How better to spend Christmas in Seoul than to visit a concert of your favorite Korean artist? Christmas is special in many ways and concerts embracing the spirit of Christmas only add to that.
I went to Jaurim on Christmas eve and Roy Kim on Christmas Day in 2017. It is a lot of fun going at Christmas as they sing Korean Christmas songs (time to start practicing the lyrics!).
If you’re planning to spend Christmas or New Year in Seoul, then this list is for you.
New in 2020: because of the coronavirus there won’t be as many concerts in Seoul in 2020. Instead, there will be more online concerts and I will include a selection of those. While online concerts can’t provide a ‘full experience’ they are accessible anywhere in the world!
LIVENow is a platform that offers live concerts throughout the year, like the Mamamoo concert on 1 May 2021.
Table of Contents
Christmas Concerts in Seoul en Online 2020
Below I listed some of the concerts happening in Seoul and online from late November 2020 until the end of the year. As there are many, I have not included all of them, but only a selection of those I think are best known internationally. Also, keep in mind that new concerts may be added anytime and Interpark is not the only distributor of tickets; some concerts are sold exclusively through other distributors. As we get nearer to Christmas the availability and details of the concerts might change.
THE BOYZ, VERIVERY, N.CUS
Dates: 21 November 2020
Concert: Joy-Angel Concert 2nd: THE BOYZ, VERIVERY, NCUS
Venue: Online concert
Ticket price: 25,000 Korean Won
Kim Junsu
Dates: 21 – 22 November 2020
Concert: 2020 XIA ONLINE CONCERT ‘Pit A Pat’
Venue: Online concert
Ticket price: 85,000 Korean Won
Oh My Girl
Dates: 22 November 2020
Concert: 2020 OH MY GIRL ONLINE CONCERT [Winter fairy tale: The Lost Memory]
Venue: Online concert
Ticket price: 39,000 – 49,000 Korean Won
NU'EST Fan Meeting
Dates: 28 November 2020
Concert: 2020 NU’EST FAN MEETING 〈L.O.Λ.E PAGE〉 – ONLINE
Venue: Online concert
Ticket price: 33,000 Korean Won
Pentagon
Date: 29 November 2020
Concert: 2020 PENTAGON ONLINE CONCERT ［WE L:VE］ – ONLINE CONCERT TICKET
Venue: Online concert
Ticket price: 39,000 Korean Won
THE BOYZ Fan-Con
Dates: 4 – 5 December 2020
Concert: THE BOYZ FAN-CON 〈THE FILM FESTIVAL〉- 온라인 티켓 (2일권)
Venue: Online concert
Ticket price: 63,000 Korean Won
AB6IX, VICTON, Lee Jin Hyuk, Dreamcatcher, A.C.E.
몽니 (MONNI)
Dates: 18 December 2020
Concert: 2020 MONNI Concert ［MONNI and Winter］
Venue: COEX Auditorium, Seoul
Ticket price: 88,000 Korean Won
K-Pop Music Awards and K-Drama Awards
노리플라이 (no reply)
Dates: 23 December 2020
Concert: 노리플라이 콘서트 ［나의 겨울］
Venue: COEX Auditorium, Seoul
Ticket price: 88,000 Korean Won
짙은 (zitten)
Dates: 24 December 2020
Concert: Zitten Concert ［Zitten, Winter］ – Winter Festa 2020
Venue: COEX Auditorium, Seoul
Ticket price: 88,000 Korean Won
Kim NaYoung
Dates: 25 – 26 December 2020
Concert: Kim NaYoung Concert ［As winter passes and spring comes］ – Winter Festa 2020
Venue: COEX Auditorium, Seoul
Ticket price: 99,000 Korean Won
스탠딩에그 (Standing EGG)
Dates: 27 December 2020
Concert: Standing Egg Concert ［Time goes by］ – Winter Festa 2020
Venue: COEX Auditorium, Seoul
Ticket price: 88,000 – 99,000 Korean Won
Blackpink
How to buy concert tickets in Seoul?
I found Interpark the easiest website for a foreigner without a Korean bank account, address or phone number. Small note about the ticket price: the ticket price in Seoul is far higher than in my country, but then again, if they don’t come to us, then we have to go to them, right?
Buying tickets is easy via the Global Interpark website as long as you have a credit card (not AMEX).
Global Interpark step-by-step
- Log in or create an account. Registering is easy via your Social Media account.
2. Select the concert you want to attend
3. Select the concert date
4. Spam check
5. Select your seating area
6. Select your seat
7. List the number of tickets you want
8. Enter your contact details
9. Select a payment method
10. Enter your payment details
The delivery method is automatically set to “pick up at venue”. Just bring the printed confirmation (or show it on your phone) to the venue. When you arrive at the venue, look for the table or desk with a sign saying “인터파크” (Interpark) to swap your confirmation for a ticket. It is advisable to also carry the credit card you used to make the booking with you, as the website says you should. They didn’t ask to see mine though.
It all went very smoothly for me. It was never very clear when you can actually enter the hall (VIPs enter early) but when all the Koreans get up and start moving, that would be a good moment to head for the hall.
Interesting facts about concerts in Seoul
Korean people are very disciplined. The following goes for the smaller venues like BLUE SQUARE IMARKET HALL in Hannam and Yonsei University Grand Hall in Hongdae. It’s different for big stadium concerts.
- You’re not allowed to take pictures or videos during the concert. Venue staff will walk around to tell you off when you get your phone out. Nearly everybody obeys that. At the end of the concert, there will be a special photo moment and the artists pose for you.
- The audience sits down and stands up only when the artists asks them to.
- When the artist asks for silence, for example when speaking or starting a new song, it is completely silent.
- You only sing-along for the fan chants, not for other parts of the song.
I have to say the no pictures and videos part was very pleasant. There are no phones held up high obscuring your view nor are you yourself distracted by shooting a good clip to share with your friends.
Other things to do during Christmas in Seoul
The temperature in Seoul lies around or below zero degrees celsius at the end of December. So it is rather cold outside, but on the plus side: the sky is usually clear and the sun shines a lot. Much better than the gray and drizzly weather in my country. So pack warm clothes but also use layers so you can take something off when entering shops and extremely hot department stores. The best thing about Christmas in Seoul: no matter the weather, everyone is outside. So it is very easy to join the Christmas celebrations as a tourist.
Cheonggyecheon Stream
Cheonggyecheon stream is a very popular place for a stroll among Koreans. Many TV drama scenes were filmed here as well.
Location: 20-2 Myeong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul
COEX Mall
Go shopping at Gangnam’s COEX Mall and see the Christmas tree at the beautiful Starfield Library in the middle of the mall.
Location: 513 Yeongdong-daero, Samseong 1(il)-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Christmas market in Sinchon
Visit the Christmas market around Sinchon subway station and listen to live music. Join the Koreans and take pictures with card board Santa, Christmas wreaths and many other decorations in the street.
Location: 31-11 Nogosan-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul (near Sinchon Subway Station on the green line)
Date: usually 22 – 25 December from 13:00 until 20:00.
Shinsegae Department store
Watch the beautiful light show at Shinsegae Department Store. I spent more than ten minutes watching it from various sides.
Location: 63 Sogong-ro, Myeongdong, Seoul
City Hall
Go ice skating in front of City Hall.
Read more: 11 Ways to Spend Your Day in Seoul
