Seoul Light DDP Autumn 2026 Draws 700,000 with Music-Reactive Visuals for the First Time; Winter Edition Begins December 17

“Seoul Light DDP 2026 Autumn” (서울라이트 DDP 2026 가을), which turns the 222 m exterior of Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul, South Korea, into a screen for media art, was held from September 3 to 13, 2026. It was organized and hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Design Foundation, and admission was free. Four works were projected onto the facade, including pieces based on Nam June Paik’s video art, Yoo Youngkuk’s abstract art and the Hangul lyrics of the song anthology “Cheonggu Yeongeon.” According to the foundation, 700,000 people visited over the 11 days, a record for an autumn edition. Based on announcements by the Seoul Design Foundation and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, this article covers the works and how they were staged, attendance and effects on the surrounding area, the facade and equipment, and plans for the winter edition.

Seoul Light DDP began in 2019 and is held by the Seoul Design Foundation, which operates DDP. In 2025 it was held in summer, autumn and winter, including its first summer edition. For 2026, with the annual theme “DAYBREAKER,” three events are planned: autumn, winter and a New Year’s countdown. The autumn theme was “K-Original Light,” reinterpreting representative Korean art and cultural heritage as contemporary media art. In the work based on Paik, the festival introduced for the first time a method in which the visuals change on the spot in response to live performance. Paik’s work and the development of video-based art are introduced in our explainer on media art, and examples in Japan and abroad of building projections certified by Guinness World Records in our article on projection mapping Guinness World Records.

The autumn edition: 11 days, three hours nightly from 19:30

The venue was the front side of DDP, combining a media facade projected onto the 222 m exterior with a laser show and live performances. Shows ran nightly from 19:30 to 22:30. Partner institutions included the Nam June Paik Art Center, the Seoul Museum of Art and the National Hangeul Museum. The foundation says it signed cooperation agreements with the three institutions in August, May and July, respectively.

Name: Seoul Light DDP 2026 Autumn (서울라이트 DDP 2026 가을)
Dates: September 3–13, 2026
Hours: 19:30–22:30
Venue: Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP, Seoul, South Korea)
Admission: Free
Organizers: Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul Design Foundation
Partners: Nam June Paik Art Center, Seoul Museum of Art, National Hangeul Museum
Official website: https://www.ddp.or.kr/

Four works: Paik, Yoo Youngkuk, “Cheonggu Yeongeon” and lasers

Four works were projected onto the facade. The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s guide lists each by pairing the artist or cultural asset that inspired it with its creator, as in “백남준 x 버스데이” (Nam June Paik x VERSEDAY). English translations of Korean titles are by the editorial team.

The Break Point

The Nam June Paik Art Center and VERSEDAY reinterpreted Nam June Paik’s artistic world. According to the foundation, starting from the concept and experimental spirit of Paik’s “video synthesizer,” the light and images on DDP’s facade change in real time with the beat of the music. It was presented in two forms: a seven-minute media facade version and a 40-minute version combined with live performance.

In Search of the Mountain Within Me (내 안의 산을 찾아서)

A six-minute work that spreads the “mountain” Yoo Youngkuk contemplated throughout his life across DDP’s organic curved surfaces. Within the digital space of young media artist Hayoun Kwon, forms of mountains and color unfolded as rhythms of light. According to the foundation, the exhibition “Yoo Youngkuk: The Mountain Is Within Me” (유영국: 산은 내 안에 있다) ran at the Seoul Museum of Art’s Seosomun main building until Sunday, October 25.

A Night When Words Shine (말이 빛나는 밤)

A four-minute work that recomposes the song anthology “Cheonggu Yeongeon,” held by the National Hangeul Museum, through light and digital patterns. Timed to the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Hangeul Day (originally Gagya-nal), it was presented in three parts following the opening, middle and closing verses of sijo poetry. The National Hangeul Museum, the Sejong Cultural Tourism Foundation and 2GREY took part.

