Tradition's Charm and Flavor in One Place... '2026 Today's Traditional Culture Festival' Opens

Performances, hands-on activities and more at Culture Station Seoul 284 through Nov. 15
Pop-up market featuring 104 brands, including hanbok and crafts

The 2026 Today’s Traditional Culture Festival, where visitors can enjoy products, performances, and hands-on experiences that reinterpret traditional culture with a modern sensibility, will be held from November 12 to 15 at Culture Station Seoul 284 in Jung District, Seoul.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on November 12 that it will host the fourth annual Today’s Traditional Culture Festival together with the Korea Craft & Design Foundation. This year’s theme is “Bokjakbokjak, Today’s Tradition,” evoking the lively scene of people gathering to celebrate, as well as the idea of creating and sharing good fortune.

The festival’s centerpiece is a pop-up market where visitors can browse and buy traditional culture products. A total of 104 brands, including 39 traditional culture startups, will take part, showcasing a range of products such as home accessories, fashion and hanbok, food and beverages, and handicrafts.

Participating brands include Studio Arok, which reinterprets traditional patterns as modern rugs and home accessories; Atita, which offers celadon and white porcelain glass cups that change color with temperature; and Hachi, a fashion accessories brand featuring dancheong patterns. Visitors can also find hanbok designed for everyday wear and desserts inspired by traditional food culture.

Hands-on activities will also be available for visitors. They can roll a giant juryeonggu, modeled after a 14-sided die from the Silla period, to enter a prize draw. Other activities include “Today’s Family Motto,” where families can turn their pledges into a hanging scroll, and making keychains with traditional accessories. Visitors wearing hanbok can receive discounts on products or special gifts.

Traditional music performances and a children’s play are also on the program. At 5 p.m. on November 13, the ethnic fusion band The Second Moon and pansori singer Oh Danhae will perform. At 5 p.m. on November 14, traditional Korean musician Samsani will take the stage. At 2 p.m. on November 14 and 15, the arts group CLAP will present a family play for children based on a picture book.

Lectures exploring traditional culture through Korean paintings of the past will also be held. On November 14, Tak Hyungyu, a researcher at the Kansong Art Museum, will compare Hanyang during the Joseon Dynasty with present-day Seoul through paintings by Gyeomjae Jeong Seon. On November 15, he will introduce fashion and everyday life during the Joseon Dynasty as depicted in genre paintings by Hyewon Shin Yunbok.

Myung Suhyun, director general for cultural policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, “The Today’s Traditional Culture Festival is a place where creators, brands, and consumers come together to develop new tastes and culture.” She added, “We will support traditional culture in becoming a source of enjoyment and consumption in everyday life, while also helping startups achieve sustained growth and expand their sales channels.”

The festival will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with last admission at 5:30 p.m.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.