The 2026 Seoul International Garden Expo runs Oct. 1–27 at Maeheon Citizens' Forest, featuring 51 gardens, hands-on programs and performances.
The opening ceremony takes place Thursday at 5 p.m., with a garden competition awards presentation, celebratory performances and a classical concert by youth ensemble JINS.
Seocho-gu in Seoul will transform the corridor stretching from Yangjae Citizens' Forest Station to Yeoui Stream into a continuous garden landscape to coincide with the Seoul International Garden Expo at Maeheon Citizens' Forest.
Timed to the expo, which runs from Thursday to Oct. 27, the district will install connecting gardens along major pedestrian routes, revamp the Yeoui Stream waterfront and offer garden experience and cultural programs throughout the event.
This year's Seoul International Garden Expo carries the theme "Seoul, Green Culture — Citizens' Garden" and will be held at Maeheon Citizens' Forest, which marks its 40th anniversary this year. The expo will showcase a garden culture built, filled and carried forward by citizens. A total of 51 gardens will be created — four artist gardens, six corporate and institutional gardens, five student gardens, five citizen gardens, one Seoul master gardener garden, five local government gardener gardens and 25 district gardener gardens.
The opening ceremony will be held Thursday at 5 p.m. on the forest stage at Maeheon Citizens' Forest. The program will open with a performance, followed by welcome remarks, congratulatory speeches, a garden competition awards presentation and a commemorative photo session. After the ceremony, JINS — a youth classical ensemble from Seocho-gu — will take the stage for a concert.
To spread the garden atmosphere beyond the main expo grounds, the district has installed connecting gardens along key pedestrian routes, including Yangjae Citizens' Forest Station, Mabang Neighborhood Park and Yeoui Stream. The Maeheon-ro corridor and the green strips along Mabang Neighborhood Park have been landscaped to reflect Seocho-gu's distinctive character, while hanging planters have been placed on Yeoui 1 Bridge and Yeoui Bridge. Modular gardens themed around the expo have been set up near Yangjae Citizens' Forest Station and the Yeoui Stream Wish Cafe, so residents can encounter garden scenery along the way to and from the venue. Outdoor tea tables and designer benches have also been arranged along the Yeoui Stream waterfront to create a restful space in harmony with the gardens.
Thirty Seocho master gardeners will create a garden in the district gardener section of the expo grounds, themed "Hand in Hand" and incorporating the taeguk motif. A pocket garden will also be installed at the exit of Maeheon Citizens' Forest Station, and the gardeners will help maintain the gardens at and around the expo site throughout the event.
Programs linked to the Seocho Garden Center have also been prepared. The Seocho Garden Centers at Maeheon Citizens' Forest and Maljukgeori Park will run hands-on garden culture programs for residents, and the opening ceremony will feature "Gardening on Wheels," a mobile gardening program.
Cultural programs tied to the expo will also be on offer. Along Yangjae Stream, a garden-themed event called Yangjae Art Salon will be held, alongside youth busking performances and youth artist concerts.
Seocho-gu District Mayor Jeon Seong-su said the district is working to ensure that visitors to Maeheon Citizens' Forest can enjoy the charm of gardens not only inside the expo grounds but throughout the surrounding area. "We will work closely with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to make this an event where citizens can safely and comfortably enjoy garden culture," he said.
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