Deep pink azaleas will take over from cherry blossoms that look like "white popcorn." Following the cherry blossom festivals that signaled the start of spring, preparations for azalea festivals are in full swing. Spring flowers usually start in the south and move up to the central region, but with the recent warm weather, earlier blooming than usual is expected even in the Seoul metropolitan area. Starting next week, azalea festivals will be held in succession in Nowon District, Seoul, and in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province.
◇Azalea viewing as early as on the 13th… Bukhansan Healing Town Azalea Festival
Nowon District will host the "2026 Azalea Festival" at Bukhansan Healing Town from the 16th to the 26th. Since creating the azalea garden at Bukhansan Healing Town, this year marks the fifth edition. Every spring, 100,000 azalea shrubs fill Bukhansan, creating a Minister. About 327,000 people visited last year.
Nowon District expects azaleas to start blooming as early as on the 13th and reach their peak in mid-April. Visitors will likely be able to see azaleas even before the festival.
Bukhansan Healing Town is an urban nature space that includes the azalea garden, a butterfly garden, a forest healing center, a children's forest experience center, a garden support center, and a picnic area. Rest areas are set up throughout, allowing visitors to enjoy flowers, forests, and culture together.
At the Healing Garden of the Garden Support Center, pressed-flower frame making and dried-flower experiences will be held on Apr. 18–19 and 25–26. In the open space in front of the Forest Healing Center, a forest-meditation contest, singing bowl sessions, healing performances, and traditional Korean music performances will be held on the 17–19 and 24–26. Hours are 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
At the picnic area, various hands-on programs such as an insect festival and magic performances will be offered. Visitors can experience live insects such as fireflies, silkworms, stag beetles, and native honeybees. These programs run only on weekends during the festival period, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On site, food trucks and food stalls selling about 10 kinds of items, including chicken skewers, hot dogs, French fries, kebabs, and snack foods, will also operate.
◇Azaleas to enjoy day and night… 2026 Gunpo Azalea Festival opens on the 18th
Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, will host the "2026 Azalea Festival" on the 18th across the azalea garden, Azalea Park, and Chomakgol Ecological Park and surrounding areas. The festival will run for nine days until the 26th of this month.
The Gunpo Azalea Festival is a leading spring flower festival in the Seoul metropolitan area, marking its 12th edition this year. Gunpo expects about 600,000 visitors during the festival period. Last year's visitors totaled about 540,000.
Gunpo will enhance nighttime scenery so visitors can enjoy azaleas around the clock. Around the azalea garden, the city has created an "Azalea Light-up," and in the tunnel section of Azalea Park, it has set up an interactive lighting space that responds to sound and movement.
From midnight on the 18th, opening day, to 10 p.m. on the 19th, the section from the fire station intersection to the 8th complex intersection will be operated as a car-free street. A special stage will be installed in this section, and singers Park Jeong-hyeon and Lee Seung-gi are scheduled to perform.