Passing Through the Light of the Future and the Resonance of Time (미래의 빛, 시간의 울림을 통과하다)

A 10-minute media facade and laser art work by Jeho Yun, serving as the debut work of DDP’s permanent program “DDP 365 Light.” According to the foundation, it awakens the traces and echoes of the past accumulated at DDP’s archaeological remains exhibition area through lasers, traditional percussion, electronic sound, AI imagery, lighting and movement.

Music-reactive visuals: A VJ improvises in time with the performance

The foundation highlights as a distinctive feature of the autumn edition its move away from playing pre-rendered video toward fully adopting “Generative & Audio-reactive Media Art.” In time with live performances, a visual jockey (VJ) improvises, generating and transforming graphics. The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s official news site explains that it goes beyond simply screening finished video, responding to the artists’ music to show different scenes at each performance.

Live performances took place in DDP’s Eoullim Plaza. IDIOTAPE performed live at the September 3 opening, followed by DJ sets. The schedule according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s guide was as follows.

• September 3, 20:00–20:40: IDIOTAPE

• September 4 and 5, 20:20–21:00: SION

• September 6 and 12, 20:20–21:00: HYPNOSIS THERAPY

• September 11 and 13, 20:20–21:00: SOULSCAPE

On opening day, a special performance combined Jeho Yun’s lasers, electronic sound, AI imagery and lighting with traditional performing arts and percussion by So Gyeongjin, choreography by Ahn Sanghwa and dance by Dance Moa.

Attendance and local effects: 700,000 visitors and 95% satisfaction

According to an announcement issued by the foundation on September 29, the autumn edition drew 700,000 visitors over 11 days, a daily average of about 64,000. A satisfaction survey during the event found 95% satisfaction, and about 20% of visitors were foreigners living abroad. About 27.4% said they learned of the event through social media.

The foundation also quantified foot traffic in the area. Boardings and alightings at the nearest station, Dongdaemun History & Culture Park, totaled 961,725 during the event, 8.3% more than the 887,702 in the same period of the previous month (August 3–13). From 18:00 to 24:00 the figure rose 15.1%, during the main viewing hours of 19:00–22:00 it rose 21.9%, and in the 20:00 hour it rose 26.8%, from 46,645 to 59,155.

Attendance at the autumn edition grew by about 13.7% over three years, from 539,000 in 2023 to 613,000 in 2025, and reached 700,000 in 2026. For the year as a whole, 1.92 million people visited in 2025, and the December 31 countdown alone drew about 87,000, according to the foundation. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, combined attendance at the autumn and winter editions in 2024 exceeded 1.38 million.

The foundation also presented results of an analysis by the Seoul AI Foundation of data from the 2023–2025 events. Card sales in the Dongdaemun commercial district during the autumn editions (based on Shinhan Card data) exceeded 9 billion won for three consecutive years, and card sales by foreigners rose by more than 50%, from 2.2 billion won in 2023 to 3.4 billion won in 2024. During the 2025 autumn edition, foreigners accounted for 34.0% of total sales, it says. Around the venue, a “DDP × Dongdaemun Super Pass” was also offered, grouping about 140 shops in areas such as Sindang-dong, Jangchung-dong and Gwanghui-dong into six themed courses.

Facade and equipment: A 222 m irregular wall and 26 projectors in 2025

The screen is the 222 m front facade of DDP. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, on August 25, 2025, Seoul Light DDP was registered by Guinness World Records as “The largest amorphous architectural 3D projection-mapped display.” The foundation’s English website gives the same record as “Largest Projection Mapping Display on a Non-Regularly Shaped Structure.” In design awards, it won an iF Design Award in February 2026 and a Red Dot Design Award in July, and was named an IDEA finalist in August. The foundation presents this as winning the world’s three major design awards for four consecutive years.

As for projection equipment, the models and number used for the 2026 editions had not been officially announced as of October 25. The most recent public information is a case study by video equipment maker Barco. According to the company, the 2025 autumn edition used 26 QDX-4K45 projectors, installed by Basictech and M2visual. The QDX delivers 45,000 lumens, 50% brighter than the 30,000-lumen UDX series used previously, according to the company’s Asia-Pacific representative. Barco has been involved since the event began in 2019 and said the same equipment would also be used for the 2025 winter edition.

