Busan is good

Busan Immersed in the Spirit of Tradition 2025 Busan Comprehensive Folk Art Festival to Be Held

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Busan Metropolitan City Mayor Park Heong-joon announced that the city will hold the 2025 Busan Comprehensive Folk Art Festival at Dasom Square in Busan Citizens Park from October 25 to 26, allowing citizens to directly see and experience Busan’s intangible cultural heritage.

The opening ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. on October 25 at Pungnyu Madang (Traditional Performance Stage), and will feature a performance wishing for the successful hosting of the 48th Session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which will be held for the first time in Korea, in Busan, in July next year.

Now in its fifth year, the festival will consist of four main sections—Pungnyu Madang, Somssi Madang, Janchi Madang, and a Special Folk Exhibition—featuring about 400 performers, including intangible cultural heritage holders and practitioners, who will present performances representing Busan’s regional identity.

On October 25, the first day, audiences can enjoy diverse performances such as Suyeong Yaryu, Donghaean Byeolsingut, Dadaepo Hurisori, Arirang Meot Taekwondo, Saha Bangasori, Baeyeong Elementary School’s Busan Nongak, and Gudeok Manggaesori, along with participatory programs like the Children’s Traditional Examination and the Traditional Game King Contest.

On October 26, performances will include Dongnae Gomu (drum dance), Ulsan Soeburi Sori, Fusion Gugak Cheongcheong, tightrope walking, Dadae Elementary School’s Dadaepo Hurisori, and Jwasuyeong Eobangnori, followed by a congratulatory performance by trot singer Kim Soo-chan. Citizen-participation programs such as the Squid Game and the Folk Got Talent Competition will also be held, offering a unique look at Busan’s intangible heritage.

This year’s festival will expand into a broader celebration of Busan’s traditional and everyday culture, in connection with Hanbok Culture Week, featuring large-scale participatory programs that will involve more than 5,000 citizens and further broaden civic engagement.

Visitors will have the opportunity to join hands-on programs with holders of intangible heritage skills—such as ceramic artisans and woodblock craftsmen—and create lucky pouches and cheongsachorong (traditional lanterns).
Programs such as the Hanbok Craft Playground (for 1,100 participants), the Hanbok Culture Playground, and the Show Off Your Hanbok event will be held, alongside the ESG Hanbok Free Rental Campaign, which promotes social value management and inclusivity.

In addition, Busan Hanbok Shops, traditional food experiences, and character photo zones will be open throughout the event, creating a lively and family-friendly atmosphere.

Furthermore, the Intangible Heritage Art Fair, showcasing and selling the works of Busan’s intangible heritage holders, will be held together with the exhibition and sale of Busan’s intangible heritage-based cultural products, titled “Go” and “Yae.”

The hands-on experience programs will run from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and visitors who complete the Stamp Tour within the festival site will receive commemorative gifts.

For more information, please visit the official website at busanfolkartfestival.com or call 051-714-1508.

Cho Yu-jang, Director of Busan’s Cultural Affairs Bureau, said,

“This year’s festival has been enriched through the collaboration of Hanbok Culture Week and the Intangible Heritage Art Fair. Busan Metropolitan City will continue to promote the value of its intangible cultural heritage and grow as a cultural heritage city that engages and thrives with its citizens.”