Autumn University Festival

2026 Fall University Festival Schedule — Season Wrap-Up, Complete Dates & Lineups by School

The 2026 fall college festival season has officially come to an end. Kicking off on September 9 at Hanyang Women's University, the peak rush hit right after the Chuseok holiday (September 28–October 2), packing schedules across Kyung Hee University Global Campus, Dongguk University, Konkuk University, Hanyang University, and Sungkyunkwan University Natural Sciences Campus. The season drew to a close with the annual Korea-Yonsei Games on October 2–3. Following that, the only confirmed on-campus festival was Hanshin University's Daedongyeonje on October 7–8. The "Daegu-Gyeongbuk University Festa," held on October 30–31 in Dongseong-ro, Daegu, was a downtown city event hosted by Daegu Metropolitan City, making it fundamentally different from a traditional campus festival. As of November 2, there are no scheduled fall festivals remaining across four-year universities.

The table below compiles dates and artist lineups confirmed through official notices and press reports. No university has yet announced dates for the upcoming 2027 spring festival season. Last checked: November 2, 2026.

At a Glance — As of November 2

Season Recap — Archive of Concluded Festivals

Listed below in chronological order are the universities whose lineups were unveiled in press releases on September 8 or later announced by organizers. Campuses omitted from major media coverage but confirmed through dated audience fancams are tagged as "Based on audience fancams." Celebrity performances were heavily concentrated on the final day of each festival.

A few highlights stand out. Chosun University brought in 16 acts over three days, making it the largest festival of the fall season by volume. WINNER took the stage at Kyonggi University and Chosun University just one day apart, while YENA covered Chosun University and Gwangju Health University back-to-back. With RESCENE and MEOVV booked for both the Seoul National University closing ceremony (Sep 17) and Inha University's finale (Sep 18), second-year girl groups clearly established themselves as fall campus festival staples.

Seoul National University was an unexpected surprise. The institution, which traditionally only hosted a spring festival, launched a three-day fall event titled "LUMINES: Prologue" in celebration of its 80th anniversary. Events on September 15 and 16 took place on the Grass Plaza, while the September 17 closing ceremony was staged at Beodeolgol Pungsan Yard. Our August forecast noting that "Seoul National University only celebrates in May" proved incorrect.

The Final Week — September 28 to October 3 (Concluded)

More than ten campuses were packed into the six-day stretch running from the Monday immediately following Chuseok through National Foundation Day. Lineups are based on university notices and campus press; schools verified solely through fan community roundups without official announcements are flagged accordingly.

Routing-wise, Tuesday, September 29, was the most packed day. Both NCT WISH and RESCENE were listed for Kyung Hee University Global (Yongin) and Hanyang University ERICA (Ansan) on the exact same date. With the two campuses situated roughly 40 minutes apart by car, playing two shows in a single afternoon was well within reach, though exact logistics depended on released timetables. YB also toured southern Gyeonggi on back-to-back days, visiting Kyung Hee Global on September 30 and Sungkyunkwan University Natural Sciences Campus (Suwon) on October 1.

Following appearances at Seoul National University on September 17 and Inha University on September 18, RESCENE added two more performances during the final week, bringing their fall festival tally to four campuses. fromis_9 hit six campuses across the fall season alone—Gachon, Inha, and Seoul National University, followed by Konkuk, ERICA, and Hanyang Seoul (Konkuk based on community reports). A full statistical breakdown of girl group appearances is compiled separately in the Fall University Festival Girl Group Appearance Stats.

Hanyang University Seoul's two-day roster was revealed by on-campus news outlet NewsH on September 18. Jiwon, who was originally scheduled, was unable to attend due to artist scheduling issues. fromis_9 performed at the ERICA campus on October 1 and followed up with the Seoul campus the next day, playing both Hanyang locations in succession. Sungkyunkwan University's Student Council announced its Day 2 ESKARA lineup on September 21; featuring nine acts, it marked the largest single-day schedule of the closing week. For YENA, it was her third campus appearance of the fall after Chosun University and Gwangju Health University.

Konkuk University did not post its lineup on official channels right up until the festival, with the two-day artist roster surfacing via fan community compilations (an official school announcement never materialized). Taking Konkuk (September 30) into account, fromis_9 performed on campus stages for three consecutive days alongside ERICA and Hanyang Seoul. Lineups for Korea University (Ku:loud), Chungbuk National University, and Myongji College remained unverified, leaving them marked as "Undisclosed" in the table.