Trends in high-brightness projectors are covered in our article on laser projector trends 2026.

Winter edition and permanent program: From December 17, with DDP 365 Light every night

The winter edition, “Seoul Light DDP 2026 Winter” (서울라이트 DDP 2026 겨울), is scheduled to begin on Thursday, December 17, with a New Year’s countdown on Thursday, December 31. In its September 29 announcement, the foundation said it plans collaborations with well-known IP (characters and other intellectual property) such as Kakao, an early reveal of Christmas spatial installations and extended operation of the countdown. The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s August guide gave the winter edition’s subtitle as “K-Iconic Light” (provisional) and the countdown as “First Light” (provisional). As of October 25, the end date, works and hours had not been announced.

The 2025 winter edition ran for 14 days, from December 18 to 31, from 18:00 to 21:30. Its theme was “EVERGLOW,” six media art works were shown, and admission was free (Seoul Metropolitan Government announcement).

After the autumn edition, the permanent program “DDP 365 Light” began. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s official news site, it is located near the archaeological remains exhibition area in Eoullim Plaza, and since September 2026 it has staged a daily light show synchronizing lasers, lighting, video and sound. As of September, shows ran every 30 minutes from 19:00 to 22:00, each about five minutes long. The first show of the evening varies by season: 18:00 from November to February, 19:00 in March–April and September–October, and 20:00 from May to August; hours and number of shows are subject to change. The foundation had indicated plans to upgrade the permanent content in October.

Editor’s perspective

What stands out about the 2026 autumn edition is the change in how works were presented. The foundation explains that it moved from playing finished video to having a VJ generate images on the spot in time with the performance. Though the 222 m facade screen is the same, the Paik-inspired work looks different at every performance. Show hours also grew by an hour, from 20:00–22:00 in autumn 2025 to 19:30–22:30 in 2026.

Another is the structure that links a few events a year to year-round nighttime visitation. Seoul Light DDP was held in summer, autumn and winter in 2025; for 2026 it set out three events, autumn, winter and the countdown, and added the permanent DDP 365 Light from September. In addition to attendance, the foundation has published station boardings by time of day and, from the Seoul AI Foundation’s analysis, card sales and the share of sales by foreigners. Attendance and economic impact figures published for light events in Japan are compiled in our roundup of attendance and economic impact of light events, but Seoul’s announcements go as far as station usage by time of day and spending by foreign visitors.

The subject matter of the works also shifted. The 2025 autumn edition featured a large media facade by French conceptual artist Laurent Grasso and a laser installation by Taiwan’s Aka Chang, with OpenAI as a sponsor. The 2026 autumn edition, based on agreements with the Nam June Paik Art Center, the Seoul Museum of Art and the National Hangeul Museum, consisted of works based on Korean artists and cultural heritage. Another feature of the 2026 edition was timing it to overlap with the Seoul Museum of Art’s Yoo Youngkuk exhibition, combining a museum exhibition with nighttime outdoor screenings.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a charge to see Seoul Light DDP?

The 2026 autumn edition was free. Prices for the winter edition had not been announced as of October 25, but the 2025 winter edition was also free (Seoul Metropolitan Government announcement).

When does the winter edition start?

According to the foundation and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, it begins on Thursday, December 17, with a New Year’s countdown on Thursday, December 31. As of October 25, the end date, works and show times had not been announced.

Can light works be seen at DDP outside the festival periods?

Yes, there is the permanent DDP 365 Light. Near the archaeological remains exhibition area in Eoullim Plaza, shows of about five minutes run every night on the hour and half hour, starting at 18:00 from November to February (Seoul Metropolitan Government guide).

*Information as of October 25, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Imagery projected onto the facade of Dongdaemun Design Plaza at “Seoul Light DDP” in autumn 2025 (from Barco’s case study)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on press materials from the Seoul Design Foundation (August 20 and September 29, 2026), announcements and official news site articles from the Seoul Metropolitan Government (August 2025 – September 2026) and Barco’s case study (as of October 25, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team