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Busan Fireworks Festival 2026: Seats, Spots, Getting There

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The 21st Busan Fireworks Festival runs from 7 to 8 pm on Saturday, November 7, 2026, over the water off Gwangalli Beach. Paid seats are 100,000 won (R) and 70,000 won (S), sold on NOL Ticket until 5 pm on November 6. There is no parking, so take Line 2 to Gwangan Station, Exit 3.

If you’re in Busan on Saturday, November 7, book your evening for Gwangalli. The 2026 Busan Fireworks Festival (the 21st one) runs from 7 to 8 pm over the water off Gwangalli Beach.

You don’t need a ticket. There are paid seats on the beach, but last year 1.17 million people showed up and there were only about 14,000 paid seats. Everyone else watched without one.

Also, leave the car at home, because there’s no parking. Dates and times can change with the weather or the organizers’ plans, so open the official site (there’s an English version) before you leave.

What time do the fireworks start?

They start at 7 pm and finish at 8. There’s a break from 7:15 to 7:25. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism festival page says 1 pm, but the fireworks themselves go off after dark, at 7.

Busan city says this year’s show includes a segment marking the 21st anniversary of Gwangan Bridge. There’s no official rule yet on what happens if it rains, so if the weather turns bad, check the announcements on the day first.

If you want a feel for it, the organizers posted a one-minute video from last year, which is just the right length.

Video: Busan Festival Organizing Committee (Busan Festival) YouTube channel, 20th festival in 2025

Busan Fireworks Festival paid seats: worth buying?

There are two kinds of seats.

Seat	Price	What you get
R seat	100,000 won	Table and chairs
S seat	70,000 won	Chairs only

The seats are on the sand of Gwangalli Beach, in front of Hotel Aqua Palace and Homers Hotel. The August early-bird batch was sold out in about a minute. General sales are on NOL Ticket until 5 pm on November 6.

They’re also sold through BNK Busan Bank mobile banking (until November 1), at its branches (S seats only, until November 5), and in a hotel package with a stay included (until October 25). Whether any seats are left is something you have to check on the seller’s page.

If you buy, you have to be on time. Entry opens at 3 pm, but if you’re not in your seat by 6 pm, you can’t get in and you don’t get a refund. The fireworks start at 7 but the seat deadline is 6, and that’s the catch.

Foreign visitors can buy too. NOL has an English page for international users with the same R and S seats, and it says passport verification is required, so bring yours. The allotment for overseas travel agencies reportedly sold out early.

Wheelchair seats are handled by phone only (1544-1555). A 10% discount for Busan residents is new this year, limited to four tickets per person, and they check an ID showing a Busan address on site. The organizers have banned scalping, so only buy from the official sellers.

Where can you watch without a ticket?

The official viewing areas are Gwangalli Beach, Igidae and Dongbaek Island. Both the paid seats and the event address are at Gwangalli, so Gwangalli is the center of things.

Photo: Busan Metropolitan City, source 1, source 2, KOGL Type 1 (공공누리 제1유형)

Honestly, the “best viewing spots” lists floating around online weren’t put together by any official body, so I haven’t copied them here. I also haven’t compared the spots in person.

I haven’t found an official line this year saying the beach outside the paid seats is open for free, either. Last year the plan was to close entry once the beach filled up, so if you show up late, you might get turned away right at the sand.

What past visitors say

The announcements didn’t give me much of a feel for it, so I went looking for posts from people who’ve been, in English this time. Reddit wouldn’t load for me, so these are blogs only.

Last year (2025), an English-language travel blogger watched from the free area and claimed a spot on the beach around 2 pm. They had planned to watch from a restaurant, but the restaurants were closed for group bookings, so they bought a mat from a street vendor for 5,000 won. Next time they’d arrive before 4 pm, sit close to an exit, and sit near a speaker so they can hear the music.

