A Winter Evening Stroll Through Gangnam’s Media Winter Festa
Introduction
At the close of the year, it’s the season when the texture of light gently settles over the cold winter air. Even Gangnam’s city center, usually dazzling with lights, seems to slow down a little at this time, wrapping itself in the warmth of colors and music pouring from giant screens and the excited buzz of people. Thinking about the upcoming “Gangnam Media Winter Festa,” the everyday act of walking down a winter night street begins to feel like stepping into a cinematic scene.
A Winter Evening Stroll Through Gangnam’s Media Winter Festa
Table of Contents
- Guide
- Program Information
- Impressions (Planned Visit)
- Recommended Stays
- Restaurants & Cafés
- Nearby Attractions
- How to Get There
- Closing
- Photo Snapshots
- Videos
- Related News
Guide
- Event Name : Gangnam Media Winter Festa
- Dates : 2025-12-19 ~ 2026-01-03
- Hours : 11:00~22:00
- Venue : 511 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Samseong-dong), the plaza area in front of Samseong Station Exits 5 and 6
- Admission : Free
- Hosted/Organized by : Gangnam Eyes, WTCS, JoongAng Ilbo, Parnas Hotel, Hyundai Department Store Duty Free, Hyundai Futurenet, CJ CGV, Invent Partners
- Inquiries : 02-6000-0114 (Gangnam Eyes)
- Address : 511 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Samseong-dong)
- 17:00 Exit Samseong Station via Exits 5 or 6 and slowly look around the plaza, exploring the forest of light trees and media art spaces.
- 18:00 After sunset, head to the center of the plaza to catch the main media art show in time for the Christmas or New Year’s themed performance.
- 19:00 Visit the experience program zones such as LUCKY QR, STAMP TOUR, MEMORY WALL, and VISUAL WALL to enjoy stamp art and interactive content.
- 20:00 Leave your New Year’s wishes via QR code and capture photos and videos of your handwritten-style message as it appears on the LED screen.
- 20:30 Move to a nearby café or restaurant around the plaza for a light meal and a break, then if you have time, watch another round of the media art show.
A nighttime visit lets you experience the media art and lighting effects at their most vivid.
As it can get crowded, it’s a good idea to allow plenty of time for viewing.
As one year comes to a close and a new beginning approaches, the area around the World Trade Center in Samseong-dong is bathed in a fantastic feast of media art and light. The 2025 Gangnam Media Winter Festa is a year-end and New Year festival that presents K-Christmas media art reinterpreting the warmth of Christmas through a uniquely Korean sensibility, together with New Year media art that brightly ushers in 2026, the Year of the Red Horse. Comprising two main media art theme shows and four different interactive experience programs, it offers visitors an intensely immersive visual experience and a variety of participatory activities.
The festival unfolds across the Outdoor Advertising Free Zone in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu and the plaza in front of Samseong Station Exits 5 and 6. Immersive videos themed around Christmas and the New Year will be screened on 17 giant digital displays lining the streets. From December 19 to 25, the Christmas theme show <Hechi’s Gift of Light> will run, followed by the New Year theme show from December 26 to January 3. Through these two distinct atmospheres, the festival promises a special kind of emotion you can only feel at the turn of the year.
Program Information
The main media art show, synchronized with outdoor media around the World Trade Center in Samseong-dong, transforms the downtown forest of skyscrapers into a gigantic screen. Short but impactful videos themed around Christmas and the New Year play on repeat, so that simply walking around lets you experience an immersive parade of light.
From December 19 to 25, 2025, the Christmas theme show <Hechi’s Gift of Light> will be presented. K-Christmas media art filled with Korean sentiment washes the city in warm colors, and with around 14 screenings per day, you can encounter Hechi’s “Gift of Light” instead of Santa at almost any time you visit.
From December 26, 2025 to January 3, 2026, the New Year media art show themed around 2026, the Year of the Red Horse, takes over the stage. With about three screenings a day, dynamic images of galloping horses and upbeat music come together to convey New Year energy, expressing the thrill of the approaching year like a countdown made of light.
