The Andong Maskdance Festival 2026 runs September 24 (Thursday) to October 4 (Sunday), 10:00–22:00, with its main stage at Jungang Line 1942 Andong Station in North Gyeongsang Province.
Admission to the grounds is free, and the only published price is for paid main-stage seating: 6,000 KRW adult / 4,000 KRW student in advance, or 8,000 / 6,000 on site from September 18.
This post covers the exact dates and venue, the ticket prices, how to get there from Seoul by train or bus, the day-by-day schedule, and a realistic half-day plan.
Contents
- When and where is the Andong Maskdance Festival 2026?
- Do you need tickets? Free grounds vs paid main-stage seats
- How to get there from Seoul: KTX-Eum vs express bus
- What to see: the schedule, day by day
- What’s on besides performances: exhibitions, markets, Hahoe
- Eating and sleeping near the station
When and where is the Andong Maskdance Festival 2026?
The festival runs September 24 to October 4, 2026 — 11 days, open 10:00 to 22:00 each day.
Per the KTO festival listing read on September 21, 2026, the Andong Maskdance Festival runs September 24 to October 4, 10:00–22:00.
The main stage is at Jungang Line 1942 Andong Station, and the programme spreads across Talchum Park, the old city center around Wondosim, and Hahoe Village.
The listed address differs by source: the organiser and one guide list 684 Gyeongdong-ro, Andong-si (the station venue), while the KTO listing gives 239, Yuksa-ro, Andong-si.
Both point into Andong, so use ‘Jungang Line 1942 Andong Station’ as the landmark when navigating.
If you want a single day that packs the most in, pick one of the four parade days — Sep 26, 27, 30 or Oct 3 — because the communal dance runs those same evenings at 19:00.
| Aug 18 – Sep 17 | Advance ticket window: 6,000 KRW adult / 4,000 KRW student for paid main-stage seats |
|---|---|
| Sep 18 | On-site ticket sales begin: 8,000 KRW adult / 6,000 KRW student |
| Sep 24 (Thu) 18:00–20:00 | Eve festival, the evening before the official opening |
| Sep 24 (Thu) – Oct 4 (Sun) | Festival runs 11 days, 10:00–22:00 |
| Sep 25 (Fri) | 18:00 parade from the old town to the festival grounds; 19:00 opening ceremony, communal dance and fireworks |
| Sep 26 (Sat) 14:00 | Malaysia Guest Country Day on the main stage |
| Sep 26, 27, 30, Oct 3 | Global Mask Parades; communal nanjang dance the same days at 19:00; Julbulnori fire play Sep 26 and Oct 3 at 19:00, Oct 4 at 18:30 |
Do you need tickets? Free grounds vs paid main-stage seats
You do not need a ticket to enter — the grounds are free, and fees apply only to some programs.
The KTO listing states admission is free with fees varying by program; the confirmed paid item is main-stage seating.
| Ticket | Advance (Aug 18 – Sep 17) | On-site (from Sep 18) | You save by booking early |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | 6,000 KRW | 8,000 KRW | 2,000 KRW (25% cheaper) |
| Student | 4,000 KRW | 6,000 KRW | 2,000 KRW (33% cheaper) |
Two things are not spelled out on the official English pages: the full list of which programs charge, and a confirmed booking link for the paid seats.
The exact list of paid programs is not enumerated on primary pages — ‘free admission’ covers the grounds, not necessarily every stage, so check maskdance.com before you count on a specific show being free.
If you already know you want a main-stage seat, buying inside the August 18 – September 17 window is the only version with a clear price advantage.
How to get there from Seoul: KTX-Eum vs express bus
The train is the direct option: the KTX-Eum from Cheongnyangni to Andong Station averages about 1 hour 51 minutes, with roughly 14 trains daily from around 20,000 KRW each way, and the festival’s main stage sits at the station itself.
Per rail schedules cited on September 21, 2026, the KTX-Eum from Cheongnyangni to Andong takes about 1h51m with roughly 14 trains daily from about 20,000 KRW, and the main stage is at the station.
The bus alternative runs from Dong Seoul Terminal to Andong Bus Terminal in roughly 2 hours 50 minutes; Andong Terminal is a short taxi or bus ride from the station venue.
Because the round trip by train is about 3 hours 42 minutes, a half-day visit fits inside one afternoon-plus-evening block without an overnight stay.
One gap to plan around: parking near the station during the festival was not found in any recent source, and shuttle routes are not confirmed either — take the train, or check the organiser site for updates before driving.
What to see: the schedule, day by day
The moments worth putting on a calendar are the opening night, the four parades, the Malaysia day, and the Julbulnori fire play.
Opening day, September 25: a parade leaves the old town at 18:00 with Korean and overseas troupes and citizens, and the opening ceremony follows at 19:00 on the station main stage with troupe entrance performances, a theme performance, the communal nanjang dance, and fireworks.
Malaysia is the 2026 guest country: Malaysia Guest Country Day runs September 26 at 14:00 on the main stage with a Sabah official delegation, and a Sabah culture hall operates during the festival.
The Global Mask Parade runs four times — September 26, 27, 30 and October 3 — and the communal nanjang dance follows on the same days at 19:00; that is 4 of the 11 festival days, about 36%.
