Royal Culture Festival

The Royal Culture Festival is the nation's largest national heritage festival, held every spring and autumn at Seoul's five major palaces (Gyeongbokgung, Changdeokgung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung, and Gyeonghuigung) and Jongmyo Shrine. Using the palaces as a stage, the festival showcases Korean traditional culture through diverse programs, including performances, exhibitions, hands-on experiences, and ceremonial reenactments. Hosted by the National Heritage Administration and organized by the National Heritage Foundation, the Royal Culture Festival marks its 12th edition this year under the theme "The Palace, Awakening the Art." It plans to expand the palaces beyond mere viewing spaces for national heritage into cultural and artistic stages where visitors can experience the source of K-culture. The Spring 2026 Royal Culture Festival will begin with an opening ceremony on April 24 and will run for nine days from April 25 to May 3. The opening ceremony of the 2026 Royal Culture Festival, marking the start of the festival, will be held on Friday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Heungnyeomun Plaza in Gyeongbokgung Palace under the theme ‘The Palace, Awakens Art - Hyper Palace (Artistic Expansion of the Palace)’.