This program offers a small word of encouragement to visitors: scan QR codes placed throughout the venue to receive a random message of good fortune. Just a single short sentence, but the phrase that appears on your smartphone screen in streets drenched in winter lights can feel like a warm comfort at the end of the day.
This participatory program lets you complete a piece of stamp art by visiting each program zone. As you naturally explore the forest of light trees, media walls, and experience spaces while collecting stamps, the process itself becomes a kind of walking course—perfect for sharing a little sense of achievement with family, partners, or friends.
This program displays messages of reflection and hope on an LED wall so you can look back on the past year and make wishes for the year ahead. As visitors’ sentences successively fill the wall, the sight of strangers’ memories and hopes layered together in a single space becomes the scene that best captures the festival’s mood.
This interactive program tracks visitors’ movements and changes the on-screen content in response, creating a hands-on zone where both children and adults naturally join in by moving their bodies. Trails of light flow across the screen following your footsteps or react to your jumps, making it a great spot for photos and videos.
Centered around “Eve’s Christmas,” a 7.5-meter-tall giant Christmas tree installed at G20 Plaza, various spaces will be created: “Wonder Stage,” which interprets traditional Korean aesthetics in a modern way; “Wall of Hope,” an LED wall-like space where experience programs and media art unfold; and “Harmony of Light,” where messages of good fortune are shared. The plaza in front of Samseong Station Exits 5 and 6 transforms into a forest of light trees, allowing you to stroll through a winter forest where screens and lighting blend together.
The venue is easiest to reach via Samseong Station (Line 2) and Bongeunsa Station (Line 9). As parking may be limited, using public transportation is recommended.
Because media art and lighting effects are at the heart of the festival, visiting after dark allows you to enjoy the colors and light more vividly. Be sure to dress warmly against the cold.
During the busy year-end and New Year period, crowds may slow down movement along the route. For a more relaxed experience, consider visiting on a weekday or earlier in the evening and allow some buffer time in your schedule.
Enjoy the QR participation programs and stamp tour at a relaxed pace early in your visit.
Check the main theme show schedule in advance to avoid crowd surges during screening times.
Impressions (Planned Visit)
Today is December 8, 2025. Since the Gangnam Media Winter Festa runs from December 19, 2025 to January 3, 2026, I’m planning to visit the festival in person very soon. As the days tick by, just thinking about it makes my heart swell and my fingertips tingle with anticipation. As the winter night air grows a little colder, countless scenes of light and sound turning on between the city buildings seem to start playing in my mind first.
From the information I’ve recently looked up, the festival takes place in the Outdoor Advertising Free Zone in Samseong-dong and at the plaza in front of Samseong Station Exits 5 and 6. Immersive media art videos themed around Christmas and the New Year will be shown on 17 giant digital screens set along the streets. I’ve heard that the Christmas theme show will be screened about 14 times a day and the New Year theme show about three times a day—short but impactful—so I’m excited at the thought that no matter when I go, I’ll be able to encounter light in different rhythms.
Samseong Station plaza will also be transformed into a forest of light trees, with screens and lights entwined to create a scene that might feel like stepping into a winter fairy tale. There will be participatory content as well: you can use QR codes to put handwritten messages up on the LED screen and even receive calligraphy cards wishing you good luck in the New Year. I’m really looking forward to these little interactions, and when I imagine standing under the lights with other people, talking and laughing together, the thought alone warms my heart. I can already picture myself constantly pressing the shutter on my smartphone camera, watching my message appear on the screen above.
At the Gangnam Media Winter Festa, I want to experience the moment when the waves of light reflected on each screen, the expectant gaze of the crowd, and the sound of camera shutters and laughter echoing inside me all blend into one. The way warm light spreads through the cold air, and the emotion I’ll feel when my own message on the screen brings out a smile—those images are already vivid in my mind. I’m counting down the days until I can share my firsthand experiences from the site, with comfortable shoes and a warm coat already prepared.
Recommended Stays
Since the festival is centered around Samseong Station and the World Trade Center area, choosing accommodation with good access to Subway Lines 2 and 9 and within walking distance will make your movements much easier. Consider both a location that lets you return to your room comfortably even after enjoying the media art late into the evening, and facilities that will keep you warm and cozy.
