"Separate festivals, promoted together, double the impact"... 15 festivals nationwide unite under 'ARKO SUM FESTA'

[Financial News] Works by emerging artists discovered in the regions are taking the stage in Seoul, while festivals once enjoyed by a limited local audience are now meeting audiences nationwide. As performing arts festivals that had been run separately come together under the shared brand ARKO SUM FESTA, the effort is expanding beyond promotion to include the distribution of works and a broader audience base.
'ARKO SUM FESTA' is an integrated brand that links together festivals selected for the Korea Arts Council's performing arts festival support program, 'Korea Performing Arts Festival.' It launched last year with the goal of raising the profile of regional and private performing arts festivals, which often struggle with publicity and audience development, while also widening the connection between festivals, artists and audiences.
Lee Yoonsook, artistic director of the Chuncheon Performing Arts Festival, who has participated in ARKO SUM FESTA since last year, said at the second lineup press briefing for the '2026 ARKO SUM FESTA' held on the 21st at Daehakro Arts Theater in Seoul that "it is not easy for Seoul audiences to travel all the way to Chuncheon, but being able to introduce Chuncheon artists and works on a Seoul stage is a major opportunity."
Her remarks were made with the preview week in mind, a pre-event for ARKO SUM FESTA that will be held from the 25th to the 26th around the Arko Arts Theater, Studio Darak and Marronnier Park.
This year, the Chuncheon Performing Arts Festival will feature works such as Liquid Sound's 'OffOn Yeonhui Deconstruction Project II (OffOn Yeonhui Deconstruction Project II),' which reinterprets traditional performance in a contemporary way. Liquid Sound was named an official invitee to this year's Avignon Festival.
Lee said, "This year, we increased the number of works introduced in Seoul," adding, "Regional festivals are like the peripheral nerves of the performing arts world. It is positive that festivals using different nerves and muscles are being presented together under the name ARKO SUM FESTA."

A total of 15 festivals from across the country are taking part this year. The second lineup announced this time includes eight festivals to be held in August and September: the Chuncheon Performing Arts Festival, the Busan Ballet Festival, the Chum & Pan Gomusin Dance Festival, the Hic et Nunc! Music Festival, the Seoul International Computer Music Festival, the Rural Excellent Madanggeuk Grand Festival, the Korea Madanggeuk Festival and the Dongnae Folk Arts Festival. The lineup spans a wide range of genres, from contemporary dance and ballet to Korean dance, classical music, computer music, traditional performance and madanggeuk.
Ryu Jae-soo, head of the Arts Council, explained, "Performing arts festivals led by artists have continued for many years despite difficult conditions. The purpose of ARKO SUM FESTA is to introduce excellent festivals more widely to audiences and artists, and to connect them more effectively."
The biggest change felt by participating groups is the nationwide promotional effect. Kim Chang-gon, planning director of the Rural Excellent Madanggeuk Grand Festival, said, "Since joining ARKO SUM FESTA, media and online exposure has more than doubled," adding, "More audiences are also coming from outside the region or showing interest in the festival."
Oh Ye-min, president of the Korean Electroacoustic Music Society, which is participating for the first time this year in the Seoul International Computer Music Festival, said, "As a nonprofit arts organization, we had shortcomings in manpower and promotion," and added, "Through ARKO SUM FESTA, we hope to reach a broader public beyond the audience base centered on specialists."

