The Hongseong Global Barbecue Festival (홍성글로벌바비큐페스티벌) runs for four days, from Thursday, October 29 to Sunday, November 1, 2026, in and around Hongjuseong Fortress in Hongseong, Chungcheongnam-do. It’s a food festival that puts Hongseong’s own Hanwoo beef and Handon pork on giant grills and cooks them in styles from around the world. Korea Tourism Organization data lists entry as free. Grounds are open daily from 10:00 to 21:00, and the main stage has concerts every evening.
What Is the Hongseong Global Barbecue Festival?
The Hongseong Global Barbecue Festival is built around Hanwoo (Korean beef) and Handon (Korean pork), the region’s best-known products, served as all kinds of barbecue. Menus range from theme-park barbecue and global barbecue to Nanrohoe barbecue, named after an old Korean custom of grilling meat around a brazier. The huge grills are a sight in themselves, so the festival has become a full day out: eat, wander, then stay for the shows.
Crowds have grown every year, from 400,000 visitors in 2023 to 550,000 in 2024 and 600,000 in 2025, according to SK Telecom mobile big data. The festival fills the area inside and around Hongjuseong Fortress, also called Hongju Eupseong (홍주읍성). Hongseong County Office sits inside these walls too.
Hongseong Global Barbecue Festival 2026: Dates, Hours and Location
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Dates | Thursday, October 29 – Sunday, November 1, 2026 (4 days) |
| Hours | Daily, 10:00–21:00 |
| Venue | Hongjuseong Fortress area (Hongju Eupseong, Hongseong) |
| Reference address | 27 Amun-gil, Hongseong-eup, Hongseong-gun, Chungcheongnam-do (Hongseong County Office, inside Hongjuseong Fortress) |
| Admission | Free |
| Host / Organizer | Hongseong County / Hongju Culture & Tourism Foundation |
| Contact | 041-634-8705, 041-631-8840 (numbers listed on the official stage schedule) |
The official website gives the venue only as “the Hongjuseong area.” The address above belongs to Hongseong County Office, so for navigation you’ll get better results searching “Hongjuseong” (홍주성) or “Hongseong County Office” (홍성군청). Official updates are on the Hongju Culture & Tourism Foundation website.
What’s New in 2026?
The big addition this year is a pair of “Hongseong Sky Tower” barbecue rigs, each more than 5 meters tall, roasting Hongseong Hanwoo kebabs. Last year’s crowd favorites are also back: grills built to look like amusement rides, including a Ferris wheel, a Viking ship and a carousel.
- Bigger Barbecue Zone 1: About 360 pyeong (roughly 1,190 m²) larger than last year, with more seating.
- Local universities on board: Cheongwoon University and Hyejeon College will help run the barbecue rigs and the arts and culture programs.
- AI chatbot: Gives information on programs, food, parking congestion and shuttle buses.
- Tighter safety management: Real-time crowd monitoring, a safety control tower and an integrated operations center.
- Transport and stay packages: Shuttle buses between the festival and lodging and sightseeing hubs, a city tour bus and travel packages that take in Gwangcheon Traditional Market and Namdang-ri, plus a caravan campsite at Cheongwoon University.
What to Eat: Barbecue and Food Programs
| Category | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Barbecue programs | Theme-park barbecue, Hongseong landmark barbecue, Hongseong chicken barbecue, K-barbecue, global barbecue, Nanrohoe barbecue, YouTuber barbecue and more |
| 2026 barbecue menu | Hongseong Hanwoo kebabs, jar-roasted (hangari) barbecue, pork belly grilled on a cast-iron lid (sotttukkeong samgyeopsal), American, Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian and Central Asian barbecue, and chef-made barbecue using Hongseong farm produce |
| Food programs | Hongseong Food Zone, Permanent Market Grill Zone, Hanwoo Charcoal Grill Zone and more |
| Hongseong Food Zone | 15 local restaurants, Hanwoo and Handon butcher counters, and a booth promoting and selling local farm products |
| Hongseong Permanent Market (홍성상설시장) | A space where you can grill meat you bought at the festival yourself |
| Promotion and sales | Hongseong Hanwoo & Handon Zone, Hongseong farm and specialty products pavilion, and more |
Beyond the food, there are hands-on activities too: cultural programs run by local universities, craft workshops and a photo zone at Joyangmun Gate.
Concert Lineup and Fireworks Schedule
Evening concerts on the Main Stage (the leisure and culture space) start at 17:00 every day.
| Date | Time | Program | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 29 (Thu) | 17:00–18:00 | Opening ceremony and “Joeun Nal” (Good Day) Concert | Jang Min-ho, Choi Soo-ho, Jeon Yu-jin, Shin Myeong-geun, Hwang Woo-rim, Choi Ye-jin |
| Oct 29 (Thu) | Between 19:00 and 20:00 | Fireworks (about 7 minutes) | — |
| Oct 30 (Fri) | 17:00–18:00 | Special show “Hunyeon Beat” (Smoked Beat) | Homies, DJ Lara |
| Oct 30 (Fri) | 19:00–20:00 | Youth Culture Festival | — |
| Oct 31 (Sat) | 17:00–18:00 | Special show “Grill Sound” | Cherishi (체리시), Bobbypins (바비핀스), Daybreak |
| Nov 1 (Sun) | 17:00–18:00 | Special show “Yeoun Concert” (Afterglow Concert) | Oa (오아), Omo (오모), Shin Sung (신성) |
During the day, local artists and groups take the stage. Look out for the “Delicious Concert” by the Hongseong branch of the Korea Music Association, the Hongseong Office Workers’ Band Union and the Naepo Boys and Girls Choir. The secondary stage (in front of KT) has street performances, mime, circus acts and more.