Sven den Otter, who has lived in Korea since 2020, has seen it twice. He watched once from Dongbaek Island, which he found free and less crowded, and says he showed up fairly late and still got a great spot. Another time he paid for Gwangalli seats, which he thought were expensive but fun to do once. His page doesn’t say which year was which, so take it as the last couple of editions.

Reality check

If this is on your Korea bucket list, a few small things will make the night easier. Busan by the sea in November gets chilly in the evening, and one visitor guide I read suggests at least a light jacket. You’ll be sitting for hours, so a mat and a warm jacket will make your night a lot easier.

None of the English reports I found said anything about toilets, so I can’t tell you how long the lines are. Go before you claim your spot.

The hardest part is getting home. More than a million people leave at once. Last year’s plan, as reported, was to run empty trains if Suyeong, Gwangan or Geumnyeonsan stations got crowded and to have trains skip a station if it got dangerous. The first blogger above waited about 30 minutes after the show before moving, so there’s no need to rush. Leaving a little late works too.

Getting there and traffic closures

There’s no parking, so the subway is the answer.

Area	How to get there
Gwangalli Beach	Line 2, Gwangan Station, Exit 3
Igidae	Line 2, Kyungsung Univ.·Pukyong Natl. Univ. Station, then a bus
Dongbaek Island	Line 2, Dongbaek Station, Exit 1

As of October 15, this year’s traffic closure plan hasn’t been released. Last year it was reported five days before the event, so I’ll update this as soon as it appears. For reference, here’s last year’s plan.

2025 closure start	Section
10:00	About 0.82 km of Gwangan Beach Road (Eonyang junction to Mannam Plaza)
15:30	Upper deck of Gwangan Bridge (toward Nam-gu)
16:00	Several coastal roads and nearby ring roads
17:00	About 3 km of Gwangnam-ro and more, the widest closure
18:00	11 city bus routes detoured
18:30	Lower deck of Gwangan Bridge (toward Haeundae)

Last year’s plan also included extra buses on 21 routes, with some routes running until midnight, about 7,000 safety staff, and 42 management zones at the venue.

Arriving in Busan from abroad

Most people land at Gimhae International Airport. VisitKorea’s airport guide says to take the Busan-Gimhae Light Rail from Airport Station to Sasang Station (about 6 minutes), then switch to Busan Metro Line 2. It puts the whole trip to Gwangalli at about 50 minutes. There are airport limousine buses too, but when Busan city announced the upgraded service the routes named were Haeundae to Gijang and Seomyeon to Bujeon, with no Gwangalli stop, so the light rail and Line 2 is the simple one for this trip.

Coming from Seoul, VisitKorea’s Busan guide puts the KTX from Seoul Station to Busan Station at about 3 hours. From Incheon Airport it lists a bus to Gwangmyeong Station (about 50 minutes) and then the KTX (about 2 hours 40 minutes). I couldn’t find an official page that spells out Busan Station to Gwangalli, so let your map app plan that subway ride. All of these times are the guides’ estimates.

Before you come

Install NAVER Map or KakaoMap before you fly, since VisitKorea says Google Maps navigation doesn’t work in Korea. Papago is the translation app to have, and it handles audio and photos too. A T-money card from a convenience store, topped up at subway machines, covers the subway and buses. For a non-urgent question or an interpreter, VisitKorea points to the 1330 Korea Travel Hotline.

For this year’s details in English, the city’s news item on seat sales is the most current. The VisitKorea and Visit Busan pages I found still show the 2025 edition, so ignore their dates.

Past Busan Fireworks Festival dates

Edition	Date	Visitors (as reported)
19th	Saturday, November 9, 2024	1.03 million
20th	Saturday, November 15, 2025	1.17 million
21st	Saturday, November 7, 2026	Not held yet

I update this post at the same address every year, and other festival schedules are collected under festivals and events. A week before the event I’ll check the traffic closures and announcements again and fold them in. Yes, I’ll go digging again.

