# Pohang Fireworks Festival 2026: Dates, Venue and Viewing Spots
Yes, the Pohang International Fireworks Festival 2026 is free: it runs November 19-21 at Yeongildae Beach. The main fireworks show is planned for 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 21, but times can change.
You may be wondering where to stand and how to get home after dark. The venue, the draft program and the viewing answers are below. Shuttle and road-closure details are not published yet, so this guide marks them and tells you when we will check again.
Contents Key facts · Where is the Pohang Fireworks Festival · Where to watch · Program · Pohang Canal · Getting there · Help in English · FAQ · Checklist
Key facts at a glance
As of October 23, 2026, these facts come from the organizer's pages and documents and from Korea Tourism Organization pages, all listed at the end of this guide.
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| What | Pohang International Fireworks Festival (포항국제불빛축제) |
| When | Thursday, November 19 to Saturday, November 21, 2026 (linked events run to November 28) |
| Where | Yeongildae Beach area (영일대해수욕장 일원), Buk-gu, Pohang, with Songdo and Haeoreum Bridge |
| Main show | International fireworks show and grand finale, planned for 20:00-21:00 on Saturday, November 21 |
| Cost | Free |
| Seats | A plan for 10,000 viewing seats on November 21; whether seats are paid or reserved is Unverified |
| Final timetable | Unverified: the organizer's timetable page is empty as of October 23, and the times in this guide come from a draft plan that can change |
| Organizer | Pohang City and Pohang Cultural Foundation; phone 054-289-7852~6 |
| English help | 1330 Korea Travel Hotline (English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean) |
Festival period: Thursday, November 19 to Saturday, November 21, 2026. Program: international fireworks show planned for Saturday, November 21. Organizers: Pohang City and Pohang Cultural Foundation. Original (Korean): 2026. 11. 19(목) ~ 11. 21(토) · 11.21(토) 국제불꽃쇼 예정 · 포항시 / 포항문화재단 — Pohang Cultural Foundation, 2026 Pohang International Fireworks Festival
Free entry comes from the Korea Tourism Organization, whose Korean page lists the price as free and the period as 2026.11.19 ~ 2026.11.21 (Korea Tourism Organization festival page). The English VisitKorea page agrees on the dates and on free entry (as of October 2026; check the organizer's page before you go): it lists the event period as 2026-11-19 ~ 2026-11-21 (VisitKorea English page).
Where is the Pohang Fireworks Festival? Yeongildae Beach, with a walk toward Songdo
The organizer's page gives the venue as the Yeongildae Beach area. The organizer's notice for its event contractor, posted on September 21, gives a wider area:
Venue: Pohang city area (Yeongildae Beach, Haeoreum Bridge, Songdo-dong and others). Original (Korean): 포항시 일원 (영일대해수욕장, 해오름대교, 송도동 등) — Pohang Cultural Foundation, event contractor notice
Pohang is on the southeast coast. The map marks Pohang Gyeongju Airport (KPO) and the main intercity bus terminals, so you can see which gateway is nearest before you search for tickets.
The English VisitKorea page says the venue is "Hyeongsangang Sports Park and throughout Pohang". The same page says its text is based on the 2025 festival:
*The information below is based on the 2025 festivals. Details for the 2026 festivals will be updated as they become available.* — VisitKorea English page
The organizer's list of past festivals explains it. The 2025 festival was held at Hyeongsangang Sports Park (형산강 체육공원), and the 2024 festival at the Yeongildae Beach area (영일대해수욕장 일원) (Pohang Cultural Foundation festival page). So the English page still carries the 2025 venue, and 2026 returns to the beach.
Where to watch: Yeongildae Beach or Songdo Beach?
You can watch from either beach, but the quieter one costs you the music. The English VisitKorea page gives this tip (from the 2025 edition):
You can see the fireworks from Yeongildae Beach and Songdo Beach. Although you can’t hear the music from the show, you can watch the fireworks show peacefully at a less crowded seashore. — VisitKorea English page
The organizer places the festival at the Yeongildae Beach area. Songdo Beach is the calmer alternative: you see the fireworks but do not hear the music.
