Pohang Steel Art Festival 2026 (Oct 24-Nov 15): Free Steel Art by the Sea, Venues and Workshops

Pohang is Korea's steel city, and every autumn it turns that steel into art. The 2026 Pohang Steel Art Festival (포항스틸아트페스티벌, PSAF) runs from Saturday, October 24 to Sunday, November 15, 2026 at Dongbin Culture Warehouse 1969 (동빈문화창고1969), Songdo Beach (송도해수욕장) and other spots around the city. Pohang City hosts it and the Pohang Cultural Foundation organises it. Entry is free.

This year's theme is "Takma" (탁마, 琢磨), with the slogan "Iron sharpens iron, potatoes sharpen potatoes". The idea: people, like steel, get polished by working with each other.

Why it's worth a trip

• Steel art on the beach. "Pohang's Steel Wall" (포항의 철벽) by Lee Woong-bae is a 73-metre-long work made of weathering steel pipes at Songdo Beach. It stays up until May 31, 2027. Nearby, "Friends of Yeongil Bay I" places eight sculptures and installations on the sand.
• Portraits of a working city. In "Public Photo Pohang", photographer Kim Hoon shows 100 portraits: 50 market traders and 50 people who spent their working lives with steel.
• Art you can sit on. "Public Architecture Pohang", by Professor Cho Kwan-pil and Handong Global University students, puts steel street furniture along the stream walk of Jungang Shopping Street (중앙상가 실개천거리). It is made to be touched and used.
• Metal craft up close. "RE:MATCH-UP" shows work from a project that paired Pohang metal makers with craft and design artists.
• Hands-on workshops. Make a silver ring, a wire frame or a metal ornament with an artist.

When

- Festival dates: Oct 24 to Nov 15, 2026.
- Hours: Korea Tourism Organization lists Tuesday to Saturday 10:00-21:00 and Sunday 10:00-18:00. Monday hours are not listed, so call before a Monday visit.
- Exhibitions: most run for the whole festival. "Friends of Yeongil Bay II" (photos, at Sangsaeng Gallery in the annex of the Songdo Commodore Hotel) closes earlier, on Nov 1.
- Workshops at Dongbin Culture Warehouse 1969, 2F North Lounge, for example:
- Oct 31 (Sat) 10:30: metal "landscape" craft
- Nov 1 (Sun) 10:30 / 14:00: silver-leaf and gold-leaf ornaments
- Nov 8 (Sun) 10:30 / 14:00: wire frame, then wire vase
- Nov 14 (Sat) 10:30 / 14:00: silver ring, then metal "landscape" craft
- Sign up in advance with the QR code on the official leaflet. Sessions are in Korean.
- Art show "Dudream": Nov 14 (Sat) 19:00-20:00 at the Culture & Arts Factory, 3F (문화예술팩토리), mixing media art and piano.
- Programs can change, so check the official site before you go.

Cost

• Entry is free, according to Korea Tourism Organization's festival listing.
• Workshop fees are not shown on the leaflet. Ask when you sign up.

Getting there

• Dongbin Culture Warehouse 1969: 78 Seonchak-ro, Buk-gu, Pohang (포항시 북구 선착로 78). This is the main indoor venue.
• Songdo Beach: 1240 Huimang-daero, Nam-gu, Pohang (포항시 남구 희망대로 1240). This is where the outdoor works are.
• By train: KTX trains run to Pohang Station. From there, take a taxi or a city bus into town, and show the Korean address to the driver.
• The venues are spread out, so plan your route in a map app. Naver Map and KakaoMap work best in Korea.

Tips

• Start indoors, end by the sea. See Dongbin Culture Warehouse first, then walk the outdoor works at Songdo Beach while it is still light.
• Sundays close early. Listed hours end at 18:00 on Sundays.
• Indoor rules: no food, drinks or pets in the indoor exhibition halls. The organisers photograph and film the events, so you may appear in their pictures.
• Respect the art. Apart from the street furniture, do not climb on the works. The beach can be windy and cold in November, so bring a warm layer.
• The official site and leaflet are in Korean. A translation app helps with signs and the program.

Going alone?

The nearest omeetu meetup spot is Yeongildae Beach in Pohang. Open a meetup there to find others heading to the festival, or join one going on the same day. Meet first in a busy public place, and keep chats inside the app. Teen members have limits on meetups between 22:00 and 06:00, so plan to head back early.

Questions on the day

• Festival office (Pohang Cultural Foundation): 054-289-7852 to 7856
• Emergencies in Korea: 112 (police), 119 (fire and ambulance), 1330 (travel hotline with English support)

Official site: Pohang Steel Art Festival