Frieze Seoul
Frieze and Kiaf bring international and Korean galleries together at COEX while Seoul’s museums and gallery districts extend the week across the city.
2026 dates
- Venue
- COEX
- Where to plan around
- Gangnam, with gallery nights and programmes across Seoul
- Access
- The first day is invitation-only. Preview-ticket access begins on 3 September before public entry that afternoon; Frieze tickets also cover Kiaf SEOUL.
- Official information
- Visit Frieze ↗
The Banquet note
Frieze arrived in Seoul in 2022, joining a fair ecology with deeper local roots. Kiaf began in 2002 under the Galleries Association of Korea and shares both COEX and joint ticketing with Frieze. Read them together: Frieze occupies Halls C and D on Level 3, while Kiaf’s main halls sit below on Level 1. The fifth Frieze Seoul brings international reach, Korean galleries appear throughout both fairs, and Kiaf rewards the same unhurried attention as the floor where the partnership’s local history is clearest.
After COEX, the official week moves by district: Euljiro on 31 August, Hannam on 1 September, Cheongdam on 2 September and Samcheong on 3 September. Choose one evening instead of attempting a citywide crawl. Hannam pairs galleries with Leeum; Cheongdam adds SONGEUN and the announced Frieze Film programme; Samcheong offers the densest walking circuit through MMCA Seoul, Art Sonje, PKM, Kukje and Gallery Hyundai. That sequence reveals the lasting Seoul art world behind the temporary fair.
Plan it well
Reserve Friday or Saturday for one uninterrupted COEX visit; ordinary public entry on Thursday begins at 3 p.m. Use Samseong Station on Line 2 or Bongeunsa Station on Line 9, and avoid inserting a cross-river museum appointment between the two fair floors. Kiaf continues through Sunday, 6 September, after Frieze closes. Design Miami Seoul occupies DDP the same week; give it a different morning.