610 Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Daechi-dong)
Business hotel near COEX and the World Trade Center with excellent subway access
It’s within walking distance from the festival, making it ideal for enjoying the event at a leisurely pace even late at night.
Distance: 0.4 km
11 Usadan-ro 14-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (Itaewon-dong)
Atmospheric accommodation in the Itaewon area with city night views
Perfect if you’d like to visit Itaewon cafés and restaurants along with the festival.
Distance: 6.3 km
33 Nangye-ro 11-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul (Hwanghak-dong)
A ryokan-style stay that brings Japanese sensibilities into the heart of the city
Ideal if you want to unwind in the calm atmosphere of a quiet alley after the festival.
Distance: 7.1 km
334 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul (Gwanghui-dong 2-ga)
Co-living style accommodation with attractive shared lounges and community spaces
Also suits long-stay travelers who want to explore both Dongdaemun and Gangnam.
Distance: 7.6 km
22 Wangsan-ro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul (Sinseol-dong)
A modern co-living and co-working space in a quiet residential neighborhood
A good choice if you want to explore the city during the day and stay somewhere calm at night.
Distance: 7.9 km
38 Myeongdong 8na-gil, Jung-gu, Seoul (Chungmuro 1-ga)
Lifestyle hotel located in the very heart of Myeongdong
Perfect for an itinerary that combines the Gangnam Media Winter Festa with Myeongdong’s nightscape.
Distance: 9.0 km
52 Toegye-ro, Jung-gu, Seoul (Hoehyeon-dong 1-ga)
Premium hotel with views over both Namsan and downtown Seoul
Recommended for those who want to quietly wind down their day looking out over the city lights after the festival.
Distance: 9.1 km
89 Donhwamun-ro 11ga-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Unni-dong, City Park)
Urban healing-style hotel with spa facilities
Suits an itinerary that combines Gangnam with Bukchon and Jongno, ending the day in a warm spa.
Distance: 9.7 km
Popular rooms sell out quickly at year-end, so it’s best to book in advance.
Restaurants & Cafés
The areas around Gangnam Station, Sinsa-dong, and Jamsil are packed with great restaurants and cafés that are perfect for a visit before or after the festival. If you plan a route that keeps transit time short while still offering good ambiance and satisfying meals, your winter evening itinerary will feel all the richer.
22 Eonju-ro 170-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Sinsa-dong)
Korean dining restaurant full of atmosphere in a Sinsa-dong backstreet
A good fit if you want to enjoy a quiet meal before or after the festival.
Distance: 2.9 km
854 Nonhyeon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Sinsa-dong)
Stylish brunch and wine dining space
Enjoy brunch by day and relaxed wine time at night.
Distance: 3.3 km
42 Seocho-daero 78-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul (Seocho-dong)
Meat specialist where you can enjoy high-quality Korean beef and pork
A great place for a hearty dinner after watching the festival.
Distance: 3.4 km
48 Seocho-daero 78-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul (Seocho-dong)
A barbecue restaurant with a clean interior and reasonable prices
Popular as a year-end gathering spot, so it’s worth considering a reservation.
Distance: 3.4 km
213 Gangnam-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul (Yangjae-dong)
Known as a dining bar where you can enjoy both wine and food
A good match if you’d like to spend time in a slightly quieter, more relaxed setting.
Distance: 3.8 km
300 Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul (Sincheon-dong)
Dessert café near Lotte World Tower
A nice stop when you want to pair Jamsil’s night view with something sweet.
Distance: 3.8 km
17 Jong-ro 3-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Cheongjin-dong)
A Chinese dining restaurant with a sophisticated atmosphere
Worth considering as a special-occasion dining spot when your plans include both Gangnam and Gwanghwamun.
Distance: 9.9 km
17 Jong-ro 3-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Cheongjin-dong)
A restaurant popular in winter for its warming shabu-shabu
A great choice when you want to warm up over a hot meal after the festival.
Distance: 9.9 km
Combine nearby Sinsa and Jamsil with the festival in one route for easier travel.
