Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival 2026: Dates (Oct 3-18), Free Shuttle Hours, and the 1,650 Won Backup Bus Fare

Tell a taxi driver tonight to drop you right at the main gate of Jinju Fortress, and you may get a puzzled look back. From 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday, October 11, three road sections encircling Jinju Fortress and the Namgang River turn into vehicle-free zones. Tens of thousands of yudeung (traditional lanterns, floated on the water or installed along the streets) light up the river and fortress grounds, and a first-time visitor who doesn't know about the closure and tries to ride a taxi or rental car straight to the entrance as usual may end up getting dropped in the middle of the control line and walking the rest of the way.

At a glance: the 2026 Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival runs October 3-18, and it's open today too. The lantern displays can be seen nightly from 6 p.m. to midnight at 626 Namgang-ro, Jinju-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, around Jinju Fortress and the Namgang River. It's organized by the Jinju Cultural Foundation (phone +82-55-761-9111). Today, Sunday October 11, three road sections around the venue — Nongae-gil, Namgang-ro, and Gangnam-ro — are closed to vehicles from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., and free shuttle buses (7 routes, 80 charter buses) run during the same hours.

Calling a ride-hailing service instead of a taxi doesn't change much, either — no vehicle can enter the control zone regardless. That leaves walking, the free shuttle, or the festival's demand-responsive shuttle, "Hamo Call Bus." Booked through the T-money GO app, it runs about every 20 minutes to five stops near the venue, but the fare — 1,650 won for adults, 100 won for teens and children — can't be paid in cash. A traveler without a Korean transit card or mobile payment method who shows up with only cash in hand won't even be able to board. The free shuttle, by contrast, takes anyone with no cash or card needed, making it the safer first choice for a first-time visitor.

Drivers should head straight for one of the 36 temporary parking lots near the Jinju IC and national roads, which together hold 11,360 spaces, and catch a free shuttle from there. But no vehicle can enter the Nongae-gil, Namgang-ro, or Gangnam-ro sections during control hours, so typing the festival's address straight into a navigation app can leave you stopped right at the barricade.

There's no drone light show or fireworks tonight — just the lantern displays scattered across the river and fortress grounds. The next drone light show and fireworks return on Saturday, October 17, at 7:50 p.m. and 8 p.m., on the Namgang River between Jinju Bridge and Cheonsu Bridge.