Annual Korea-Yonsei Games Results

The regular Korea-Yonsei Games held on October 2–3 ended with Korea University claiming the overall championship with 3 wins and 2 losses. This brings Korea University's five-year record at the annual games to 4 wins and 1 draw. The baseball matchup marked the final games played at Jamsil Baseball Stadium before its off-season remodeling.

Events Held After the Rivalry Games

Because the University Festa was held outside campus in downtown Daegu with students from 15 regional universities, it is not included in the standard individual campus festival schedule. izna took the stage at Hanshin University following their appearance at Kyung Hee Global on September 28.

How Accurate Were the August Forecasts?

Having published early projections, it is time to tally the score. Our schedule, which mapped historical event weeks onto this year's calendar, successfully nailed the macro trend of a "heavy concentration in the third week of September," but individual university projections were off roughly half the time.

Every delayed festival can be explained by the timing of Chuseok. Several schools planning for the third week shifted back until after the holidays, turning the final week of September into the season's primary peak. On the other hand, early shifts like Kyonggi University came down to internal scheduling choices that historical trends could not account for. With Sungkyunkwan University showing no public updates through mid-September, we assumed there would be no fall festival, yet the Natural Sciences Campus held ESKARA on October 1–2. Gachon University also held a fall event, confirmed by fancams of fromis_9 and kiiikiii uploaded on September 16. Kookmin University, Myongji University, and Pusan National University showed no fall festival notices through the end of the season.

Three Long Weekends and the Calendar Flow

September and October 2026 featured three extended holiday weekends of three days or more, with remaining festivals slotting neatly into the gaps between them.

As expected, no four-year university hosted a festival during the Chuseok holiday itself. The three-day window right after the holiday (September 29–October 1) saw the heaviest density of festivals all autumn.

For concurrent regional events and music gatherings, browse the Fall Festival Calendar.

Can Non-Students Attend?

Even with the schedule in hand, access is often the primary roadblock. These events are no longer open-door gatherings where visitors can simply stroll in.

It is now standard practice for universities to divide festival grounds—such as open-air theaters or central stadiums where headliners perform—into designated "Current Student Zones" and "General Public Zones," with strict capacity caps implemented for crowd safety. A growing number of schools charge admission to outside visitors or require advance bookings through dedicated mobile apps.

This fall, lineup announcements and ticketing registrations launched on the same day at most schools. Often, reservations were already live the moment the poster dropped, with popular campuses booking out within hours. Konkuk University did not publish its entry policies on official channels right up to opening day. For the spring season, turning on push notifications for student council social media channels remains the only viable preparation.

For detailed entry strategies and filming equipment regulations, consult our University Festival Entry & Fancam Guide.

As restrictions tightened, attempts to bypass security—such as borrowing student IDs or memorizing student verification quizzes—became common, prompting universities to counter with strict student ID and government ID cross-checks. Several student councils explicitly warned that unauthorized badge usage could carry legal liabilities.

Tips for Fancam Creators

Filming has become an obstacle distinct from general admission. Many universities now mandate prior registration for recording idol stages, collecting formal filming applications along with ID photocopies and written pledges. The main catalyst has been the rise of heavy telephoto gear ("cannon lenses"). Masses of oversized rigs blocking front-row sightlines sparked mounting concerns over visibility, safety, and image rights, culminating in today's permit systems.

Make sure to verify three details beforehand: whether cameras are permitted past security, if lens dimensions are restricted, and whether captured footage can be shared online. The last point often divides university administrations and artist management, making written guidelines essential.

Outdoor stage lighting and audio conditions are explored in our Fall Stage Season coverage, while performance clips from this season are gathered in the Fancam archive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there any campus festivals left this season? None as of November 2. Hanshin University's October 7–8 event marked the final campus festival following the Korea-Yonsei Games, with no four-year university festivals scheduled for November. The next cycle will be the spring 2027 season.

Did any artist bookings overlap on the same day? Yes, on September 29. Kyung Hee University Global (Yongin) and Hanyang University ERICA (Ansan) were only a 40-minute drive apart, and both NCT WISH and RESCENE were billed at both campuses on the same day. Even during the spring season, setting an efficient travel itinerary on overlapping dates requires waiting for day-of timetables.