Practical info: Yeongildae Beach
Photo: Choi2451, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| Item | Yeongildae Beach |
|---|---|
| Korean name | 영일대해수욕장 (show this to taxi drivers) |
| Address | 95 Haean-ro, Duho-dong, Buk-gu, Pohang (경상북도 포항시 북구 해안로 95 (두호동)), postal code 37708 |
| Lot number | Duho-dong 685-1 (두호동 685-1), as listed by Pohang City |
| Hours | Open all day, every day of the year (상시 개방, 연중무휴) |
| Admission | Free |
| Parking | Available: KRW 500 for the first 20 minutes, KRW 200 per 10 minutes after that; card payment only (as of October 2026). Accessible parking: 3 spaces |
| Step-free access | Gentle ramp to the main entrance, wheelchair accessible, accessible restroom |
| Contact | Pohang City listing: 054-246-0041 (Jungang-dong Administrative Welfare Center); Buk-gu Marine Industry Division: 054-270-2778 |
| Official site | Pohang City tourism |
The address is the one in the national road-name address system run by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (road-name address search): 해안로 95 (두호동), related lots 660 and 685, postal code 37708. It matches the English Korea Tourism Organization page (95, Haean-ro, with lot 685-1) and Pohang City's tourism listing (Duho-dong 685-1).
Other pages use other numbers. The organizer's directions list 173 Haean-ro, but the same address system assigns that number to the Marine Sports Academy (두호동 1002-5), not to the beach. The Korea Tourism Organization's festival page lists 48 Haean-ro (Hanggu-dong 58-66). Use 95 Haean-ro, or search 영일대해수욕장 by name in your map app.
Entrance fee: free. Parking fee: KRW 500 for the first 20 minutes and KRW 200 per 10 minutes; card payment only. Original (Korean): 입장료: 무료 · 주차요금: 최초 20분 500원 / 10분당 200원※ 카드 결제만 가능 — Korea Tourism Organization TourAPI, Yeongildae Beach place data (content ID 127698)
Accessible parking: yes (3 spaces). Entrance: a gentle ramp is installed and the main entrance is wheelchair accessible. Accessible restroom: yes. Original (Korean): 장애인 주차장 있음(3대) · 출입구까지 경사로가 설치되어 있음(완만함) · 주 출입구는 경사로가 있어 휠체어 접근 가능함 · 장애인 화장실 있음 — Korea Tourism Organization, barrier-free travel information
These facts describe the beach in normal times, not festival nights. Festival-day parking and road closures are not announced yet and may differ.
Pohang International Fireworks Festival program: what is planned, what can change
The organizer's festival page says only that the international fireworks show is planned for Saturday, November 21. A fuller day-by-day plan is in the task specification the organizer posted for its event contractor on September 21. It is a draft composition marked as subject to change (task specification, PDF in Korean).
Thursday, November 19
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 19:00 | Media facade lighting ceremony |
| 19:40 | Citizens' fireworks show (fireworks academy showcase) |
Friday, November 20
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 19:00-20:00 | Night Carnival: light parade from the Rose Garden (장미원) to 바다시청 (600 m) |
| 20:00-21:00 | Night walk from the clock tower to Songdo pier (950 m) |
| 21:00-22:00 | Media art performance |
Saturday, November 21
| Time | Program |
|---|---|
| 15:00-18:00 | Light busking |
| 18:00-19:00 | Light Radio romantic concert |
| 19:00-20:00 | Citizens' choir festival, then a countdown performance |
| 20:00-21:00 | International fireworks show and grand finale |
| 21:00-22:00 | EDM after-party |
Songdo evenings and November 28
| Dates | Program |
|---|---|
| Nov 19-28, 18:00-22:00 | Songdo Light Park |
| Nov 19-21, 18:00-22:00 | Songdo silo media facade |
| Sat, Nov 28, time not stated | Citizens' fireworks show (fireworks academy showcase) |
All of this is the draft plan. The organizer's wording on changes is below.