Seoul Christmas Lights 2026: Shinsegae, The Hyundai, Lotte

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The first Seoul Christmas lights to switch on are the Shinsegae Square media facade in Myeongdong. Last year it ran from November 7 to January 31, every day from 5 pm to midnight, free to watch from the street. As of October 15, most 2026 dates aren't out yet. Only Lotte Department Store's main branch has said it will preview a new media facade in November and switch it on properly in December. The Hyundai Seoul's Christmas village used Naver advance booking plus an on-site queue last year.

If you’re after Seoul Christmas lights, start with the media facade on the outer wall of the Shinsegae Department Store main branch in Myeongdong. Last year it switched on November 7 and ran until January 31, every day from 5 pm to midnight, and it’s free because you watch from the street.

Almost nothing for 2026 has been announced as of October 15. So the dates below are last year’s, and I’ll fix this post as soon as this year’s come out. Department store shows change every year, so check each store’s own notice before you go.

Seoul Christmas lights: what were last year’s dates?

I put last year’s dates and hours in one table. There’s no guarantee they’ll match this year.

Place	2025 dates	Hours	How to get in
Shinsegae Square media facade (Myeongdong)	Nov 7 to Jan 31	17:00-24:00	Free from the street
Lotte Department Store main branch exterior (Myeongdong)	Oct 31 to Dec 31	17:30-23:00	Free from the street
The Hyundai Seoul Christmas village (Yeouido)	Nov 1 to Dec 31	Weekdays 10:30-20:00, weekends until 20:30	Advance reservation or on-site queue
Lotte Town Christmas market (Jamsil)	Nov 20 to Jan 4	11:30-22:00	Paid entry after 16:00
Starfield COEX Mall Starfield Library tree	Nov 13 to Jan 31	10:30-22:30	Free
Seoul Plaza Christmas tree	Nov 17 to Jan 1	Not confirmed	Free

The sources are the Seoul city government, the VISITKOREA English article, and department store announcements and news reports. One guide listed the Lotte main branch end date as December 25, but I followed the VISITKOREA article.

Where should you watch the Shinsegae media facade?

Stand across the street in front of the Seoul Central Post Office, at Exit 1 of the Hoehyeon Underground Shopping Center. A Shinsegae staff member named it in the VISITKOREA article, and you get the screen and the fountain out front in one view.

This spot got a little better this year. The city and Jung-gu swapped the railing at this underpass exit for clear glass in July, reportedly so the railing doesn’t block the screen.

Last year’s show was a three-minute piece called “A Magical World Connecting Time.” The screen measures 1,353.64 square meters, 61.3 square meters bigger than the year before, according to Kyunghyang Shinmun. When the video ends, the same show starts again from the top, so if you miss it, a short wait fixes that.

To get there, it’s 232 m from Exit 7 of Hoehyeon Station on Line 4 (per the Seoul Tourism Organization). The address is 63 Sogong-ro, Jung-gu.

Video: Seoul Tourism Organization VisitSeoul TV YouTube channel, 2025

What’s new at Lotte Department Store’s main branch?

This is practically the only place with an announcement for this year. Lotte Department Store’s main branch is putting up a new media facade called “Lotte Town Light” on the outer wall of its Young Plaza building, 77 m wide and 21 m tall. In July it said it would run a teaser video in November and switch it on properly in December (reported by Hankyung and ZDNet Korea).

At 1,614 square meters, it’s reportedly bigger than Shinsegae Square. The exact start date and hours haven’t been released. They’re also preparing Christmas decorations linking the main building, Avenuel and Young Plaza.

Last year’s theme was “Sweet Holiday,” with 30,000 LEDs and a 13 m tree. It’s in Myeongdong like Shinsegae, so it’s easy to see the two back to back. The address is 81 Namdaemun-ro, Jung-gu.

Do you need a reservation for The Hyundai Seoul Christmas village?

