Taiwan October 2026 Festivals / Taipei Events + National Day

Visiting Taiwan in October 2026? You are in for a treat as there are lots of Taiwan festivals in October 2026, from the Taichung Jazz Festival to the 2026 Taipei Pride / Color Taipei parade.

National Day in Taiwan is 10 October which sees celebrations including the 2026 Taiwan National Day Taipei 101 fireworks – plus a Taipei 101 drone show along with fireworks, plus a special show in Taitung County.

October in Taiwan brings the Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival, the China Airlines Marathon plus the Taipei Art Fair arrives in the city. We also say bye-bye to the Taiwan baseball season.

K-Pop comes to Kaohsiung in the form of Super Junior-83z plus other bands and concerts in Taiwan in October include Air Supply, Julia Peng, Charlie Puth plus Kaohsiung City Wind Orchestra perform Studio Ghibli soundtracks.

Here is our pick of the best Taipei and Taiwan events in October 2026.

This article was originally published on 18 September 2025.

Taiwan checklist

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It marks the 1911 Wuchang Uprising in China, which began the Xinhai Revolution that led to the abolition of the Qing Dynasty and establishment of the ROC in 1912 and the end of Imperial rule.

It is a public holiday in Taiwan although most shops and restaurants stay open (maybe some smaller stalls and shops close).

We were in Taiwan for the 2024 National Day and we watched part of the Presidential parade in Taipei – the streets were fairly quiet apart from those directly on the Parade Route.

To be honest, the parade is quite ceremonial and not that interesting – you can’t see much unless you get a prime spot near the Presidential Office Building.

At 10pm on National Day, Taipei 101 has a short but fun firework display – new for Taiwan National Day last year, there was a drone show and ‘smoke display’ (no, we are not sure either) – so hopefully that will be back in 2026.

Please note the Taipei 101 National day 2026 fireworks are not on the scale of the Taipei New Year’s Eve fireworks (they last a few minutes and are smaller in size). The display takes place at 10pm.

Please note the best viewing spots to see the 2026 National Day drone show in Taipei is Taipei Civic Plaza (map) – we will be back there for National Day 2026 (come join us!)

 We watched the 2024 National Day fireworks (with beers) from Xinyi’s Rainbow crossing near Taipei Civic Plaza and it was a great view.

For 2026 National Day, the national fireworks display will be held in Taitung County.

In 2019 Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage earlier that year.

The main Taipei Color / Taiwan Pride 2026 event takes place on Saturday 31 October 2026 with a Pride parade that starts and finishes at Taipei City Hall. The party then continues in Ximending with lots of LGBTQ+ bars by Red House like Locker Room or Taboo in Zhongshan.

If you’re attending the 2026 Taipei Pride or want to know more about LGBTQ+ activities and sites, you can also take a ride on the Rainbow Sightseeing Bus (TBC).

The 2026 Taipei Color / Pride bus usually runs Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in October and features onboard entertainment followed by a drag show and drinks.

There are two themed routes – Drag Bus and Party Express.

A Color Taipei free information leaflet should be available from tourist information offices all over the city plus locations like Red House in Ximending.

You might like our guide to The Red House and its bars in Ximending >

Check our our Gay Taipei, Pride and LGBTQ+ guide >

The Taichung Jazz Festival 2026 takes place over multiple venues and districts with some free performances and some paid for.

Musicians and groups lined up so far for 2026 include Almighty and The Taichung Jazz Festival Celebration Big Band on opening day (16 October), the Alessio Menconi Trio from Italy, the Alfredo Rodriguez Trio from Cuba, the Taipei Jazz Orchestra and the Yu-Ying Hsu Trio.

For the full Taichung Jazz Festival 2026, visit the official Facebook page or their webpage.

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Apart from the run itself, highlights include a China Airlines flight attendant cheerleading performance, a lucky draw, interactions with famous runners – it culminates in a starlight concert and awards ceremony.

