If you are traveling in Korea during Chuseok 2026, Seoul is not the only city worth watching.
Busan has one of the most visually spectacular holiday weekends of the year coming up on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
At Gwangalli Beach, 3,000 drones will take over the night sky for a special Chuseok edition of the Gwangalli M Drone × Laser Show. On the same day, the autumn edition of the Starry Sea Busan Night Market opens beside the Nakdong River.
That gives travelers two very different ways to experience Busan after dark: a huge beachfront drone-and-laser spectacle and a more relaxed riverside night market filled with food, Korean traditional drinks and picnic spaces.
If you’re considering a Busan side trip during the Chuseok holiday, here’s how to plan it.
Busan Chuseok Weekend 2026 at a Glance
Saturday, September 26
Gwangalli M Drone × Laser Show Chuseok Special
8:00 PM
Gwangalli Beach
3,000 drones
One performance only
September 26–October 18
Starry Sea Busan Night Market
Hwamyeong Ecological Park Lotus Flower Garden
Thursday–Saturday: 5:00 PM–10:00 PM
Sunday: 4:00 PM–9:00 PM
Both have been announced through Visit Busan’s current official event listings.
The Big Event: 3,000 Drones Over Gwangalli Beach
Gwangalli’s drone show is not new.
The Gwangalli M Drone Light Show has become one of Busan’s signature nighttime attractions, with themed drone performances taking place above Gwangalli Beach.
But September 26 is different.
To celebrate Chuseok, Visit Busan has announced a special performance called “Moonlit Feast of Chuseok.”
Instead of a normal program, the show will combine 3,000 drones with a laser show over Gwangalli Beach.
And there is one detail you really need to know:
There is only one show that night, at 8:00 PM.
Visit Busan specifically warns that the September 26 performance will take place only once.
Do not arrive expecting a second performance later in the evening.
Where Is the Drone Show?
The show takes place at:
Gwangalli Beach
219 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro, Suyeong-gu, Busan
Korean search term:
광안리해수욕장
For navigation in Korea, paste the Korean name into Naver Map or KakaoMap.
The main backdrop is Gwangan Bridge, one of Busan’s most recognizable night views.
Even without the drone show, Gwangalli is worth visiting after dark.
With 3,000 drones overhead, however, September 26 should be a particularly busy evening.
Arrive Early
I would not arrive at 7:50 PM.
Visit Busan has already announced traffic control in the Gwangalli area from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, covering the area from the Gwangalli SUP Zone intersection toward Millak Hoe Town.
Temporary public Wi-Fi suspension is also scheduled from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
For a major one-off holiday show, expect crowds.
A much better plan is to arrive in Gwangalli during the late afternoon.
Have dinner, walk along the beach, choose your viewing area and stay for the 8 PM show.
A Simple Gwangalli Afternoon
If this is your first time in Busan, try something like this:
3:30 PM — Arrive around Gwangalli
Walk the beach before the evening crowd peaks.
4:30 PM — Coffee with a bridge view
There are plenty of cafés around the waterfront.
Rather than racing from attraction to attraction, this is a good day to stay in one neighborhood.
6:00 PM — Early dinner
Eat before the biggest crowds gather.
Busan seafood is an obvious choice, but you don’t need to make the evening entirely about raw fish. Gwangalli has restaurants covering almost every category.
7:00 PM — Find your viewing area
Traffic restrictions begin around this time.
8:00 PM — Drone × Laser Show
There is only one performance.
After the show
Stay around Gwangalli rather than immediately joining everyone heading toward the subway.
A slower exit can make the evening much more pleasant.
Weather Can Change the Plan
Drone shows depend on weather and communication conditions.
Visit Busan states that the September 26 show may be canceled or delayed because of rain, strong winds, typhoons or communication conditions, including changes announced one day before or on the day itself.
So check the official listing again before leaving your hotel.
This is especially important during late September, when weather conditions can change.
Visit Busan: Gwangalli M Drone × Laser Show Chuseok Special
The Other New Night Event: Starry Sea Busan Night Market
September 26 is also the opening day of the 2026 September Starry Sea Busan Night Market.
This is a completely different experience.
Instead of the beach and a huge crowd looking into the sky, the night market takes place at the Lotus Flower Garden in Hwamyeong Ecological Park, next to Hwamyeong Auto Camping Ground.
The autumn edition runs from September 26 through October 18, 2026.
Operating hours are:
Thursday–Saturday: 5 PM–10 PM
Sunday: 4 PM–9 PM
What’s at the Night Market?