Last year, you either booked in advance on Naver or registered in the on-site queue with a QR code on the day. They took about 2,500 people a day, 30% by advance reservation and 70% on site (ZDNet Korea).

The first round of advance reservations opened at 6 pm on October 23 and sold out in 30 minutes. So if this year is similar, the end of October is the crunch. On-site queue registration starts at 11:30 am each day through QR codes on each floor, limited to four people per account or card (VISITKOREA article).

If you’re a foreign visitor without a Korean phone number, you can get a paper queue ticket at the 5th-floor entrance. Last year’s theme was “Harry’s Christmas Workshop,” with a forest, Santa’s house and a letter workshop built in Sounds Forest on the 5th floor. I couldn’t find the admission fee in any official material.

The Lotte World Tower Christmas market in Jamsil

Last year it ran from November 20 to January 4, every day from 11:30 am to 10 pm, on the lawn of World Park at Lotte World Tower. There was a 13 m tree, a snow shower five times a day and a carousel on the 2nd floor.

Entry was paid after 4 pm. The fast pass you could buy ahead was sold through Naver reservation, and the first batch reportedly sold out in 10 minutes. Ticket types and prices change by time slot, so go by this year’s notice.

From mid-December: Gwanghwamun and Cheonggyecheon too

Seoul Winter Festa and the Seoul Lantern Festival, the city’s winter festivals, started on December 12 last year. The Lantern Festival was free, from 6 pm to 10 pm along the stretch from Cheonggye Plaza to Samil Bridge.

This year’s schedule isn’t out yet. Last year it was announced on November 24. Myeongdong to Cheonggyecheon is a walkable distance, so if you’re here after mid-December, you can fit both into one evening.

What visitors said

For Myeongdong, I found posts from one English-language writer based in Korea, covering two years in a row. For The Hyundai Seoul, I found one more English blog post. I only used English-language blogs this time.

On December 23, 2024, a writer at liminality.org got off at Hoehyeon Station right after sunset, but the crowd in front of Shinsegae was so thick that they only got a photo from the railing on the opposite sidewalk. The fountain lights changed with the colors on the screen, and Lotte felt calmer and more classic than Shinsegae.

In December 2025, the same writer walked on a mild evening of around 12 degrees, from Shinsegae to the Lotte main branch, Myeongdong Street, Myeongdong Cathedral and the Cheonggyecheon lantern festival, in that order. They wrote that Myeongdong Street was packed with street stalls and people.

For The Hyundai Seoul, a post dated December 5, 2025 on Seoul Searching, a blog by a trio who moved to Korea in 2009, says weekends are the busiest and it usually thins out later in the evening. Each cottage is a photo zone with its own wait, and they say it’s mostly photo spots rather than a traditional market. The blog also mentions the paper ticket at the entrance for people without a Korean phone number or KakaoTalk.

Reality check

Brace yourself for Myeongdong on Christmas Eve. Last year the Jung-gu District Office expected up to 50,000 people on Christmas Eve and ran special crowd management from December 24 to 27 and December 31 to January 1. This year Christmas falls on a Friday, so it runs straight into the weekend.

Pro tip: leave the car at home. A report said the top-selling parking passes at the end of last year were for spots near the Shinsegae and Lotte main branches, which tells you how many people drive.

On-site waiting at The Hyundai reportedly stretched to two hours in mid-December. I can’t promise weekday daytime is any quieter, because there’s no official data on it.

I’m collecting other festival schedules under festivals and events. If you’re heading to Busan in early November, the Busan Fireworks Festival on November 7 is worth a look too. I’ll fill in this year’s lighting dates as they come out, and yes, I’ll be the one refreshing the department store notices.

