Pohang International Fireworks Festival 2026, free on Nov 19 to 21

The 2026 Pohang International Fireworks Festival runs from Thursday November 19 to Saturday November 21 around Yeongildae Beach in Pohang, a steel city on Korea’s east coast. Entry is free. The headline event, the international fireworks show, is planned for Saturday night, November 21. This year’s theme is “ALL LIGHT ALL GOOD”.

If you only have one night, make it Saturday.

What the festival is

Pohang calls itself the city of fire and light. The festival takes its themes from that: light for the steel industry, fire for the blast furnaces. It started in 2004 as a fireworks show for Pohang Citizens’ Day and grew into an international event, with fireworks teams from abroad taking part every year, according to the Pohang Cultural Foundation, which organizes it for Pohang City.

November is an unusual month for it. Recent editions ran in late May or June, and the last November edition on the foundation’s list was in 2021, also on Yeongildae Beach. A November fireworks night on the sea means cold air and an early sunset, so dress for a winter evening by the water.

Which night to go

The official overview names one fixed program so far: the international fireworks show on Saturday November 21. The foundation has also recruited groups for a Night Carnival light parade, which is part of this year’s festival. For parade times and what runs on Thursday and Friday, check the program and timetable tabs on the official page in the week before you travel.

Pohang International Fireworks Festival on the official site

Getting there

Pohang is on the east coast, north of Busan and east of Daegu. The festival area is around Yeongildae Beach in Buk-gu, at 173 Haean-ro (Duho-dong). For trains, Pohang City’s tourism site sends visitors to Korail for times and fares. If you have not booked a Korean train before, our guide to KTX tickets and the KORAIL PASS covers how foreign visitors book.

Traffic and parking notices for the festival go up on the official page, so check it before you set off.

Where to stay

The fireworks are on Saturday night, and getting back to Seoul after a late show is a long ride. Staying in Pohang on Saturday night is the easy choice, and somewhere near Yeongildae Beach keeps the walk back short.

Before you go

For data, an eSIM is the easy answer. Superalink is a Korean eSIM company; set it up at home and it works the moment you land. Superalink has a 20% discount for Every Ticket readers. If you are going as a group, agree on a meeting point before the show starts.

Five apps run a Korea trip: NAVER Map, Konest, Kakao T, WOWPASS and Papago. Every Ticket, the app I am building, is the sixth. Five to run the trip, one to keep it. When you reach Yeongildae a pin drops on its own and the day’s route is recorded. There is no ticket for a free festival, so a photo of the fireworks over the sea goes onto the card instead. Recording runs in the background without draining your battery, and the card is built on your phone, not on a server.

Dates and programs can change. Confirm on the official site (Pohang Cultural Foundation) before you travel.

FAQ

When is the Pohang International Fireworks Festival 2026?

Thursday November 19 to Saturday November 21, 2026. The international fireworks show is planned for Saturday November 21.

Where is it held?

Around Yeongildae Beach in Buk-gu, Pohang (173 Haean-ro, Duho-dong).

Is it free?

Yes. Korea Tourism Organization lists the festival as free to attend.

Who runs the festival?

Pohang City hosts it and the Pohang Cultural Foundation organizes it. Program and timetable updates are posted on the foundation's festival page.