Saturday, November 21, 20:00-21:00: international fireworks show and grand finale. All programs and times may change depending on the organizer's circumstances. Original (Korean): 11.21(토) 20:00~21:00 국제 불꽃쇼 & 그랜드피날레 · ※ 상기 프로그램들의 일정 및 시간은 발주처 상황에 따라 변경될 수 있음 — Pohang Cultural Foundation, task specification
The Korea Tourism Organization's Korean page lists the main program with teams from three countries (international fireworks show with Korea, Japan and France, media facade, Night Carnival with a parade and a night walk). Original (Korean): 국제불꽃쇼(한국, 일본, 프랑스), 미디어파사드, 나이트카니발 (퍼레이드+나이트워크) (Korea Tourism Organization festival page).
Around Yeongildae, the plan lists four side programs: shop lighting along the beach road (불빛로드), a beach lounge (불빛라운지), a street-food road run with the merchants' association (불맛 미식로드) and a food market that introduces Pohang's ten flavors (퐝스토랑). Original (Korean): 퐝스토랑 : 포항의 10味를 안내하는 먹거리 장터 (task specification).
The same specification tells the contractor to plan viewing seats for 10,000 spectators at the November 21 show. It does not say whether seats are paid or reserved. Original (Korean): 국제불꽃쇼(11.21.) 관람객 10,000석 규모의 관람석 배치·운영계획 수립 (task specification).
Unverified: the final timetable. The organizer's own timetable page showed no timetable on October 23:
No timetable image yet. No layout image yet. Original (Korean): 타임테이블 이미지가 없습니다. 배치도 이미지가 없습니다. — Pohang Cultural Foundation festival page
We will re-check on November 5, November 12 and November 18.
Weather and cancellation: the specification says the schedule can be changed or cancelled at the organizer's discretion, and it asks the contractor to prepare a response plan for rain, typhoon and earthquake emergencies, including when and by what criteria decisions are made. Original (Korean): ※ 발주처 사정에 의해 행사 일정 변경 및 취소 가능 (task specification). The criteria are not published.
For 2025 the organizer's notice board shows a notice titled "2025 포항국제불빛축제 6.21~22 행사 전면 취소 안내" (full cancellation of the June 21-22 events, dated 2025-06-21), and a separate notice about the drone light show (드론라이트쇼) in rain and strong wind (우천 및 강풍시). We could read only the notice titles, not the reasons. Look at the organizer's notice board on the morning you travel.
Before the show: Pohang Canal is a free stop in Nam-gu
If you arrive early, Pohang Canal is a free place to walk. It opened in January 2014 and is 1.3 km long, running through the city between Songdo-dong and Jungdo 1-dong. It is in Nam-gu, a different district from Yeongildae Beach (Buk-gu), so check the route in a map app before you plan to walk between the two.
Practical info: Pohang Canal
Photo: Dlcl5213, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| Item | Pohang Canal |
|---|---|
| Korean name | 포항운하 (show this to taxi drivers) |
| Address | 537 Haedo-dong, Nam-gu, Pohang (경상북도 포항시 남구 해도동 537) |
| Hours | Pohang Canal Hall: 09:00-18:00 (09:00~18:00); open every day, but cruises vary with the weather (연중무휴, 크루즈는 기상상황에 변동) |
| Admission | Free (cruise fees: call 054-270-5177) |
| Parking | Available |
| Contact | Pohang Canal Hall: 054-270-5177 |
| Official site | Pohang Canal |
The hours are for the Canal Hall, not for the water path itself. Cruise times are not published in the place data, so call before you plan around a boat ride.
Getting there and getting home: what to settle before you go
The festival is three days long, and the main fireworks show is planned for Saturday, November 21.
Unverified: shuttle buses, road closures and festival parking for 2026. The specification asks the contractor for a traffic-control and staffing plan for the whole festival area, but no routes, hours or parking sites are published. Original (Korean): 전 구간의 음향, 조명, 안전관리, 교통통제 및 운영인력 배치계획 (task specification). Call 054-289-7852~6 or check the notice board linked above. The city's online parking notice is titled for the 2025 festival, so it does not apply to 2026.
Three things you can settle now:
- Open the place name in a map app. Search for 영일대해수욕장 (Yeongildae Beach) and save it.
- Choose public transport first. Yeongildae Beach has a pay car park (see the box above), but festival-night rules are not out.
- Book your train or flight last. Korail's timetable and the airport's site are the places to check once the final timetable is out; this guide does not give travel times because we did not find them on an official page.