Fireworks are planned for opening day, October 29, sometime between 19:00 and 20:00. The official schedule seems to include a second fireworks night, but it doesn’t make the date clear, so check the official stage schedule before you go. Times and programs may change depending on operating conditions.
How Much Does It Cost?
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Festival admission | Free |
| Hongjuseong History Museum (inside the festival grounds) | Free (winter hours in November: 09:00–17:00) |
Getting in is free, but you pay separately for barbecue and other food. The official website doesn’t list menu prices.
How to Get to the Hongseong Global Barbecue Festival from Seoul
The closest train station is Hongseong Station on the Janghang Line, and Hongseong Bus Terminal (홍성종합터미널) is right next to it. From there, Hongju Eupseong is about 5 minutes by car or about 15 minutes on foot.
| From | Transport | To | Travel time | Frequency | Adult fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yongsan Station, Seoul | ITX-Maeum / Saemaeul (Janghang Line) | Hongseong Station | About 1 hr 58 min – 2 hr 18 min | About 15 trains a day (all train types combined) | 14,300 KRW (~$11 USD) |
| Yongsan Station, Seoul | Mugunghwa (Janghang Line) | Hongseong Station | About 1 hr 58 min – 2 hr 18 min | About 15 trains a day (all train types combined) | 9,600 KRW (~$7 USD) |
| Central City Terminal, Seoul | Express bus | Hongseong Bus Terminal | About 1 hr 54 min | 14 a day (06:40–21:40) | Standard 10,200 KRW (~$8 USD) / Premium 14,900 KRW (~$11 USD) |
| Hongseong Station / Hongseong Bus Terminal | Walk / car | Hongju Eupseong | About 15 min on foot / about 5 min by car | — | — |
Train fares are for standard class. Train and bus timetables change often, so check again on Korail (letskorail.com) or an express bus booking site before you buy tickets.
Parking and Shuttle Buses
Parking locations and fees haven’t been announced yet. The festival’s AI chatbot is expected to provide parking congestion and shuttle bus information. Shuttle buses will connect the festival with lodging and sightseeing hubs, but routes, times and fares haven’t been released.
Hongseong Global Barbecue Festival Tips
- Take public transport. Last year’s crowds reached 600,000, and parking details are still unannounced. From Hongseong Station, the festival is only about a 15-minute walk.
- Arrive early for the evening shows. Main Stage concerts start at 17:00 every day, and fireworks are planned for opening night, so the stage area can get crowded in the evening.
- Use the Hongseong Permanent Market. It has space for grilling meat you’ve bought at the festival yourself.
- Visit the Hongjuseong History Museum. It’s inside the festival grounds and entry is free. In November it closes at 17:00, so go during the day.
- Check the AI chatbot for live updates. It covers programs, food, parking congestion and shuttle buses.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is the 2026 Hongseong Global Barbecue Festival?
It runs from Thursday, October 29 to Sunday, November 1, 2026, around Hongjuseong Fortress in Hongseong. The grounds are open daily from 10:00 to 21:00.
Is there an entrance fee?
No, entry is free. Barbecue and other food are sold separately at the festival.
How do I get from Seoul to Hongseong by train or bus?
Janghang Line trains from Yongsan Station reach Hongseong Station in about 2 hours. ITX-Maeum and Saemaeul trains cost 14,300 KRW (~$11 USD), and Mugunghwa trains cost 9,600 KRW (~$7 USD). Express buses from Central City Terminal take about 1 hour 54 minutes to Hongseong Bus Terminal, with fares of 10,200 KRW (~$8 USD) for standard seats and 14,900 KRW (~$11 USD) for premium. From Hongseong Station, the festival is about a 15-minute walk.
Where can I park, and where do the shuttle buses run?
Parking locations and fees haven’t been officially announced yet. The festival’s AI chatbot is expected to share parking congestion and shuttle bus information, and shuttle buses will run between the festival and lodging and sightseeing hubs.
Who is performing at the opening ceremony, and when are the concerts?
The opening ceremony’s “Joeun Nal” (Good Day) Concert runs on October 29 from 17:00 to 18:00, with Jang Min-ho, Choi Soo-ho, Jeon Yu-jin, Shin Myeong-geun, Hwang Woo-rim and Choi Ye-jin. In the same time slot, Homies and DJ Lara perform on the 30th, Cherishi (체리시), Bobbypins (바비핀스) and Daybreak on the 31st, and Oa (오아), Omo (오모) and Shin Sung (신성) on November 1.
When are the fireworks?
The fireworks are planned for opening day, October 29, and last about 7 minutes sometime between 19:00 and 20:00. A second night may also be scheduled, so check the official stage schedule for the date.
Does it get crowded?
Yes, it can get busy. The festival drew 600,000 visitors in 2025, and this year it will have real-time crowd monitoring and an integrated operations center. Expect the biggest crowds around the Main Stage during the evening concerts.
Who do I contact with questions about the festival?
Call 041-634-8705 or 041-631-8840. Both numbers are for the Hongju Culture & Tourism Foundation and appear on the official stage schedule.
