Pohang Culture and Arts Center main hall: seating chart row by row, and free parking for 170 cars (checked October 2026)

The main hall at 포항문화예술회관 (Pohang Culture and Arts Center, the city-run arts center in Pohang, North Gyeongsang) has 963 seats: 376 on the first level and 587 on the second. Ten wheelchair spaces and 78 orchestra-pit seats are counted separately, and the 170-space car park is free.

We checked the Pohang Cultural Foundation's venue page and the technical pack, section drawing and seating chart it links to in October 2026. We counted the seating chart row by row against the official totals, and compared everything with the venue's record in KOPIS, Korea's national performing-arts database.

How many seats does the Pohang Culture and Arts Center main hall have?

The main hall has 963 regular seats: 376 on the first level and 587 on the second. Ten wheelchair spaces and 78 orchestra-pit (OP) seats are extra, and the technical pack gives the full capacity as 1,051 with everything open.

Those extra seats are why ticketing sites show slightly different totals. 963 is regular seats only; 1,051 is everything open.

Against our KOPIS data: the main hall's 963 and the outdoor stage's 300 match the foundation's figures exactly. The small hall does not. KOPIS still lists it at 264 seats, while the foundation says it reopened after a first-half-2026 remodel with 198 seats plus 2 wheelchair spaces, 200 in all. For a small-hall show, the foundation's figure is the current one.

How many seats are in each row of the seating chart?

Counting the official chart row by row gives 95 in block A, 186 in block B and 95 in block C: 376 on level 1. Level 2 has 162 in block D, 263 in block E and 162 in block F: 587. Both sums match the foundation's published totals exactly.

The count turned up two things worth knowing.

• Block E ends at row 25. Row 26 exists only in the side blocks D and F, so no ticket will say E-26.
• Rows 10 and 11 of blocks A and C have just 2 seats. The five wheelchair spaces take the outer end of row 10, and row 11 is cut back by the same width.

Row numbers run straight through from row 1 on level 1 to row 26 on level 2, so a ticket for row 12 is the front row of level 2.

Are the second-level seats in the main hall any good?

Level 2 of the main hall is not a balcony stacked over level 1; it is the back of one continuous raked seating bank. The official section drawing (November 2021) shows a gentle slope at the front that steepens toward the back. Nothing overhangs your head, and the step between rows keeps the view open.

You do lose distance. From row 20 back you look down on the stage, which suits dance and full-stage staging, but bring opera glasses if you want faces.

Which block should I pick on a first visit?

On a first visit, start with rows 6–11 of block B or rows 12–16 of block E. Both face the whole stage at a reasonable distance. These pointers come from the official chart and section drawing; a given production's set can change how it feels.

• Whole stage, balanced: block B rows 6–11, block E rows 12–16. Row 12 sits just behind the cross-aisle between the levels, so nothing is in front of you.
• Faces and fingers: the front of block B. The technical pack puts the seating floor 930 mm below the stage, so rows 1–2 look slightly up.
• OP seats: only sold when the pit is covered. If an orchestra plays in the pit, as for opera or ballet, they are not on sale.
• Side blocks A, C, D, F: you see the stage at an angle. At the same price, take a center block.

The seating chart shows doors at the front of level 1 on both sides, on both sides at the level 1/level 2 boundary, and either side of the control room at the very back. The two lobbies are joined by a central spiral stair; ask an usher for the door nearest your row.

Is parking free at Pohang Culture and Arts Center?

Yes. The main hall's technical pack lists the parking fee policy as free, and the foundation's directions page says you can park beside the building. There are 170 spaces.

The five categories add up to exactly 170, and the foundation's pages for both the small and main halls give the same 170 (including 6 disabled spaces). Both halls share the car park.

At a sold-out main-hall show that is one space for every five or six people, and tighter still when the small hall has a show the same night. For a sell-out, arrive 40 minutes to an hour early or share a car.

How do I find the car park entrance?

Follow the driving directions in the technical pack:

1. At 형산교차로 (Hyeongsan junction), turn right onto 희망대로 (Huimang-daero) toward 해도근린공원 (Haedo Park).
2. Turn into 문예로 (Munye-ro), the road between 포항종합운동장 (Pohang Sports Complex) and the arts center.
3. After about 100 m the car park entrance is on the left.

The address is 경상북도 포항시 남구 희망대로 850 (Daedo-dong), Nam-gu, Pohang.

Which bus goes to Pohang Culture and Arts Center?

Get off at the 문화예술회관 (Culture and Arts Center) stop. The technical pack lists buses 305 and 900 at this stop (stop numbers 292003 and 292030). The pack is an August 2021 edition reissued in October 2024, so check the route in a map app before you set out.

What should I know on the day of the show?

• Doors: the auditorium opens 30 minutes before curtain, per the technical pack. It can vary by show.
• Late entry and photography: decided with each show's organizer, so follow that show's notice.
• Standing: not offered.
• Cloakroom: the technical pack's lobby section lists none. Leave big bags in the car.
• Box office and facilities: the box office and a nursing room are in the first-floor lobby, and there is an elevator.

The venue homepage registered in KOPIS (culturalspace.phcf.or.kr) no longer opens as of October 2026. Schedules and venue information are on the Pohang Cultural Foundation site.

In short

1. The main hall seats 963 (376 on level 1, 587 on level 2), and level 2 continues the rake behind level 1 with nothing overhead.
2. On a first visit, rows 6–11 of block B or rows 12–16 of block E are safe choices. Block E stops at row 25.
3. The 170-space car park is free, but arrive early for a sell-out.

Figures are from the Pohang Cultural Foundation's venue page, the main hall technical pack (October 2024 issue), section drawing (November 2021) and seating chart, checked in October 2026. For anything that changes often, call 054-289-7999.

More arts-center guides: Ulsan Culture & Arts Center seats and parking, Gyeongnam Culture & Art Center parking and seats, Daegu Opera House seats and parking.