Applications to run are now closed but you can still go along to cheer on the runners or enjoy the special activities.

There are several run types to participate in for all ages including a half Marathon, 10K run and 6K family run. Check out the official CI Marathon website here >

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Taking place at Taipei Flora Expo Park, there is a real battle of the beef noodles with chefs from all over Taiwan cooking up a storm.

There are two main categories – the fresh-cooked and ready-to-eat beef noodles. Visitors can also sample lots of beef noodles and buy merchandise at the beef noodle market (yes, this is a thing)! Tickets can be purchased via 7-Eleven ibon ticket vending machines.

You might like our guide to Liu Shandong Beef Noodles in Taipei >

There are several themed zones to explore and view artwork at the Taipei World Trade center plus pop-up art events will be happening all over the city. Regular admission is NT$600.

Visit the official 2026 Art Taipei Fair website here >

2026 Taipei Arts Festival

4 September to 25 October 2026

One of Taipei’s cultural highlights, the annual Taipei Arts Festival isco-organized by the Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs and the TPAC, to showcase local and young creators, as well as artists from countries such as Indonesia, China, France, Japan, and Lebanon.

2026 Taipei Arts Festival shows announced so far include:

• Wang Mo-Lin and Body Phase Studio’s Epilogues
• Wajdi Mouawad, makes his Taiwan debut with Littoral and Seuls
• WANG Shih-Wei “I Am the Wind
• Katherine Hui-Ling Chou’s She Says, She Says
• HORSE dance company presents Big Dance

Check out the official Taipei Arts Festival website for more listings >

2026 Taiwan Baseball Season

Across October 2026

Taiwan baseball is a ‘big-hitter’ and one of the country’s most popular sports.

A fun night out, make a home-run to a Taiwan baseball game – the 2026 Taiwan baseball season is currently in its second half and runs until October 2026.

Taiwan baseball is suitable for all ages and it is easy to buy baseball tickets online or in person at the baseball stadiums or using the Taiwan convenience store ticket machines in 7-Eleven and FamilyMart – many games are played at the new Taipei Dome in Xinyi.

Enjoy the evening action on and off the field as the stands often erupt into cheers with entertainment and dancing also quite common.

At the time of writing (August 2026) and given the play offs, the only confirmed play dates for October so far are 3 and 4 October 2026 but this will increase once the schedule is known.

Check out our guide to getting Taiwan baseball tickets here >

Check out these Taipei baseball tickets (including the Taipei Dome) on Klook >

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A vote will also be held to find out local residents’ favourite foods and stalls – given how good all the food is, it surely will be a difficult decision!

You might like our guide to Taipei’s best night markets including Raohe, Ningxia, Gongguan and Shilin.

Mikan has a huge social following, her own range of cute kitty merchandise and makes regular appearances at a Kaohsiung Metro KRTC station (KRTC stands for Kaohsiung Rapid Transit Corporation).

A stray cat adopted by Kaohsiung station staff, Mikan the cat’s fanbase is growing all the time and hundreds flock to Ciaotou Sugar Refiner Kaohsiung Metro station every time she appears (often in costume). The station is even cat-themed, plus a bakery next door sells cat shaped steamed buns.

And if you can’t make her May appearance in Kaohsiung, there is a Mikan gift shop open daily at Zuoying MRT station.

Mikan’s next October appearance is on <TBC> between 10am and 3pm – read about the time we met Mikan here >

You might like our guide to famous Taiwan cats and cat cafes >

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SUPER JUNIOR-83z
3 October 2026 at the Kaohsiung City Music Hall

Studio Ghibli In Concert
4 October 2026 at Taipei Arena

BIGBANG
10 and 11 October 2026 at Taipei Dome

XG
17 October at Taipei Arena

Charlie Puth
20 October 2026 at Taipei Arena

Air Supply
24 October 2026 at Kaohsiung Music Center

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