2026 MAMA AWARDS in Osaka: Dates, Tickets, Lineup, How to Watch

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The 2026 MAMA AWARDS run for two days at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan, with the main show at 6 pm on Friday, November 20 and 3 pm on Saturday, November 21. The first presale is a Qoo10 Japan lottery open until 11:59 pm on October 18 (Japan time), with reserved seats at 25,000 yen and premium seats at 35,000 yen. If you can't go, Mnet Plus streams it live worldwide.

The 2026 MAMA AWARDS aren’t in Korea this year. They’re at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan on Friday, November 20 and Saturday, November 21. Tickets are in a Qoo10 Japan lottery presale right now, and entries close at 11:59 pm on October 18 (Japan time), so if you want to be there in person, you need to move this week.

If you can’t make it, no problem, because Mnet Plus streams the show live worldwide. Schedules and details can change on the organizer’s side, so open the Mnet Japan special page once in a while.

2026 MAMA AWARDS dates and start times

The main show starts at 6 pm on day one and 3 pm on day two. All times here are Japan time, which is the same as Korea time.

Date	Red carpet	Main show
Friday, November 20 (Chapter 1)	15:30	18:00
Saturday, November 21 (Chapter 2)	12:30	15:00

These times come from Mnet Japan, which says they may change without notice. This year’s theme is “A MUSIC INTERSTELLAR” (announced by CJ ENM).

MAMA began in 1999 as the Mnet Video Music Awards and got its current name in 2022. This is the third time it has been held at Kyocera Dome, after 2022 and 2024.

Year	Venue
2022	Kyocera Dome Osaka
2023	Tokyo Dome
2024	Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Kyocera Dome Osaka
2025	Kai Tak Stadium, Hong Kong
2026	Kyocera Dome Osaka

MAMA 2026 tickets: how the lottery works

Only the first presale is open so far, and it’s sold on the Qoo10 Japan special page. That page is in Japanese, and I didn’t see an English option on it. It’s a lottery rather than first come, first served. Pro tip: you don’t need to refresh all night, and that’s good news.

The presale has two tracks, and you can enter only one. The Visa presale is for Visa cardholders and you pay with a Visa card only. The FAN FESTA presale is for people who bought a FESTA SUPER PASS, and pass holders get priority in the draw for the same chapter. I couldn’t find the pass price or what it includes.

Step	Schedule (Japan time)
Entries	From Tuesday, October 13 at 12:00 to Sunday, October 18 at 23:59
Results	Wednesday, October 21 at 12:00
Payment deadline	Friday, October 23 at 23:59

Prices are per show day.

Seat	Price	Notes
Reserved seat	25,000 yen	All seated
Premium seat	35,000 yen	Closer to the stage. You must also enter for the same number of reserved seats on the same day

Each ticket also carries a 330 yen system fee, a 220 yen issuing fee and a 550 yen special sales fee. You can enter for up to two tickets of each type per day, and you can win only one type per day.

Visa says cardholders worldwide can enter this presale. You still need to sign up for Qoo10 Japan, and the name on your account becomes the name on the ticket. Once you’ve entered, you can’t cancel or get a refund, so take your time before you hit the button.

As of October 15, there’s no fan club presale or general sale date yet. I’ll update this once there is.

Rules once you have a ticket

Tickets arrive as チケプラ (Ticket Plus) e-tickets, and your seat number appears at 1 pm the day before the show. Your identity is checked at the entrance, so the person who applied has to be the one who goes. You can change a companion’s name only during the entry period.

Resale is banned. Qoo10’s notice says a resold or transferred ticket is refused at the door, becomes void and isn’t refunded, so I wouldn’t buy from anywhere except the official seller.

Photos, recording and streaming aren’t allowed inside, and once you leave you can’t come back in.

MAMA 2026 lineup: who performs on which day

Twelve acts were announced on October 13.

Date	Performers
Friday, November 20	ALPHA DRIVE ONE, BABYMONSTER, ENHYPEN, ILLIT, INI, NCT WISH, RESCENE
Saturday, November 21	CORTIS, KiiiKiii, LE SSERAFIM, Nayeon (TWICE), ZEROBASEONE

Presenters are still listed as “coming soon.” Check which day your bias is on, then pick your chapter.

