Masan Gagopa Chrysanthemum Festival
🗓️ 2026.10.31 ~ 2026.11.08
The Masan Gagopa Chrysanthemum Festival is Changwon’s representative autumn festival, held annually since 2000 to promote the quality of Masan chrysanthemums and encourage chrysanthemum consumption. Masan has a distinctive place in Korean floriculture: in 1961, six farmers in the Hoewon-dong area began the country’s first commercial cultivation of chrysanthemums, and in 1972, Masan chrysanthemums became the first domestic variety to be exported to Japan. The region’s mild climate and accumulated cultivation techniques sustained that industry, and the festival draws on this heritage, offering both historical context and a broad array of chrysanthemum artworks.
The 26th edition takes place across the 3·15 Marine Nuri Park, Happo Waterfront Park, and the Marine New Town area, all of which lie along the Masan coastline. Because the venues are waterfront parks, the chrysanthemum exhibition, performances, and food stalls all unfold with the sea in view—an unusual setting for a flower festival. Evening events, including the multimedia fireworks show and Marine Nakwha-nori, make direct use of the waterfront, and the festival’s programming extends well beyond the flower displays themselves into music, competitions, hands-on activities, and seasonal outdoor events.
1. Main Programs
- Chrysanthemum Exhibition – the centerpiece of the festival, featuring elaborate chrysanthemum artworks displayed throughout the park grounds.
- Opening Ceremony – officially marks the start of the festival.
- Multimedia Fireworks Show – a fireworks display combined with lights and visual effects.
- Marine Nakwha-nori – a fireworks performance over the sea; the name evokes flower petals falling and scattering across the water’s surface.
- Chrysanthemum Makeup Contest – a competition in which participants incorporate chrysanthemums into makeup and styling.
- Gukhyang Song Festival – a song festival whose name references the fragrance of chrysanthemums.
2. Side Programs
- Indie Music Festa – live sets from indie musicians.
- Cultural Performances by Local Artists – a platform for regional performers across various disciplines.
- New Chrysanthemum Competition – a showcase of newly developed chrysanthemum varieties.
- Chrysanthemum Dance Cheerleading – cheerleading performances incorporating chrysanthemum motifs.
- Autumn Cinema – outdoor film screenings set against the autumn seaside.
3. Consumer Participation Events
- Wedding Photo Zone – a dedicated photo area for couples and commemorative portraits.
- AI Experience Booth – hands-on activities involving artificial intelligence.
4. Others, Food, etc.
Food stalls operate at each festival site, so visitors can take a break between exhibits and performances without leaving the festival grounds.
Visitor Information
📍 Address: Wolnam-dong 1-ga, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
💰 Fee: Free
📞 Inquiry: 055-225-2341
🖥️ Website: www.changwon.go.kr
🛏️ Accommodations near the event
What is Gagopa?
Gagopa (가고파) is a Korean expression meaning “I want to go” or “I long to return.” In Masan, the phrase is closely associated with the lyric poem “Gagopa” by Kim Dong-hwan, which describes longing for one’s hometown. The poem helped make the word a familiar reference point for Masan, a port city whose history has long involved people leaving and coming back.
The name fits the festival in a more seasonal way. Chrysanthemums bloom in late autumn, and the festival takes place as the year moves toward its end. Timing, not sentiment, is the main reason the flower and the festival are tied together. Still, the connection between late-autumn flowers and memory is easy enough to understand. A visitor may think of earlier autumns, or of a place they have left behind; the event does not need to insist on that response.
The Masan Gagopa Chrysanthemum Festival is an annual event in Masan, a district of Changwon since the 2010 municipal merger. It is one of South Korea’s larger autumn festivals, with potted chrysanthemum displays, large sculptural arrangements made from flowers, and a program of performances and street stalls along the harbor. The festival’s location gives it a clear character: an old port city with a walkable waterfront, crowded in late October and November with people who have come specifically to see the flowers. The name “Gagopa” offers a convenient cultural reference, but the event itself is best understood as a practical and visual occasion—an annual display of chrysanthemums at the one time of year they are in full bloom.