If you are comparing fireworks festivals, our Busan Fireworks Festival 2026 guide covers a ticketed show with a fixed seating deadline. Our Gyeongju day trip guide covers a neighboring city in the same region.
Help in English
The 1330 Korea Travel Hotline answers in English, Japanese, Chinese and Korean. The Korea Tourism Organization lists it for Yeongildae Beach as "1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330".
For step-free access at the beach, see the Practical info box above. For festival-night routes, ask 1330 or the organizer on 054-289-7852~6.
A few Korean phrases help at a crowded beach:
- 감사합니다 (gamsahamnida): thank you
- 영일대해수욕장 어디예요? (Yeongildae haesuyokjang eodiyeyo?): where is Yeongildae Beach?
- 화장실 (hwajangsil): restroom
FAQ
Is the Pohang International Fireworks Festival free?
Yes. Both the Korean and English VisitKorea pages list the price as free (as of October 2026).
What time does the fireworks show start?
The organizer's draft plan says 20:00-21:00 on Saturday, November 21. The final times are Unverified because the organizer's timetable page was empty on October 23; call 054-289-7852~6 or check back after November 5.
Where exactly is the festival?
The Yeongildae Beach area, according to the organizer. The beach's address is 95 Haean-ro, Duho-dong. The English VisitKorea page names Hyeongsangang Sports Park, which was the 2025 venue.
Can I buy a ticket for a reserved seat?
The plan includes viewing seats for 10,000 spectators on November 21, but no ticket or reservation information is published. Unverified for 2026: ask the organizer on 054-289-7852~6.
What happens if it rains?
Unverified for 2026. The organizer can change or cancel the schedule, and the decision criteria are not published. In 2025 it posted a full cancellation notice for June 21-22 and a rain and strong-wind notice for the drone show, so check the notice board on the day.
Before you go: checklist
- Pick a day between November 19 and 21. The main fireworks show is planned for Saturday, November 21 at 20:00.
- Save 영일대해수욕장 (Yeongildae Beach) in your map app.
- Call 054-289-7852~6 or 1330 to confirm the venue and times.
- Check festival-day parking and road closures on the organizer's notice board.
- Save the re-check dates: November 5, November 12 and November 18.
Official sources
Organizer (Pohang Cultural Foundation):
- Pohang Cultural Foundation, 2026 Pohang International Fireworks Festival (Korean): dates, planned show day, organizers, empty timetable and layout map (checked October 23, 2026)
- Pohang Cultural Foundation, festival page with past festivals and notices (Korean): 2025 and 2024 venues, 2025 notice titles (checked October 23, 2026)
- Pohang Cultural Foundation, event contractor notice (Korean): festival period, linked events, venue area (checked October 23, 2026)
- Pohang Cultural Foundation, task specification for the event contractor (PDF, Korean): draft day-by-day plan, seating plan, traffic-control and weather-plan requirements (checked October 23, 2026)
Korea Tourism Organization:
- Pohang International Fireworks Festival, Korea Tourism Organization (Korean): period, price, phone, main program (checked October 23, 2026)
- Pohang International Fireworks Festival, VisitKorea (English): event period, 2025 venue text, viewing tip, free entry (checked October 23, 2026)
- Korea Tourism Organization, barrier-free travel information for Yeongildae Beach (Korean): accessible parking, ramp, accessible restroom (checked October 23, 2026)
- Korea Tourism Organization TourAPI, Yeongildae Beach place data, Korean (content ID 127698): open all year, free entry, parking fee, contact (checked October 23, 2026)
- Korea Tourism Organization TourAPI, Yeongildae Beach place data, English (content ID 1047722): 1330 Travel Hotline listing, street address (checked October 23, 2026)
- Korea Tourism Organization TourAPI, Pohang Canal place data, Korean and English (content IDs 2383570 and 2476005): address, hours, admission, contact, length (checked October 23, 2026)
Government address data:
- Ministry of the Interior and Safety, road-name address system: official road addresses for 95, 173 and 48 Haean-ro, Buk-gu (checked October 23, 2026)
- Pohang City, Yeongildae Beach tourism listing (Korean): lot number and phone (checked October 23, 2026)
Every fact in this article was checked one by one against the official sources listed above.