Korea lantern festival in Daegu (Dalgubeol) is a tradition of Korean celebrated in April of every year to honor Buddha’s birthday. This custom was passed down from Shilla dynasty to Dalgubeol, Daegu and it is becoming more common year by year in Korea. Each province or city has its own way to celebrate this day.

However, the Korea lantern festival in Daegu is actually the most famous and biggest. On this day, both Koreans and foreigners are excited to gather around Duryu Baseball Stadium and release the lanterns to the sky. These lanterns fly up and carry people’s wish for peace and happiness for themselves and for their families.

Korea lantern festival in Daegu 2021: No specific time at this moment.

Korea lantern festival in Daegu 2020: Cancelled

Let’s take a look at Korea lantern festival in Daegu 2019 as a reference:

Time: April 27^th to May 6^th

Note: You had better book a ticket online in advance since there are many people who want to join this event, tickets will be sold out very quickly. The ticket price starts from 10,000 won for 2 people. In case you are too late to buy tickets online, there is still a chance for you to have a free first-come-first-serve ticket on the day of the event if you can come early and queue. But be aware that there are only 6000 slots for the earliest.

Highlights in Daegu lantern festival and fun things to do

Koreans celebrate this day with many activities and here are some specific programs which are held to commemorate Buddha’s birthday:

1. The Wish Lanterns Flying

How wonderful it is when you can see hundreds of lanterns released and fly to the sky. The view is really stunning and sparkling, just like in the movie Tangled we saw when we were still children. People will release hundreds of lanterns at the same time to the sky. It makes it the most stunning view that must be seen in Daegu that night.

The lanterns you release are supposed to carry all your wishes and desires for a happy year ahead. The flying lanterns to the sunset raise the hope that all your wishes can come true. It’s speechless for anyone who witnesses such a magical and beautiful view by their own eyes.

This activity often happens at 18:30 in Duryu Baseball Stadium at 588-2 Duryu-dong, Dalseo-gu, Daegu, South Korea.

2. Dalgubeaol Lantern Parade

There are many interesting things to do in Daegu during this event. Still, the most expected probably is the Korea lantern festival parade, which often happens at 20:00 at Duryu baseball stadium.

The parade appears with well-designed ornate paper lanterns and traditional art troupes, stretches from Duryu baseball stadium, then passes the Bangogae streets, the Shinam, and finishes at Banwol Dangnae street. Watching the parade go through the street is really fun and exciting for both beginners and people who have watched the parade many times.

3. Floating lanterns

After the parade, there will be a floating lanterns activity where people drop plenty of paper lanterns on the Sincheon river. And to have a chance to see a clear and spectacular view of the whole glowing river, you’d better go to Sangdong Bridge or Heemang Bridge.

4. Fireworks

Don’t be rush because right after seeing floating lanterns on the river, you can also enjoy the fireworks. The colorful and attractive fireworks sparkle in the dark sky can make an unforgettable impression on your mind. To enjoy the best view of the fireworks, we suggest you go up the 83 Tower nearby.

5. Enjoy cultural performances

On April 27^th, at Duryu Stadium, visitors coming to Daegu can have an opportunity to enjoy unique traditional performance of Korea. However, the number of audiences is huge and so is the space. Therefore, if you don’t have your seat near the main stage, it’s difficult to enjoy the show when sitting at the outside section. So come early and find a good spot if you want to watch the full performance.

Besides, there are lots of cultural stalls for you to join like archery, drumming, mask drawing and many other interesting activities.

6. The Lantern Exhibition

From May 3^rd to May 6^th, the Lantern Exhibition will be held on the whole area of Daegu Sincheon such as Sangdong-Gyo Bridge, Jungdonggyo Bridge and Huimang-Gyo. It can be very exciting to watch the Exhibition displayed on the river and enjoy many different cultural performances. Plus, there are also many cultural experience programs that you can take part in such as the lantern-making activity.

7. Going picnic

This is not an official activity of Korea Lantern Festival in Daegu. Since the door opens at 13:00 and the best part, which is lantern releasing, does not happen until 18:00. It is a good idea for families or friends to use the spare time to bond at Duryu Park. It is actually convenient because Duryu park is one of many Daegu places of interest that has wide space and a comfortable environment.

Some tips when joining Daegu Lantern Festival:

• If you come early in the afternoon, you’d better bring along umbrellas or sun hats since the weather might be sweltering and sunny. 
• Bring along food and drinks in case you are hungry because it can take a long time to experience all the fun of the event. There are food vendors and stalls available, but most Koreans coming to the festival prefer their self-prepared food from home.
• In case you can’t purchase a ticket online, you should come early in the morning and queue to get a free ticket. But remember some so many people want to have a ticket to join that there is only a maximum of 6000 tickets for free. So if you don’t come early, that ticket will belong to someone else.
• Once you get in, you can see that the red section is the stadium’s inner ground. This zone is near the stage, where you can watch the performance without being interrupted by the space or being burned by the sun’s intensity. Of course, if you come late, you might not have a seat in the red zone, but the security here is not really serious since the last few years, some people can sneak into this section without any difficulty.
• Unlike the red zone, the blue zone is the least comfortable section. This spot faces the sun. Therefore, bringing along an umbrella and sun hat can help you a lot.
• The yellow zone and pink zone are the best spots to capture the view of hundreds of lanterns flying in the sky.
• Don’t forget to bring your camera! Amazing shots can be taken while plenty of glowing lanterns light up the dark sky!

Korea Lantern Festival in Daegu is a unique and meaningful event to Korean. This is the time for them to honor Buddha’s birthday and celebrate this event enthusiastically. But whether you are Korean or not, you still can participate in this festival with joy and excitement. All the memories of the beautiful sky lit up by plenty of lanterns or a glowing river with stunning lanterns floating on it will make your trip to Korea fulfilled with happiness.

Explore more lantern festival in Asia: Asian lantern festivals (3 most popular ones)