2026 Seoul Barbecue Festival set for Nanji Han River Park campground this weekend
The Seoul Metropolitan Government will host the 2026 Seoul Barbecue Festival, a global culinary tourism event, at the Nanji campground in Nanji Han River Park this Saturday and Sunday.
This year's festival centers on the theme "K-barbecue at the campground," featuring two main zones: a self-barbecue area where visitors grill their own meat, and a barbecue village showcasing well-known chefs and popular restaurants.
At the self-barbecue zone — the festival's signature attraction — visitors can purchase Korean beef and pork on-site and grill it themselves without bringing any equipment. Advance reservations sold out in five minutes in the first round and two minutes in the second. A limited number of walk-in seats will be available on the day of the festival.
The barbecue village will feature seven celebrated chefs and restaurants. Among them is Yu Yong-uk Barbecue Lab, run by Chef Yu Yong-uk, who drew wide attention for his appearance on the Netflix show Culinary Class Wars Season 2. Also participating are Hongogi by operator Gu Gyo-hyeok, Yangmun Charcoal Galbi by Chef Ko Seok-hyeon, and Metzger49 by operator Kim Byeong-hyeon, each presenting signature dishes alongside festival-exclusive menus.
Gu will also host a special demonstration, breaking down a whole pig by cut before grilling the prepared meat for visitors to sample.
Live performances will round out the festival atmosphere, including a fusion of traditional Korean music and electronic music, street performances and brass ensemble sets. A local market called Seoro Jangter, bringing together farmers from 10 regions including Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province and North Gyeongsang Province, will run daily from noon to 8 p.m. A rest area serving desserts and beverages will also be available.
The festival is also strengthening ties with nearby businesses. Visitors who present a receipt showing a purchase of 30,000 won ($23) or more from Mangwon Market will receive a 5 percent additional discount on meat purchases at the festival, along with dessert-related perks.
For visitor convenience, paid shuttle buses will run between Digital Media City station and the first parking lot at Mangwon Han River Park and the festival grounds. The fare is 1,200 won, and children not yet of school age ride free. Full schedule details are available on the official website.
Jo Seong-ho, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Tourism and Sports Bureau, said the city would "continue to develop distinctive culinary content unique to Seoul to strengthen its competitiveness as a global gastronomic tourism destination."
ken@heraldcorp.com