Fan voting (FANS’ CHOICE) opened on Mnet Plus right after the nominee announcement show on October 12. Mnet Japan says only 2026 MAMA SUPER FAN members can vote, and that sign-up closed on September 6 (CJ Newsroom).

How to watch MAMA 2026 if you can’t be there

You can watch the live stream anywhere in the world on Mnet Plus (announced by CJ ENM). If you’re in Japan, you have more options.

Where	Details (Mnet Japan)
Mnet Plus	Live worldwide
Mnet Smart+	Live and replay in Japan. Basic is 1,320 yen a month, and Premium with Japanese subtitles is 2,530 yen a month
CS Mnet (SKY PerfecTV!)	Red carpet and main show live, 2,530 yen a month

From November 16 to 19, CS Mnet replays one past MAMA a day, 2022 through 2025, with Japanese subtitles. From November 9 to 21, there’s also a side event called MAMA FAN FESTA at various spots in Osaka and on Mnet Plus.

What past attendees say

I looked for first-hand reports from past MAMA shows held in Japan. I searched for English posts from people who attended the 2022 Osaka, 2023 Tokyo Dome and 2024 Osaka shows, including on Reddit, and I couldn’t find any. These three are Japanese-language posts, and I’ve summarized them in my own words.

A spectator on note who went on day one in 2022 arrived a little after 4:30 pm for a 6 pm show. The line shrank quickly, but bag and cheering-goods checks were thorough, and bags larger than A4 were measured and turned away at the gate. The show ran from 6 pm to about 9:30 pm. They wrote that it was so crowded outside afterward that they gave up on going home that night and stayed over.

An editor at マランマラン sat in Stand section J, row 22, on day one in 2024 and said it was far enough back that binoculars were needed. Each seat had an official MAMA light stick that connects automatically, and they noted these are normally collected after the show.

An editor at non-no sat in the front row of Arena Block B on the same day. The stage was closer than expected, and the aisle gave plenty of legroom. They got the seat in the first lottery and checked it on their phone the day before. Performances and awards alternated, and the setlist wasn’t released in advance.

Reality check

Plan for the main show alone to take three to four hours. In the 2022 report, the 6 pm show ended around 9:30.

When it ends, everyone in the dome heads for the stations at once. Kyocera Dome holds about 55,000 people for events. The closest stations are Dome-mae Chiyozaki on the Osaka Metro Nagahori Tsurumi-ryokuchi Line, Dome-mae on the Hanshin Namba Line and Taisho on the JR Osaka Loop Line. If you’re hoping to catch the last shinkansen, staying overnight like the 2022 attendee did is the calmer plan.

Bring a small bag. I haven’t found this year’s bag size rules, but in 2022 there was an A4 limit.

I’m collecting K-pop award show dates under K-culture. The Melon Music Awards 2026 in Seoul are a week earlier, on November 14 and 15. When the general sale and presenters are announced, I’ll update this post right away. Yes, I’ll be checking again.

Melon Music Awards 2026 (MMA2026): Lineup, Tickets, Streaming

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Melon Music Awards 2026 (MMA2026) runs at 6 pm on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. Tickets are 65,000 won for reserved seats, sold only on Melon Ticket, and the first sale on October 19 at 8 pm is for Melon GOLD members and above. In Korea it airs on Melon and wavve, in Japan on U-NEXT, in Taiwan on TVBS, and elsewhere on 1theK.

If you’re in Seoul in mid-November, keep both weekend evenings free for Gocheok. Melon Music Awards 2026 (MMA2026) is on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15 at Gocheok Sky Dome. It’s the 18th MMA, and the first one to run for two days.

Tickets are sold only on Melon Ticket, and the first sale is Monday, October 19 at 8 pm Korea time. That’s only a few days away, so feel free to jump to the ticket section first.

