rim with the Noah Children’s Choir and a reinterpretation of Bongsan mask dance by dancer AIKI with HOOK. The finale will feature a media-facade mapping show and the National Gugak Center’s “Hyangamurak,” showcasing court dance traditions.
At Gyeongbokgung, programs include “Gyeongbokgung, Time Travel (4.25.~4.29.),” “Recreating Daily Life at Court (4.25.~4.29.),” “Newcomers to the Royal Court (4.25.~4.29.)” and the “Children’s Royal Culture Festival (5.1.~5.3.).”
For socially vulnerable groups, including single-parent families, “A Gyeonghoeru Outing With Jangakwon Musicians (4.25.~5.3.)” offers hands-on experiences with traditional wind instruments and family photos with the palace as a backdrop. A “K-Heritage Market (4.25.~5.3.)” will run throughout the nine days, selling souvenirs.
At Changdeokgung, the festival will present “Awakening the Palace in the Morning (4.28.~5.3.)” and “Crown Prince Hyomyeong and the Dance of the Moon (4.28.~4.30.).” The latter program lets visitors follow the process of preparing a banquet in 1828 to mark Queen Sunwon’s 40th birthday, touring key buildings and the rear garden.
At Injeongjeon Hall, a traditional arts performance titled “Palace Concert — Taepyeongjiak by 100 Performers (太平之樂)(5.1.~5.3.)” will feature 100 performers presenting Korean traditional pieces including Sujecheon, Taepyeongga and Arirang.
At Deoksugung, “Imperial Hobby Club (4.25.~5.3.)” at Jeonggwanheon will offer experiences such as tasting yangtang-guk (coffee) enjoyed by King Gojong and trying sports and other pastimes, along with special music performances. For foreign visitors, “The Emperor’s Table (5.1.~5.3.)” at Jungmyeongjeon will offer a chance to taste banquet dishes from the Korean Empire’s imperial court and hear about the history of royal cuisine.
At Changgyeonggung, “Yeongchunheon, Spring Library (4.27.~5.1.)” and “The Queen’s Taste (4.30.~5.3.)” will be offered.
At Gyeonghuigung, the foundation’s arts troupe will lead a street parade, “Royal Culture Festival Gilnori (5.1.),” from Heunghwamun Gate to Sungjeongmun Gate, featuring traditional performances including lion dance, Jindo drum dance and pangut.
At Jongmyo Shrine, “Jongmyo Jeryeak Night Performances (4.28.~4.30.)” will present the royal ancestral ritual music in the evening.
Programs requiring advance reservations will open sequentially starting at noon April 8, with tickets available through Ticketlink. Programs for foreign visitors can be booked through Creatrip.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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