Last updated: July 2026
Quick answer: Seoul’s 2026 Hangang Drone Light Show is confirmed to return for a second, fall season in September–October, with five more free performances mostly centered on Ttukseom Hangang Park — the same free-admission format as the five spring sessions that ran April–June. Exact September dates hadn’t been published by the Seoul Metropolitan Government as of this writing, so if you’re planning a trip around it, this is what’s confirmed and how to catch the announcement.
What Is the Han River Drone Light Show?
The Hangang Drone Light Show (한강 불빛 공연) is a free, city-run night festival held over the Han River, where a synchronized drone fleet forms shapes and animations in the sky above the water, framed by two live cultural-performance sets. It’s run by Seoul’s Hangang management office in two annual seasons — spring/early summer and fall — with each season made up of several one-night sessions rotated across the river’s biggest parks.
How Did the Spring 2026 Season Go?
The first half of 2026 ran five sessions: April 10 at Yeouido Hangang Park (opening night, BT21-themed), April 25 and May 16 at Ttukseom Hangang Park, May 5 at Jamsil Hangang Park (a Children’s Day edition reported to fly around 2,000 drones), and a closing show on June 5 back at Ttukseom. Each night followed the same structure: a live performance from 7:30–8:30 PM, the drone show itself from 8:30–8:45 PM, then a second performance set until 9:15 PM — all free to watch from anywhere along the riverside lawns near each venue.
When Is the Fall 2026 Season, and Where?
Seoul’s Hangang office has confirmed a second block of five performances for September and October 2026, continuing the same free format, with Ttukseom Hangang Park named as the primary venue for the fall run — consistent with how the city split spring/fall drone show seasons in 2024 and 2025. As of this writing, specific September dates haven’t been posted yet on the official schedule. If you’re building a Korea trip around it, the most reliable way to catch the exact dates is the official Hangang Drone Light Show site, which posts each season’s session-by-session schedule once finalized — typically a few weeks ahead of the first fall date.
Where’s the Best Place to Watch?
Ttukseom Hangang Park, the fall season’s main venue, sits beside Ttukseom Station (Line 2, exits 7–8) or a short walk from Seoul Forest Station on the Suin-Bundang Line — the same access points used for the Seongsu-dong neighborhood next door, so a drone show night pairs easily with dinner or cafés there beforehand. No tickets or reservations are needed for any session; arrive with a mat an hour or so before showtime to claim riverside lawn space, since the free performance sets before and after the drone segment draw a crowd well before the drones launch. General picnicking, bike-rental, and river-access tips for Ttukseom and the other Han River parks are in the Han River guide.
Is This Different From the Hangang River Festival?
Yes — they’re separate programs that both use the river as a stage. The Hangang River Festival is a summer-long lineup of markets, concerts, and pop-up events across multiple parks; the drone light show is its own standalone series with a much narrower one-night-per-venue format. If your trip window covers both, it’s worth checking each schedule separately rather than assuming they overlap.
Quick Summary: Han River Drone Light Show 2026
- Fall season: September–October 2026, 5 sessions (exact dates TBA on the official site)
- Main fall venue: Ttukseom Hangang Park
- Spring season (completed): Apr 10 (Yeouido), Apr 25 (Ttukseom), May 5 (Jamsil), May 16 (Ttukseom), Jun 5 (Ttukseom)
- Show structure: 7:30–8:30 PM performance, 8:30–8:45 PM drone show, 8:45–9:15 PM performance
- Cost: Free, no reservation
- Nearest stations: Ttukseom (Line 2, exits 7/8) or Seoul Forest (Suin-Bundang Line)