Visitors take part in mud activities at Daecheon Beach during the Boryeong Mud Festival on Aug. 2, 2025.YONHAP
The Boryeong Mud Festival returns Friday and runs through Aug. 9, with more mudslinging fun and an expanded lineup of nighttime performances.
The festival will take place at venues across Daecheon Beach and Boryeong Mud Expo Plaza in Boryeong, South Chungcheong, Boryeong's city government announced Monday.
Now in its 29th year, the festival will expand its signature mud activities. The main festival zone at Boryeong Mud Expo Plaza will include a general activity zone for all visitors, a family zone and a water park zone for children.
The city also added 20 self-massage mud tubs and will debut a mud infinity pool overlooking the sea.
"We installed the self-massage mud tubs so visitors can enjoy mud activities in an area that is less crowded," a Boryeong City official said.
Nighttime programs have also been expanded. The Mud on the Beach event will offer EDM performances and DJ sets, as well as a drone light show and hip-hop performances. The 8090 Night Show will also feature performances from singers popular during the 1980s and 1990s. KBS's K-Pop Super Live, TV Chosun's Super Concert and the Mud Rock Festa featuring bands will also take place.
The festival will also include programs aimed at supporting the local community. Booths selling regional specialties will be set up, and visitors who purchase tickets to the paid mud experience zones will receive a 5,000 won ($3.40) Boryeong Love Gift Certificate — the city's local currency voucher — and discount coupons that can be used at local businesses. A festival where citizens can participate in a singing and dancing competition will also take place.
Visitors enjoy performances during the Boryeong Mud Festival in Korea on Aug. 2, 2025.BORYEONG CITY
In addition to the festival, Boryeong City manufactures and sells mud-based products, including cosmetics, soap, shampoo and facial masks. The city expects sales of those products to reach 2 billion won this year.
"This year marks the 30th anniversary since the city began selling mud products," a Boryeong official said. "To celebrate the milestone, we plan to hold a variety of events during this year's mud festival."
The Boryeong Mud Festival attracts around 2 million visitors every year and is regarded as one of Korea's signature summer festivals. It is also popular among international visitors.
Visitors engage in literal mudslinging at the Boryeong Mud Festival on July 26, 2025.NEWS1
The festival has been selected by the Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) as one of four regional festivals that are easily accessible by train and other forms of public transportation. Korail says the four festivals allow visitors to enjoy local history, culture and summer water activities without the hassle of traffic congestion or parking.
The other festivals selected by Korail are the Auraji Rafting Festival in Jeongseon, Gangwon, the Pyeongchang Summer-Hunter Festival in Pyeongchang, Gangwon, and Mungyeong Zombie Water Night in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang.
"The Boryeong Mud Festival has established itself as Korea's premier summer festival and is growing into a global cultural attraction," Boryeong Mayor Uhm Seung-yong said. "This year, we have further strengthened both the festival's brand value and its programs. We will do our best to create a festival where visitors from Korea and abroad can come together through mud, a natural material, while giving residents a strong sense of pride."
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