Dates and performers can change on the organizers’ side. Open the Melon Ticket notice once more right before you book.

Melon Music Awards 2026 dates and venue

Both days start at 6 pm, and the show is set at 180 minutes a day. Day one is called “Global Day” and day two “Music Day.”

Item	Details
Dates	Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, 2026
Start	18:00 both days, 180-minute show
Venue	Gocheok Sky Dome (430 Gyeongin-ro, Guro-gu, Seoul)
Age limit	7 and up
Tickets	Reserved seats, 65,000 won, sold only on Melon Ticket
Broadcasts	Melon and wavve (Korea), U-NEXT (Japan), TVBS (Taiwan), 1theK (global)

The red carpet start time and the presenters hadn’t been announced as of October 15.

MMA 2026 lineup: who performs on which day

As of October 14, 26 acts had been announced.

Date	Performers
Saturday, November 14 (Global Day)	NCT DREAM, ATEEZ, YENA, RIIZE, TWS, RESCENE, Hearts2Hearts, I.O.I, aespa, Dragon Pony, IDID, AEN, TUIDE, HANA
Sunday, November 15 (Music Day)	IVE, KiiiKiii, CORTIS, hrtz.wav, NCT 127, PLAVE, 82MAJOR, NCT WISH, ILLIT, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, LNGSHOT, AND2BLE

Check which day your bias is on before you book. Tickets are limited to two per person across both shows combined, so if you want to go both days, you’ll have to do some math.

MMA 2026 tickets: who can buy, and when

You need a paid Melon subscription to buy MMA tickets. The rule has been in place since 2025 as a way to stop resale.

Round	When (Korea time)	Who can buy
1st	Monday, October 19, 20:00 to 23:59	Melon GOLD members and above. Ground and stair seats
2nd	Thursday, October 22, from 20:00 until sold out	Members with a Melon subscription. Remaining seats and cancellations from the 1st round

Reserved seats are 65,000 won. The notice doesn’t list different prices by zone. Last year (MMA2025) every zone was 55,000 won, so this is 10,000 won more.

A paused subscription or some free-trial subscriptions won’t work. Wheelchair seats are taken by phone only (1899-0042), starting Friday, October 23 at 10 am.

Last year, picking up your ticket at the venue required the booking confirmation and the booker’s own physical ID. A copy or a photo of the ID wasn’t accepted. This year’s MMA notice doesn’t say anything about it yet, so it’s safest to prepare as if the same rules apply. If you’re a visitor, bring your passport.

Posts offering to buy, sell or hand over tickets get deleted from the Melon Ticket board. Buy only from the official seller.

Buying MMA tickets from abroad

This is the murkiest part. I couldn’t find a foreigner-only sale or an overseas booking route for this year. You can switch Melon Ticket’s pages to English, but the MMA notice itself is in Korean only.

In 2022 it was reported that foreigners without a paid Melon subscription couldn’t buy tickets. I also couldn’t confirm whether a foreign phone number can get through Melon’s identity verification and subscription payment. A fan post on Fanplus from last November warned that the second-round verification might not work with an overseas number and that foreign cards may or may not go through. That’s a fan’s note, not an official one.

A passport-verification company wrote in February 2026 that Melon Ticket was using passport checks for some other concerts that month, since overseas fans often can’t use phone verification. That’s the company’s own blog, not Melon, and it doesn’t mention MMA. The post also links to a separate English-language site called Melon Ticket Global, and I couldn’t check whether MMA2026 is listed there.

The practical move is to sign up, pay for a subscription and log in to Melon Ticket before October 19, so you’re not sorting out accounts at 8 pm on the night. If you’ve survived a ticketing war before, it’s the same drill.

MMA 2026 voting

TOP10 voting runs on Melon from October 15 to 29, and category voting from October 30 to November 13. According to news reports, paying members get three votes a day and free members get one, and identity verification is required.

