Last updated: September 2026
Quick answer: The Grand Mint Festival (GMF) 2026 — Korea’s biggest annual indie and acoustic-leaning music festival — runs October 17–18 at Olympic Park in southeastern Seoul. The lineup was confirmed in two waves: a first announcement in July brought YOUNHA, Jang Kiha, CNBLUE, N.Flying, ONEWE, Thornapple, and Roy Kim, and a second wave in August added the 10cm × Solan collaboration act “Siblan,” Bumzu, Sunwoo Jung-a, and Lacuna, among others. Tickets sell through NOL Ticket and YES24, and — unlike the K-pop and international stadium shows that usually headline Seoul’s fall concert calendar — GMF leans acoustic, indie, and singer-songwriter, giving fans of Korean indie music a reason to time a trip around it.
Table of Contents
- What Is the Grand Mint Festival?
- Who’s Playing GMF 2026?
- How Do I Get Tickets?
- How Do I Get to Olympic Park?
- Where Should I Stay for GMF 2026?
- Plan Your Trip
What Is the Grand Mint Festival?
The Grand Mint Festival, often shortened to GMF, is one of Korea’s longest-running homegrown music festivals and the flagship event of promoter Mint Paper. It’s built around indie rock, acoustic sets, and singer-songwriter performances rather than the choreographed K-pop or arena-pop acts that dominate most of Seoul’s other fall concert dates. The 2026 edition runs October 17 (Saturday) and October 18 (Sunday) at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu — the same sprawling park and sports complex built for the 1988 Summer Olympics, and a regular home for the festival’s open-air stages.
Who’s Playing GMF 2026?
Mint Paper confirmed the lineup in two rounds, according to Sports Khan’s initial lineup report and its follow-up on the second-wave additions. The first announcement, on July 16, named YOUNHA, Jang Kiha, CNBLUE, N.Flying, ONEWE, Thornapple, and Roy Kim. A second wave on August 6 added more names, including a one-off collaboration billed as “Siblan” — pairing 10cm with Solan — plus Bumzu, Sunwoo Jung-a, and Lacuna. Between the two waves, the festival confirmed that this year’s roughly two dozen acts are split across separate day-specific bills for October 17 and October 18, rather than one shared lineup performing both nights — check the official Mint Paper GMF 2026 festival page for the exact day-by-day stage schedule once it’s published, since that level of detail updates closer to the event.
How Do I Get Tickets?
GMF tickets are sold through Korea’s two major domestic platforms, NOL Ticket and YES24, the same channels used for most large Seoul concerts. Because the 2026 bill is split by day, tickets are typically sold per day rather than as a single festival pass — worth checking both platforms directly for current pricing and whether a two-day bundle is offered, since exact tiers and any early-bird pricing change year to year and aren’t listed on the English-language pages most international fans check first.
How Do I Get to Olympic Park?
Olympic Park is one of the easier festival venues in Seoul to reach by public transit. Take subway Line 5 (purple) or Line 8 (pink) to Olympic Park Station (올림픽공원역), then follow the park signage to the festival grounds — the walk from the station gates to the main lawn areas is generally under ten minutes. If this is your first time using Seoul’s subway system, the Seoul transport guide covers T-money cards and line basics before you land.
Where Should I Stay for GMF 2026?
Olympic Park sits on Line 5 and Line 8, so staying anywhere along either line keeps you a direct, transfer-free ride from the festival gates — Jamsil and Gangnam are both well under 20 minutes away and offer the widest hotel selection near the venue. It’s worth comparing hotel rates around Seoul🏨 for your travel dates, or checking availability near Jamsil and Olympic Park🏨 if you’d rather stay within easy walking distance of Line 5 or Line 8. The where to stay in Seoul guide breaks down every neighborhood by vibe and subway access if you want a fuller comparison.
Plan Your Trip
GMF’s indie and acoustic lineup makes it a different kind of fall music trip than the K-pop and international stadium shows filling out Seoul’s other October dates this year — see the Seoul concerts fall 2026 guide for what else is on around the same weeks, from Silica Gel’s KSPO Dome shows to Post Malone and The Weeknd at Goyang Stadium. Mid-October also lines up with peak autumn foliage in Seoul, so a GMF trip doubles easily as a leaf-viewing one. Once you’ve picked your dates, you can compare current flight fares to Seoul✈️ to see what a late-October trip would cost.
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