Last updated: September 2026
Quick answer: Seoul is closing Jamsugyo Bridge to traffic every Sunday from September 6 through October 25, 2026, turning about 1.1 kilometers of the lower Han River bridge into a pedestrian festival space from 2pm to 10pm. It’s the fifth year of the Car-Free Jamsugyo Bridge Festival, which has drawn more than 6.47 million visitors since it started, and each of the eight Sundays this fall runs a different themed program — water fights, food trucks, a Milky Way–inspired night light display — on top of the bridge’s regular Moonlight Rainbow Fountain shows.
Table of Contents
- When and Where Is the Festival?
- What’s Happening Each Sunday?
- Does the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain Still Run?
- How Do You Get There?
- Where to Stay Near Banpo
- Plan Your Trip
When and Where Is the Festival?
The Car-Free Jamsugyo Bridge Festival closes Jamsugyo Bridge — the low-lying bridge that runs directly underneath Banpo Bridge — to vehicle traffic from noon to midnight every Sunday between September 6 and October 25, 2026, with the festival programming itself running 2pm to 10pm (extended an hour later than past years to support Seoul’s nighttime economy push). The closure covers roughly 1.1 kilometers of roadway, from the bridge’s northern end down to Moonlight Square on the Banpo Hangang Park side, according to the City of Seoul’s official announcement. This is the fifth consecutive year the city has run the festival, and it’s become one of the most-attended recurring free events on the river — organizers put cumulative attendance at more than 6.47 million visitors across the previous four seasons.
What’s Happening Each Sunday?
Rather than repeating one format for eight straight weekends, the city built a different theme into each Sunday. In September: a large-scale water gun battle on September 6 (two rounds, roughly 800 participants), university club performances and hands-on booths on September 13, an all-ages field day on September 20, and a Chuseok program on September 27 with traditional performances from six countries. October shifts tone — a “Gourmet Road” lineup of more than 100 food trucks (served in eco-friendly containers) on October 4, a media art display on October 11 with lighting “inspired by the Milky Way” set to music from 7pm to 10pm, and wellness programming (yoga, meditation) on October 18. A Silent DJ Party runs as a recurring feature across multiple Sundays. If you can only make one date, the Milky Way lighting show on October 11 is the closest thing this run has to a signature night.
Does the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain Still Run?
Yes — the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain on Banpo Bridge, directly above the closed roadway, keeps its regular schedule through the festival: six shows a day in September and five a day in October, each about 20 minutes. Because Jamsugyo sits right beneath Banpo Bridge, a festival Sunday effectively stacks two free attractions in one visit — the fountain overhead and the closed-road festival space below it, both free to walk into with no ticket or reservation.
How Do You Get There?
The city is explicit that public transportation is the way to go — car access near the bridge gets congested once the closure starts, and there’s no vehicle drop-off inside the festival zone. The closest station is Express Bus Terminal (Lines 3, 7, 9) with a walk toward Banpo Hangang Park, or Sinbanpo station on Line 9 if you’re coming from the Gangnam side. Once you’re at the park, the festival space and Moonlight Square are a short walk along the riverside path — there’s no separate entrance fee or registration needed to walk onto the closed bridge itself, though some individual Sunday activities (like the water gun battle) may cap participant numbers.
Where to Stay Near Banpo
Staying in Banpo or Seocho puts you within walking distance of both the fountain and the festival closure, so you can catch a Sunday afternoon session and stay through the evening light show without a late subway ride home. It’s worth comparing hotel rates around Seoul🏨 for your travel dates, or checking availability near the Han River and Gangnam side🏨 if you want to stay closer to the Banpo side of the bridge.
Plan Your Trip
For the rest of what the river offers beyond festival Sundays — the other Hangang parks, picnicking, bike rentals, and the fountain’s regular off-festival schedule — see our Han River in Seoul guide. If your trip lines up with a fall weekend, Seoul’s Han River Drone Light Show also returns for its fall season a short ride upriver at Ttukseom, so it’s possible to stack both free river events into the same visit depending on your dates.
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