This isn’t simply a row of food trucks.
Visit Busan lists several themed areas.
Spirit Busan
Pop-ups featuring Korean traditional alcoholic drinks and makgeolli.
Starlight Food Zone
Outdoor food and food trucks designed to pair with traditional drinks.
Picnic & “Campnic” Zones
Relaxed outdoor seating and picnic-style spaces around sunset.
Starlight Kitchen
Programs include traditional alcohol-making experiences, children’s cooking classes, running and yoga activities, and a self-cooking zone.
Local Market
A flea-market-style area featuring local small businesses and children’s market activities.
Some experience programs use advance reservations as well as on-site registration, so check the official information if there is a particular activity you want to join.
Visit Busan: 2026 Starry Sea Busan Night Market
Can You Do the Drone Show and Night Market on the Same Night?
Technically, you could try.
I wouldn’t.
The venues are in different parts of Busan, and the Gwangalli show will create unusual Saturday-night crowds.
Trying to rush from Hwamyeong to Gwangalli for a single 8 PM performance turns what should be a relaxed evening into a transportation challenge.
A better plan is:
September 26: Gwangalli drone show
September 27: Starry Sea Busan Night Market
The market runs on Sunday from 4 PM to 9 PM.
That gives each experience enough time.
A Two-Day Busan Chuseok Weekend
Day 1 — Saturday, September 26
Morning: Gamcheon Culture Village or Jagalchi area
Lunch: Nampo-dong
Afternoon: Move to Gwangalli
Sunset: Gwangalli Beach
8 PM: 3,000-drone Chuseok show
Evening: Gwangalli
Day 2 — Sunday, September 27
Morning: Haeundae or another coastal area
Afternoon: Relax
Late afternoon: Head to Hwamyeong Ecological Park
4 PM onward: Starry Sea Busan Night Market
This is much more comfortable than trying to collect every Busan attraction in two days.
How to Get to Busan from Seoul
During a normal week, the KTX is the obvious choice for many travelers.
But this is Chuseok.
That changes everything.
Korea Tourism Organization’s current Chuseok travel guide specifically warns that train and express-bus tickets can sell out quickly during major holidays.
If you haven’t booked Seoul–Busan transportation yet, do not assume you can simply buy a KTX ticket on the morning of September 26.
Check availability before building the rest of the trip.
If transportation is sold out, don’t force Busan into the itinerary. There are plenty of Chuseok programs in Seoul and Gyeonggi-do as well.
If You’re Already in Busan
Then this weekend is much easier.
Use Busan’s public transportation and allow more time than usual around Gwangalli.
Useful Korean search terms:
광안리해수욕장 — Gwangalli Beach
광안리 M 드론라이트쇼 — Gwangalli M Drone Light Show
별바다부산 나이트마켓 — Starry Sea Busan Night Market
화명생태공원 — Hwamyeong Ecological Park
추석 — Chuseok
Is the Drone Show Free?
The official Visit Busan listing presents the Gwangalli performance as the public beach event; there is no separate admission ticket listed for watching the show from Gwangalli Beach.
You do not need to book a theater seat.
What you do need is time.
For a one-show-only Chuseok special, arriving early is worth far more than arriving at the exact starting time.
What If You Miss September 26?
The night market continues until October 18.
Busan also has a much broader autumn event calendar. Visit Busan’s current listings include events extending into October, including the Busan International Rock Festival and other cultural programs.
So September 26 is not the only good autumn weekend to visit.
The unusual part of this particular weekend is the combination of Chuseok + 3,000-drone special + opening night of the autumn night market.
Is Busan Worth Adding to a Seoul Trip?
If you have only three days in Korea, probably not.
Stay in Seoul and enjoy it properly.
If you have five to seven days and can secure transportation, Seoul + Busan is much more realistic.
That distinction matters.
One of the easiest ways to make a Korea trip exhausting is treating the country like a checklist.
Busan deserves at least an overnight stay, and preferably two nights.
Final Thoughts
Seoul gets most of the attention during a first Korea trip.
But the latest Korea Inside Out search data is starting to show something interesting: travelers are finding the site’s Busan event content too.
And September 26 gives Busan an unusually strong travel hook.
A single evening brings together Gwangalli Beach, Gwangan Bridge, Chuseok, 3,000 drones and lasers.
Meanwhile, another part of the city is beginning a three-week autumn night market beside the river.
If you are already planning to be in Busan over the Chuseok weekend, don’t treat September 26 like an ordinary Saturday.
Plan around it.
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