Can the general public watch the Korea-Yonsei Games? Seating prioritizes cheering sections for students of both universities, while general admission ticketing rules varied by sporting event. Korea University claimed the overall victory this year (3 wins, 2 losses). For fight songs and cheering routines, refer to the Korea-Yonsei Games Cheer Song Guide.

Can we rely on next year's early forecasts? This August's projections missed dates for Kyung Hee Global, Chungbuk National, and Hanyang University by two full weeks. Projections based strictly on historical calendar weeks carry higher margins of error whenever major holiday dates shift; arrange accommodations only after school notices drop, or secure flexible, refundable reservations.

Did Kookmin University and Myongji University skip the fall season? No fall festival notices were found for either school through the end of the season. Universities that stage major festivals in May often bypass the fall. Gachon University held its festival on September 16, while Sungkyunkwan University hosted an event exclusively at its Natural Sciences Campus on October 1–2.

Season Wrap-Up — Revisiting This Archive

With the final match of the Korea-Yonsei Games on October 3, the 2026 fall university festival season came to a formal close. No festivals at four-year universities were recorded following the Hangeul Day weekend (October 9–11) through November 2. This page now serves two core purposes.

First, it stands as a historical archive. The recap and final-week tables above represent the definitive record of which artists performed at which campuses this autumn. Because concluded festivals yield no new operational updates, the artist rosters in the tables remain fixed based on official releases and verified reports. Last-minute cancellations or lineup substitutions are noted where documented.

Second, it acts as a roadmap for next year's planning. Spring and fall festival circuits feature vastly different university lineups. Many institutions celebrate exclusively in May, while fall festivals often emerge only around special occasions, such as Seoul National University's anniversary celebrations this year. Consequently, directly transplanting fall records into spring projections will result in inaccuracies. As seen in our August forecast review, shifting holiday patterns can easily shift identical campus schedules by up to two weeks.

Looking Ahead — 2027 Spring University Festival Guide

No university has announced its spring 2027 festival dates yet (as of November 2, 2026), which is why specific calendar dates are omitted for now. However, the season typically follows this reliable cadence year after year:

Signature events like Konkuk University's Ilgamho Festival are traditionally held around founder's day in May, while Korea University's Seoktap Daedongje also took place in May for 2026. Once the spring season approaches, this page's tables will transition to spring schedules, retaining a summary of these fall records.

If you are eyeing the spring festival circuit, there are two steps you can take today: follow the official student council accounts of your target campuses, and familiarize yourself with varied entry models through our University Festival Entry & Fancam Guide. As seen this fall, when artist lineups and ticket links drop simultaneously, only those with notifications enabled get through the gates.

The Origins of "Daedongje"

The term Daedongje began defining Korean university festivals around 1980, with Korea University's 1984 festival under this banner widely recognized as its cultural turning point. True to its meaning—"a grand festival of great unity"—early Daedongje celebrations were grassroots gatherings organized and performed primarily by students, with minimal reliance on commercial celebrity stages. Their modern evolution into massive outdoor concerts, complete with gated perimeter controls and filming permits, is a relatively recent development. Names like Sungshin Women's University's "Sujeong Daedongje" and Kangwon National University's "KNU Daedongje" remain living reminders of that heritage.

For coverage of student competitions and stage schedules, continue to our Dance & Performance Events section.

Sources: Korea Univ. Business School News: 2026 Korea-Yonsei Games Results (Oct 13) · Daehak Journal: Hanshin Univ. Daedongyeonje (Oct 12) · Kyongbuk Maeil: Daegu-Gyeongbuk University Festa (Oct 28) · Hankyong National Univ. Baekho Daedongje Notice · FanPlus Fall University Festival Lineup Compilation (Konkuk Univ.) · NewsH: 2026 Patriotic Hanyang Cheer Festival 'Oreum' Lineup (Sep 18) · Sungkyunkwan Univ. Student Council: ESKARA Artist Lineup (Sep 21) · Konkuk Univ. Festival Overview · Kyung Hee Univ. Global Campus Adelante Lineup (make2t) · Gukjenews: September University Festival Lineups (Sep 8) · Hanyang Univ. Patriotic Hanyang Cheer Festival Notice · Korea Univ. 2026 Regular Games Schedule Notice · Mogakgong University Festival Calendar · Fall University Festival Schedule Archive (Updated Sep 16)

Last updated: 2026-11-02