Nearby Attractions
If you plan a course that starts in Gangnam and continues to the Hangang River, Itaewon, and downtown walking trails, your day will feel much fuller. Spend the daytime walking Seoul Dulle-gil or the Hangang area to enjoy city scenery, then move on to the Gangnam Media Winter Festa after sunset to end your day with a city of lights.
![[Seoul Dulle-gil Course 9] Daemo & Guryongsan Course](http://tong.visitkorea.or.kr/cms/resource/39/3526139_image2_1.jpg "A Winter Evening Stroll Through Gangnam’s Media Winter Festa")
270, underground, Gwangpyeong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Suseo-dong)
A healing trail following ridges and forest paths close to the city
The contrast between hiking through forested trails by day and enjoying Gangnam’s city lights by night is especially memorable.
Distance: 4.4 km
![[Seoul Dulle-gil Course 10] Umyeonsan Course](http://tong.visitkorea.or.kr/cms/resource/45/3526145_image2_1.jpg "A Winter Evening Stroll Through Gangnam’s Media Winter Festa")
Yangjae-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul
A loop trail offering both gentle forest paths and city views
It also works well as a one-day course, coming down from Umyeonsan and heading into Gangnam for the festival.
Distance: 5.1 km
Yongdap-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul
A street with modest walking paths and alley views in the middle of the city
A great course for a quiet alley stroll with your camera in hand.
Distance: 5.9 km
11 Seongchon 4-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul (Umyeon-dong)
A charming spot at the foot of a mountain with memorable scenery
Perfect when you want to spend a quiet afternoon; it feels like a small hideaway within the city.
Distance: 5.9 km
41 Daesagwan-ro 11-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (Hannam-dong)
A stylish space on a Hannam-dong hill with a great interior and views
A sentimental stop that fits nicely between Gangnam and Itaewon on your route.
Distance: 6.0 km
40 Sinbanpo-ro 11-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul (Banpo-dong)
Cultural space near Banpo Hangang Park blended with river night views
A nice place to visit when you want to enjoy the Hangang nightscape along with the Gangnam Media Winter Festa.
Distance: 6.1 km
![[Seoul Dulle-gil Course 11] Gwanaksan Course](http://tong.visitkorea.or.kr/cms/resource/54/3526154_image2_1.jpg "A Winter Evening Stroll Through Gangnam’s Media Winter Festa")
3, underground, Dongjak-daero, Dongjak-gu, Seoul (Sadang-dong)
A long-distance trail along the beautiful ridges of Gwanaksan
Suited for those who want to spend an entire day outdoors; it also offers relatively easy access to Gangnam.
Distance: 8.0 km
7 Sinheung-ro 36-gil, Yongsan-gu, Seoul (Huam-dong)
Gallery-like café on a Huam-dong hill
A calming place to stop after exploring around Seoul Station and Namsan.
Distance: 8.1 km
When using walking trails, keep sunset times in mind and travel during safe daylight hours.
How to Get There
Public Transportation — The address is 511 Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Samseong-dong). The nearest stations are Samseong Station (Line 2) Exits 5 and 6 and Bongeunsa Station (Line 9) Exit 7. From these exits, the venue is just a short walk away.
By Car — Roads around the World Trade Center area can be congested during the year-end season, and nearby parking facilities may be limited. If possible, prioritize public transportation; if you must drive, it’s a good idea to check the locations and fees of nearby paid parking lots in advance.
Exits near Samseong and Bongeunsa stations can get crowded; if the area is packed, try walking a block or two away before hailing a cab or boarding.
Closing
The Gangnam Media Winter Festa, which lights up the winter nights of downtown Gangnam, is a festival that weaves together the end of one year and the start of the next with light. As you walk among the media art shown on 17 giant screens and through the forest of light trees filling Samseong Station plaza, you’re bound to encounter moments when your heart feels gently warmed despite the cold air.
If you’d like to set aside the year-end rush for a while, stroll slowly through the city, reflect on your year, and send your wishes for the next one into the soft glow of the lights, this is a time you won’t want to miss. Simply recording the scenes of this winter night in your eyes and heart will give you a small light you can recall again around this time next year.
Photo Snapshots
Videos