Reportedly, 300 invitations will go to paying members who vote in this period, 20 people a day. I confirmed that from an article rather than a Melon notice, so double-check it on the voting screen.

The new Global TOP 10 award this year is decided 60% by the Global-K chart, which combines the Melon, Tencent Music and LINE Music charts, 20% by judging and 20% by fan voting. Overseas fans vote for this award on the Berriz fan platform.

How to watch MMA 2026 from home

If you can’t be there in person, you’ll be watching on a screen. Melon’s official English page lists the broadcasters as Melon and wavve in Korea, U-NEXT in Japan, TVBS in Taiwan and 1theK globally. Overseas viewers can also watch on the Melon or 1theK YouTube channels, though some countries are left out.

wavve reportedly streams the red carpet and the main show live on both days and posts replays afterward. Channels, times and subtitles for each country haven’t been detailed yet.

Last year, U-NEXT showed it in Japan without subtitles, and Germany had MagentaTV.

What past attendees said

The notices don’t tell you much about the night itself, so I looked for people who’ve been. I couldn’t find an English blog post or forum thread by someone who attended, so these come from Korean bloggers.

One Korean blogger who won tickets in an event last year went at 11 am, thinking seats were first come, first served, and found a line already about 400 meters long. They picked up their ticket around lunchtime and sat in a ground seat near a side stage. The show was long, so they ate before going in.

Another Korean blogger, invited as a Melon supporter the same year, saw a long entry line as soon as they got off at Guil Station. It was cloudy and chilly outside but warm inside the dome. They sat on the third level and mostly watched the stage on the big screens. After a five-hour show, they got home close to midnight.

A blogger who went in 2022 arrived at 4:15 pm for a 6 pm show. There were separate windows for people who booked, event winners and invited guests, and the line for people who booked was the longest. In a follow-up post they wrote that the ground area had plastic chairs rather than standing room, and that from row J in the stair seats it was hard to see faces with the naked eye.

Reality check

The show is 180 minutes a day this year, shorter than last year’s 300. Starting at 6 pm, it still won’t wrap up before 9. Eat before you go in.

The dome is warm inside, but the lines are outside. You may stand a while on a November evening waiting for your ticket, so bring a coat.

Two of the reviews said that from far-off seats you end up watching your favorite singer on the big screens most of the time. Decide on binoculars once you know your seat.

I haven’t found official bag rules or a list of banned items. I’ll update this when the official rules come out.

Getting to Gocheok Sky Dome

The closest station is Guil Station on Subway Line 1, Exit 2. Walk straight about 150 meters and you’re there in about 3 minutes. The operator’s English page says around 5 minutes, so budget five.

Guil Station gets crowded on show days. Seoul Facilities Corporation, which runs the dome, says to get off at Guro Station if you’re coming from Seoul, Suwon or Anyang, and at Gaebong Station if you’re coming from Incheon or Bucheon.

Station	Exit	Walking time
Guil (Line 1)	2	3 minutes
Gaebong (Line 1)	2	15 minutes
Guro (Line 1)	2	20 minutes
Sindorim (Lines 1 and 2)	Bus, three stops

Coming from abroad, the same English page says airport bus 6018 runs from Incheon International Airport to Sindorim Station, and several city buses go from there to the dome. I didn’t find an official page that lays out the whole trip from the airport to Guil Station by subway, so let a map app plan it.

Install NAVER Map or KakaoMap before you fly, since VisitKorea says Google Maps navigation doesn’t work in Korea. A T-money card covers the subway and buses.

If you’re in Korea in November anyway, the Busan Fireworks Festival on the 7th might fit into the same trip. I collect more posts like this under K-culture.

I update this post at the same address every year. When the red carpet time, presenters, broadcast times by country and entry rules come out, I’ll add them right away. Yes, I’ll be refreshing the Melon Ticket notice again.