About this festival
Hampyeong's Butterfly Festival is built around the release of tens of thousands of live butterflies into the festival grounds, creating a surreal walking experience through clouds of colour in a flower garden setting. The 2026 edition runs April 24 to May 5, and the festival has grown from a local agricultural promotion into a nationally recognised family event, drawing visitors from across the country for the spring flower displays combined with the butterfly spectacle. The eco-friendly framing, with butterfly-friendly planting across the Expo Park, gives the event genuine natural substance.
Getting there
Take the KTX from Seoul to Gwangju Songjeong Station, then an intercity bus to Hampyeong (about 40 minutes from Gwangju). Direct buses from Gwangju U-Square Bus Terminal to Hampyeong run regularly. The Expo Park festival site is walkable from Hampyeong Bus Terminal.
Tips
The festival is particularly popular with families and very crowded on weekends in late April when cherry blossoms and butterfly releases coincide. Arrive early on weekdays for the least crowded butterfly experience. The enclosed butterfly pavilion has English-language species identification boards. Hampyeong is a small rural town; most visitors come as a day trip from Gwangju.
Dates by year
- tentative
2027
April 24 – May 5, 2027
Source: Manual editorial. Last verified 2026-05-09.