Everything you need to know about Korea’s famous Boryeong Mud Festival

Many people are visible at Boryeong Mud Festival site. (from top view.)

(Photo by Boryeong City/courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea)

If you’ve been in Korea for more than one summer, you’ve heard of it. If you haven’t been yet, this might be the year.

The 29th Boryeong Mud Festival runs from July 24 to August 9 at Daecheon Beach in Chungcheongnam-do, and it’s still one of the few festivals in Korea that genuinely delivers on what it promises. You show up, you get covered in mud, and somehow it’s more fun than it has any right to be.

The setup is straightforward. The General Zone is where most people end up, with open mud pools, mud water cannons, and enough chaos to keep things interesting.

The Family Zone is the calmer option if you’re bringing kids, and the Water Park Zone is free for anyone with a paid wristband.

Entry to the General Zone runs 12,000 won on weekdays and 16,000 won on weekends for adults, with cheaper rates for children and teenagers.

Every ticket comes with a 5,000 won Boryeong Love Gift Certificate, which works like cash at restaurants and shops around the beach.

Beyond the mud itself, the program is packed. Daytime sees DJ and EDM sets, the Mud Mob performance where water cannons drench the crowd in mud on cue, and the Air Force Black Eagles air show, which is worth sticking around for.

After dark the festival shifts gear with a drone light show over the sea, a night parade, and a lineup of live performances including a K-Pop Super Live for the opening and a K-Trot Super Concert to close things out.

There’s also a K-Hip Hop Festival running across two days and an 8090 night show for anyone who wants something a little more nostalgic.

The experience zones run Monday to Thursday from 1 pm to 6 pm, and Friday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm.

Note that August 5 (Wednesday) is closed for safety inspections, and there are special extended night sessions on July 24 and August 6 running until 9:30 pm.

The Global Food Zone and local specialty booths have you covered between mud sessions.

A few practical things: Boryeong is about two hours from Seoul by express bus from Dong Seoul or Seoul Express Bus Terminal, and the festival site is a short taxi ride from Boryeong Bus Terminal.

Go on a weekday if you can. The weekend crowds are real, and 4,000 won cheaper is 4,000 won cheaper. Accommodation around Daecheon Beach sells out early, so book ahead or consider a day trip from Seoul.

Event Information

Boryeong Mud Festival 2026