Hahoe Sunyu Julbulnori, the rope-fire spectacle over the river, plays at the Mamsongjeong and Buyongdae area on September 26 and October 3 at 19:00 and October 4 at 18:30.
Between the set pieces, the Talchum Park busking stage runs learn-talchum and Tal-lalla dance classes daily from September 25 to October 4, and 27 overseas troupes from 23 countries perform alongside 17 domestic talchum troupes.
If you only care about one evening, October 3 gives you the parade, the 19:00 communal dance, and the 19:00 fire play in a single visit.
What’s on besides performances: exhibitions, markets, Hahoe
Beyond the stages, the festival spreads into four exhibition halls, four traditional markets, and Hahoe Village.
The exhibition side includes more than 400 winning masks from the world creative mask contest, a world mask exhibition hall, an East Asia Cultural City mask exhibition, an Andong traditional liquor fair, and a hands-on mask atelier.
The old town is a venue in its own right: the ‘Talchum Side Stage’ runs performances and citizen programs at Bukmun, Sin, Gu, and Yongang markets, and the market play troupe ‘Sijang Gamyeon’ visits Gu and Sin markets.
Hahoe Village adds Hahoe Byeolsingut Talnori, a mask dance inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list; a sample daytime schedule shows an 11:00 gut and a 14:00–15:00 talnori at jeonsuguan.
Note that Hahoe Village charges its own 5,000 KRW adult entry, separate from the festival.
Bus frequency between Andong Bus Terminal and Hahoe Village during the festival is not confirmed — if Hahoe is the reason for your trip, check the return connection before committing to an evening back at the station.
Eating and sleeping near the station
The practical food option is the Andong jjimdak (braised chicken) alley at Gu Market, which is also one of the four Talchum Side Stage market venues.
Listings name Hyeondae Jjimdak in the alley (open daily 10:00–21:00) and Wisung Jjimdak in the same alley, which closes on Wednesdays; Andongchon Galbi near Andong Station serves 200 g of hanwoo galbi for 32,000 KRW, 10:30–23:00 with last order 21:30.
These prices come from listings, not visits, so treat them as ballpark figures.
Budget hotels cluster within walking distance of the station — about 1.3 km at the closest listed option and about 230 m at another — which matters because the main stage is directly in front of the station and the 22:00 close is late.
If you are staying for the fire play on October 3 or 4, a station-side room avoids a late cross-town trip.
If I were advising a half-day visitor, I would send them October 3: the afternoon parade, the 19:00 nanjang dance and the Julbulnori fire play all fall on the same day, so one late train back covers everything.
I would also book the station-side hotel first and plan dinner around it, because after the 22:00 close the last thing you want is a long walk in the dark.
👉 Festival programme and tickets (organiser)
👉 2026 festival guide with prices
👉 Andong daily on festival highlights
Related posts
Sources
- Sep 24–Oct 4, 11 days, Jungang Line 1942 Andong Station / Ta (maskdance.com)
- Opening ceremony Sep 25 19:00; Malaysia Guest Country Day Se (ajunews.com)
- Not confirmed (triproute37.com)
A realistic half-day plan (October 3)
- Afternoon: the fourth Global Mask Parade marches through town, with the communal nanjang dance at 19:00 the same day.
- Early evening: jjimdak dinner at Gu Market, where the Talchum Side Stage is running.
- 19:00: communal nanjang dance on the main stage, then the Julbulnori fire play.
- Budget check: train from about 20,000 KRW each way plus an 8,000 KRW on-site adult seat keeps the day under 50,000 KRW before food and lodging.
- Buy advance tickets before September 17 to save 2,000 KRW per seat over the on-site price.
FAQ
Q. Is the Andong Maskdance Festival free or do I need tickets?
Grounds entry is free. Only paid main-stage seating has published prices: 6,000 KRW adult / 4,000 KRW student in advance (Aug 18 – Sep 17) and 8,000 / 6,000 on site from September 18. The full list of which programs charge is not enumerated on official pages.
Q. I only have a half day — which single day gives the most?
October 3: the afternoon Global Mask Parade, the 19:00 communal dance, and the Julbulnori fire play all fall on the same day. September 26 is the alternative, with Malaysia Guest Country Day at 14:00 plus the fire play at 19:00.
Q. How do I get to Andong from Seoul and back the same day?
Take the KTX-Eum from Cheongnyangni to Andong Station — about 1 hour 51 minutes, roughly 14 trains daily, from around 20,000 KRW each way — and the main stage is at the station. An express bus from Dong Seoul Terminal takes about 2 hours 50 minutes. The round trip fits inside one afternoon-plus-evening visit.
Q. What are the exact on-site ticket prices in 2026?
Reports list 8,000 KRW adult / 6,000 KRW student on site from September 18, versus 6,000 / 4,000 in advance — a 2,000 KRW saving either way. The on-site prices could not be re-confirmed on a primary organiser page in this pass, so verify on maskdance.com before relying on them.
Q. Where exactly is the main venue?
The main stage is at Jungang Line 1942 Andong Station (listed as 684 Gyeongdong-ro by the organiser; the KTO listing gives 239, Yuksa-ro). The two listings conflict, so navigate to the station itself.
See this month’s other festivals: Korea Festivals This Month
Cover photo: Korean.Dance-Mask-Bride-Monk-01 by originally by photoren — CC BY 2.0
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