The 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) runs from October 6 to 15, 2026, and almost every seat is sold online through the festival’s own website. For a foreign visitor, three things decide whether you get in and understand the film: how BIFF ticketing works, what to do once a screening shows as sold out, and how to read the subtitle code printed next to each screening. This guide covers all three, using BIFF’s official ticket guide checked on October 4, 2026. The first online sale waves (September 17 and 21) have already passed, so popular screenings may already show as sold out; leftover and cancelled seats still move through biff.kr and the on-site Ticket Boxes once the festival opens.
1. Key dates for BIFF 2026
| Event | When and where |
|---|---|
| Night Before BIFF (eve event) | Monday, October 5, 19:00 · Nampo-dong BIFF Square outdoor stage |
| Opening ceremony and opening film | Tuesday, October 6, 18:00 · Busan Cinema Center Roof Theater · The Table: Day and Night (Kim Jong-kwan) |
| Festival screenings | October 6–15 · Busan Cinema Center and partner cinemas |
| Closing ceremony | Thursday, October 15, 18:00 · Busan Cinema Center Roof Theater · screening of the Busan Award winner |
The Competition section is in its second year, with 14 films from Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Iran, Uzbekistan and Indonesia. Outdoor stage greetings run October 7–11 and Open Talk sessions October 7–13, both at the Roof Theater. A Master Class with Alfonso Cuarón takes place on October 8 at Busan Cinema Center Cinema 1. Talk events carry their own ticket prices (see below).
2. Ticket prices
| Ticket type | Price |
|---|---|
| General screenings / Cine Class | KRW 10,000 |
| Actors’ House / Master Class | KRW 15,000 |
| Midnight Passion (late-night screenings) | KRW 20,000 |
| Opening or closing ceremony | KRW 30,000 |
A KRW 3,000 discount applies to people aged 65 or older (born in 1961 or earlier), people with disabilities and veterans. The discount is available online too, but discounted mobile tickets must be verified with ID at a BIFF Ticket Box before you can use them. Without valid ID, you pay the difference.
3. How online booking works
- Register on biff.kr. Registration needs email verification. Previous years’ accounts do not carry over, so register again even if you booked before.
- Use Chrome on a PC or phone. BIFF recommends Chrome and warns that booking may not work properly on tablets. Logging in on several devices, browsers or tabs at once is not allowed.
- Book by screening code. You can buy up to two tickets per screening code. Moving to a different code may put you back in the queue when traffic is heavy.
- Pay by credit or debit card. Online booking is open 24 hours a day until October 15. Your mobile ticket works for entry. If you want a paper ticket, show the mobile ticket at any BIFF Ticket Box.
4. When a screening is sold out: the BIFF Ticket Boxes
All standard seats go on sale online first. During the festival, seats that did not sell online or were cancelled are released at on-site BIFF Ticket Boxes, which accept credit card, debit card or cash.
| Ticket Box | Dates | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Busan Cinema Center, Outdoor Ticket Box | Oct 6–15 | 8:30–20:30 |
| Busan Cinema Center, Cine Mountain 6F | Oct 7–15 | 8:30 until 15 minutes after the last screening starts |
| CGV Centum City 7F · LOTTE CINEMA Centum City 8F · Korean Film Council 2F · Busan Community Media Center 1F | Oct 7–14 | From 30 minutes before the first screening |
| Sohyang Theatre Woori Bank Hall | Oct 8–14 | Varies by screening schedule |
| MEGABOX Busan Theater 4F | Oct 8–11 | 9:30–20:00 |
Community BIFF screenings can only be booked at the MEGABOX Busan Theater 4F box. A Ticket Box that opens before 8:30 only prints tickets and checks discounts until then. Seniors aged 65+ and people with disabilities can also use a dedicated on-site service at every Ticket Box, which holds a limited number of seats for same-day and next-day general screenings. On opening day, the Outdoor Ticket Box sells only next-day general screenings.
5. Read the subtitle code before you buy
The official schedule prints a subtitle code next to each screening, and it matters if you do not speak Korean:
- KE — Korean subtitles plus English subtitles, or English dialogue
- KN — Korean subtitles on non-English dialogue, without English subtitles
- No mark — English subtitles on Korean dialogue
A KN screening of a Japanese or Iranian film, for example, will have Korean subtitles only. Check the code on the screening page before choosing a time, because the same film can have more than one screening.
6. Cancellations and refunds
| When you cancel | Fee per ticket |
|---|---|
| 6 or more days before the screening | Free |
| 5 to 3 days before | KRW 1,000 (KRW 3,000 for ceremonies); free if cancelled on the day of purchase |
| 2 days to 60 minutes before | KRW 3,000 (KRW 9,000 for ceremonies); no same-day exemption |
Cancel mobile tickets under My page on biff.kr. Paper tickets must be returned to a BIFF Ticket Box. Lost or damaged tickets are not reissued or refunded, and BIFF accepts no responsibility for tickets bought through resellers or personal transfers.
7. A worked example: one BIFF weekend
Say you arrive in Busan on Friday, October 9, for two days. Before travelling, filter the online schedule for KE or unmarked screenings, then book two tickets for one film on Saturday morning and one on Saturday evening. If a film you want is sold out, plan to be at a Ticket Box near the screening venue early on the day, since released seats are limited. On Sunday, October 11, the last day of the outdoor stage greetings, keep a gap around Busan Cinema Center. To get to Busan, compare KTX and express bus options in our Seoul to Busan guide. For getting around the city, see our Busan subway guide.
If you are in town on October 5, the eve event at BIFF Square fits naturally into our Nampo-dong food and old downtown walk.
8. Frequently asked questions
Can foreigners buy BIFF tickets online?
Booking runs on biff.kr with email registration and card payment. If you run into problems, BIFF’s call center (1666-9177) is open on weekdays, 10:00–17:00 with a break from 12:00 to 13:30. You can also email cs@biff.kr.
Are all BIFF films shown with English subtitles?
No. Screenings marked KN have Korean subtitles only. Choose KE or unmarked screenings if you need English.
Can I still get tickets if everything sold out online?
Possibly. Unsold and cancelled seats are released at the BIFF Ticket Boxes during the festival, but numbers are limited and not guaranteed.
How many tickets can I buy?
Online, you can buy up to two tickets per screening code. You can cancel those tickets one at a time.
Bottom line
BIFF 2026 runs October 6–15. Keep checking biff.kr in Chrome for remaining or cancelled seats (up to two tickets per screening code), read each screening’s subtitle code (KE or unmarked for English), and plan an early visit to the on-site Ticket Boxes once the festival opens on October 6.
Official sources checked October 4, 2026: BIFF — Ticket Booking guide (prices, Ticket Boxes, refunds) · BIFF official site — 2026 events and Competition · BIFF 2026 program list (opening film, Competition) · BIFF 2026 Ticket Catalogue (ceremony times, subtitle codes)
Schedules, guests and screening details can change after publication. BIFF refunds tickets in full, without fees, when it changes or cancels a screening. Check the screening page on biff.kr before you travel.