Seoul International Garden Show to run for 180 days at Seoul Forest, Maeheon Citizens’ Forest in 2026
Visitors pass through a tunnel filled with purple flowers at the 2025 Seoul International Garden Show, which took place from May 22 to Nov. 2 at Boramae Park in Dongjak-gu, southern Seoul. (Yonhap)
The city of Seoul will host the Seoul International Garden Show for 180 days next year, starting May 1, with venues located in eastern and southern Seoul, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Monday.
Taking place in both Seoul Forest in Seongdong-gu, eastern Seoul and Maeheon Citizens’ Forest in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, next year’s annual garden show will be the largest to date, spanning a total area of some 660,000 square meters.
Next year’s program will also be the longest-running, taking place for 15 days longer than this year’s event, which wrapped up Sunday.
Seoul Forest will be the main venue of next year’s event, with plants that maximize the forest’s ecological features.
During a press briefing on Monday, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon added that the city government planned to use nearby alleys and leftover lots in nearby Seongsu-dong for the event, extending it to the banks along the Han River and Jungnang Stream.
“The plan for next year’s Seoul International Garden Show is to create a garden aesthetic that is unique to Seoul, by combining nature, urban energy and riverside leisure together,” Oh added.
A gardening program takes place at the 2025 Seoul International Garden Show at Boramae Park in Dongjak-gu, southern Seoul. (Seoul Metropolitan Government)
Gardening workshops as well as live cultural programs such as musical performances will also take place throughout the five-month period at Seoul Forest.
Maeheon Citizens’ Forest will host the garden show from Oct. 1 to Oct. 27 in 2026, for visitors to be able to enjoy the forest’s fall foliage during the city’s fall season. The garden show at the Maeheon Citizens’ Forest will also expand its coverage into the nearby Seocho Cultural Arts Park, Yangjaecheon and Yeouicheon, with an aim to create an “interconnected garden network in southern Seoul.”
“Next year’s Seoul International Garden Show aims to present story-driven, high-quality gardens that go beyond aesthetics,” said Oh, stating that the city hopes to “arrange gardens that hold their own meaning by incorporating unique aspects of Korean culture.”
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon speaks during a press briefing on the 2026 Seoul International Garden Show on Monday. (Yonhap)
Oh added that the city government aims to make Seoul International Garden Show into a “global event that elevates the value of Seoul as a garden city,” in line with Oh’s “Garden City Seoul” initiative from 2023, in which the city government had stated that it would inject 280 billion won ($196 million) to create outdoor gardens to reduce fine dust levels, lower average daily temperatures and increase citizens’ access to nature.
Meanwhile, this year’s Seoul International Garden Show, held at Boramae Park, featured 111 gardens across a site spanning 400,000 square meters and attracted over 10.44 million visitors from May 22 until Sunday.
lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com
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