[DiaryPoint=Reporter Choi Seung-jin] The 2026 Gumi Ramen Festival will take place Nov. 6–8 around Gumi Station and Yeokjeon-ro, a street beside the station. Admission is free; ramen dishes and some activities are paid for separately on site.
The festival grounds will center on the area around Gumi Station and Yeokjeon-ro. The Ramen Restaurant will serve inventive ramen dishes, while the Soup LAB & Self-Cooking Zone will let visitors mix ingredients and make their own bowls.
The Ramen Restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 6, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 7, and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Nov. 8. Opening times vary by day, and the restaurant closes two hours earlier on the final day.
The festival will also feature a ramen cooking contest, street performances and ramen-themed craft workshops. According to Gumi City, 1,263 people from 80 countries entered the online preliminary round of the Global Ramen Challenge. Representatives from 13 countries will compete in the final at 3 p.m. on Nov. 7.
This year’s Ramen Restaurant will have 33 vendors, up from 25 last year. They will serve 33 unusual ramen dishes, including pine mushroom and black trumpet mushroom mountain ramen and Neoguri-yaki. A festival-exclusive ramen made with flour from Gumi will also go on sale for the first time.
“We will do our best to raise the Gumi Ramen Festival’s profile around the world through the Global Ramen Challenge and attract more international visitors,” Gumi City said. Food and activities are not included with admission and cost extra on site.
The festival runs until 7 p.m. on Nov. 8. The Ramen Restaurant opens at 11 a.m. Friday and at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.