KO
- More than 20,000 visitors attended Everland’s Midsummer Night Firefly Festival during its first ten days
- The country’s largest firefly experience program is open free of charge this year, combining ecological learning with an immersive display of thousands of fireflies
In complete darkness, thousands of tiny lights begin to flicker at once. As the fireflies illuminate the space like a galaxy across the night sky, the room fills with gasps of surprise from visitors watching the natural display unfold before them.
Everland’s Midsummer Night Firefly Festival has welcomed more than 20,000 visitors since opening on July 24, drawing strong interest as a distinctive summer experience. Operated by Samsung C&T Resort Group, the festival offers visitors a rare opportunity to see thousands of fireflies up close and is open completely free of charge this year.
The experience has been particularly popular during the summer vacation and holiday season. For visitors of all ages, it offers an opportunity to observe an insect rarely encountered in everyday city life while learning about the wonder of nature and the value of living things. Word of mouth has also encouraged repeat visits, with some guests returning to share the experience with family members.
A Rare Summer Encounter with Thousands of Fireflies
Available only during summer, the festival is the country’s largest firefly experience program. It allows visitors to observe fireflies – insects recognized as indicators of clean environmental conditions – at close range, a particularly uncommon opportunity in the Seoul metropolitan area.
Since beginning full-scale operations in 2017, the program has become one of Everland’s signature summer experiences. It gives children a form of ecological education centered on the firefly life cycle and the importance of the natural environment, while offering adults the atmosphere and calm of a romantic summer night.
This year, Everland opened the experience zone free of charge so that more visitors can encounter the fireflies. Anyone visiting the park can participate by joining the on-site queue.
From Ecological Storytelling to an Immersive Forest
The experience begins with a video and storytelling from Everland’s zookeepers. Visitors learn about the firefly’s life cycle from egg to larva, pupa, and adult, along with ecological characteristics such as why fireflies produce light and how males and females can be distinguished.
Visitors then move into the underground forest experience zone for the program’s highlight. Once every light is switched off, thousands of fireflies begin to glow throughout the darkness, creating a scene reminiscent of the Milky Way. Atmospheric music incorporating sounds from nature further deepens the sense of immersion, making visitors feel as though they have entered a real forest at night.
Visitors have shared enthusiastic reactions across online communities and social media. Some described the view as being as beautiful as ‘a galaxy of starlight pouring down’ before their eyes, while parents said the program felt like a chance to give their children a glimpse of nature that is otherwise difficult to show them. Others said that after seeing it once, they wanted to return with their families.
A Starlit Camping Atmosphere Beyond the Experience Zone
The surrounding area extends the experience through a Starlight Camping theme. From Ppuppa Town to the Lost Valley education center, photo zones and lighting installations invite visitors to capture summer-night memories alongside firefly motifs.
Camping chairs, a campfire setting, and other themed elements complete the atmosphere, giving the area the feeling of a summer camping trip after dark.
“Since expanding the firefly festival into a completely free program this year, we have welcomed many visitors every day,” an Everland representative said. “We hope families can observe the mysterious light created by nature at close range, appreciate the preciousness of life, and enjoy the romance of a summer night together.”
Alongside the firefly festival, Everland is offering a range of water-based and nighttime programs for the summer heat, including Bam Bam Summer Night and Summer Night Safari.
Visitors can also take advantage of seasonal promotions, including evening admission tickets and the 2Park event, which provides free same-day admission to Everland for Caribbean Bay visitors.
For full details on operating hours and park information, visit the Everland website or check out the mobile app.
International visitors can also enjoy a range of special admission offers when presenting eligible VISA, JCB, or T-money cards, or by showing eligible boarding passes from Asiana Airlines. Visitors can also enjoy 25% off the Everland Pass through Singapore Airlines’ Kris+ platform, which can be accessed using a KrisFlyer membership, while Discover Seoul Pass holders can enjoy complimentary admission as part of their pass benefits.
