A 20-ton sand playground will be set up in the middle of Gwanghwamun Square. With water-play facilities such as a large swimming pool and a water slide, downtown Seoul will turn into a summer getaway for 21 days.
The Seoul Tourism Organization said on the 17th that it will host "2026 Seoul Summer Beach" from the 20th to Aug. 9 in and around Gwanghwamun Square and Sejongno Park.
Marking its fourth year, Seoul Summer Beach has expanded the event space from the existing Gwanghwamun Square to Sejongno Park. About 1.46 million people visited last year's event.
The venue will consist of three zones: the "Water Wave Zone," with water-play facilities; the "Play Wave Zone," an experiential area featuring a sand playground; and the "Play Market Zone," which will sell food and summer goods.
The Water Wave Zone will feature a large swimming pool, an 8-meter-high water slide, a water bucket, and a bounce pool. The water slide is open to both children and adults, but for safety, children 110 cm or shorter may not ride. The bounce pool for infants and toddlers will operate with a shallow water depth.
In the Play Wave Zone, a dome-shaped sand playground called "Sand Agit," 12 meters in diameter, will be installed. It uses 20 tons of sand brought from five regions nationwide: Yangyang in Gangwon, Ganghwa in Incheon, Boryeong in South Chungcheong, Busan, and Gunsan in North Jeolla.
Sand Agit will operate for free from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., opening at 2 p.m. on Sundays. Each session lasts 50 minutes.
Each session can accommodate 50 people, including 30 advance registrants and 20 walk-ins. Each person may apply for up to four tickets per week, and cancellations and changes are allowed until before the session time.
The first round of advance reservations is underway for use from the 20th to the 26th of this month. Daytime weekend slots are already sold out. The second and third rounds of advance reservations will begin at 7 p.m. on the 22nd and 29th, respectively. Detailed reservation schedules and methods can be found on the official Seoul Summer Beach social media.
Debuting this year, the Play Market Zone will feature food trucks and a flea market. The food trucks will sell snacks to enjoy after water play, and the flea market will showcase summer accessories and goods made by small business owners.
Gil Gi-yeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization, said, "Water play and sand play in the heart of downtown are a special summer scene you can find only in Seoul," adding, "With the expanded scale and content this year, we will offer even richer summer memories to residents and tourists."