Travel
Seoul transforms into a giant art and culture stage this September
Haps Magazine Korea
August 27, 2025
(Photo by Seoul Metropolitan Government / Photo courtesy of Haps Magazine Korea)
Seoul is set to transform into a sprawling cultural exhibition this September, with a series of world-class art, design, fashion, and architecture events taking over the city.
From global fairs to immersive outdoor installations, the month offers a rare chance to experience Seoul as a living gallery of creativity.
For the first time in Asia, Design Miami: In Situ arrives in Seoul (Sept. 1–14, DDP Igan Suseong Pavilion), featuring 16 global design galleries and over 170 works by international and local creators.
Coinciding with this, Kiaf Seoul (Sept. 3–7) and Frieze Seoul (Sept. 3–6) will once again converge at COEX, drawing nearly 300 galleries from around the world. Visitors can encounter masterpieces by Park Seo-bo, Kim Tschang-yeul, and international icons like Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Kusama.
Seoul Art Week (Sept. 1–7) will bring exhibitions and performances to 107 museums and galleries across the city, including the Seoul Sculpture Festival at Ttukseom Hangang Park and the Seoul Mediacity Biennale at Seoul Museum of Art.
Complementing this, DDP Design & Art (Aug. 28–Sept. 14) will transform Dongdaemun Design Plaza into an outdoor art space, highlighted by French artist Vincent Leroy’s giant kinetic balloon installation.
Fashion also takes the stage with the 25th Seoul Fashion Week (Sept. 1–7), showcasing runways at historic and urban sites such as Deoksugung Palace Road and Oil Tank Culture Park.
Later in the month, the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism opens on September 26 for a 54-day run, under the direction of acclaimed designer Thomas Heatherwick, featuring large-scale eco-friendly installations at Open Songhyeon Green Plaza.
To round out the season, Seoul Light DDP – Autumn (Aug. 28–Sept. 7) will project massive media façades across the DDP, while Seoul Beauty Week (Aug. 28–30) connects 296 beauty and tech companies with global buyers and offers interactive programs for the public.
Seoul officials say this lineup of globally recognized events is designed to showcase the city as a hub of creativity, blending tradition and innovation, and giving both citizens and visitors the chance to experience art and culture up close in every corner of the capital.