The Chuncheon Performing Arts Festival will run from Aug. 11 to 15 at venues across Chuncheon, including Festival Theater Momjit, Seongsu High School, Bomnae Theater and Dam Small Library. It will present theater and children's performances alongside dance and music.
This year's theme is "Joy," inspired by the idea of "runner's high." The festival explores moments of immersion and liberation that come after pain and endurance through performing arts. Featured works include Momorosalon's 'Minimi,' inspired by Cyworld's mini-room, and Liquid Sound's 'OffOn Yeonhui Deconstruction Project II (OffOn Yeonhui Deconstruction Project II),' which reinterprets traditional performance in a contemporary way. Also on stage will be 'The Time of Trees' by Gray by Silver, winner of the Korean Music Awards, and 'The Great Battle of the Sheep Ranch,' written and directed by Joo Eun-gil, winner of the Daesan Literary Award.
Lee said, "The Chuncheon Performing Arts Festival, which began in 2002 as the Chuncheon Dance Festival, is marking its 25th edition this year. Many artists, staff members and citizens have shared their talents and resources to create it together. It is a festival where everyone becomes the owner. We aim not just to invite a work once and end there, but to build a festival that connects creation, distribution and the next stage."
This year, an 'Art Bus' travel package linking Seoul and Chuncheon will also be offered for the first time. It combines round-trip transportation, lodging and tickets to three performances in music, dance and theater, making it easier for visitors from outside the region to attend.
The Busan Ballet Festival will be held from Aug. 20 to 22 at the Yeongdo Culture and Arts Center in Busan. It will begin with 'Dance Wave,' a showcase of new works by young choreographers, followed by 'Special Gala,' featuring top domestic companies and dancers such as the Korea National Ballet, Seoul Metropolitan Ballet and Wise Ballet Company. The program will also include 'Shall we Ballet,' a hobby ballet performance in which citizens take the stage, 'Youth Ballet' for aspiring young dancers, as well as ballet workshops, a ballet market and dance film screenings.
Jeong Seong-bok, head of the organizing committee for the Busan Ballet Festival, said, "The greatest value of the festival is providing an experience where people can watch ballet, learn from it and connect with one another." He added, "We will develop it into a platform where local arts groups and leading national companies cooperate and grow together." In particular, he emphasized the geographic appeal of the Yeongdo Culture and Arts Center, the venue for the performances, saying, "Because the sea is visible from the theater, audiences can enjoy Busan's beautiful natural scenery and ballet at the same time. I hope they will enjoy the festival through the three keywords of Busan, the sea and ballet."
The Chum & Pan Gomusin Dance Festival will be held from Aug. 27 to Sept. 5 at venues including the Seoul Namsan Gugak Center. Through traditional dance, Korean creative dance, intangible cultural heritage repertoires and stages for discovering new traditional works, it will showcase both the inheritance and expansion of Korean dance.
Kim Yeon-hwa, secretary of the Korean Dance Association, said, "We provide young dancers from different organizations with opportunities for joint choreography and an incubating program." She added, "This year, we have doubled the scale from last year, and 24 young choreographers will create collaborative performances."

In the music section, the lineup becomes even more intriguing as festivals that seem to sit at opposite ends of the spectrum are presented side by side, from classical stages featuring world-class performers to AI, electronic music and sound art.
The 'Hic et Nunc! Music Festival' will be held from Aug. 25 to Sept. 3 at venues including the Seoul Arts Center, Platform-L Contemporary Art Center, L'Escape Hotel and Ilsin Hall. A total of 44 artists from Korea and abroad will take part in 10 major programs.
World-renowned interpreter of the lied, tenor Ian Bostridge, will perform with Sejong Soloists at the Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall on Aug. 26. Under the baton of Yoon Han-gyeol, they will present excerpts from Mahler's 'Des Knaben Wunderhorn' and the song cycle 'Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen.'
To mark the 100th anniversary of György Kurtág's birth, 'Kurtág: Kafka-Fragmente' combines soprano and violin performance with AI-based media art by visual artist David Shauder and direction by Carol Armitage. The program will also include a recital by pianist Lee So-yeon and the salon concert 'In Search of Lost Time,' inspired by Marcel Proust's novel.
Yoo Si-jeong, team leader of Sejong Soloists, described it as "a festival that highlights traditional classical repertoire and contemporary music in one place, while expanding existing performance formats through collaboration among music, literature, visual art and technology."
The 'Seoul International Computer Music Festival' will be held from Sept. 17 to 20 under the theme 'Time Synthesis.' It will feature electronic music, sound art, fusion performances combining traditional instruments and electronic music, as well as seminars and workshops. Through experimental music programs where sound meets technology and tradition meets modernity, the festival will present the diverse possibilities of computer music.
Oh said, "Founded in 1994, it is Asia's longest-running computer music festival, now in its 33rd year," adding, "We will seek future-oriented music by combining the resonance of sounds from the past with current technology."
He also said its approach differs from the recent spread of generative AI composition. "In computer music, AI is not a replacement for the creator but a tool used by the composer," he emphasized. "AI helps in the process of designing complex algorithms or using sensors and electronic equipment to realize new sounds, but the final result and artistic judgment remain with the composer."

Theater and traditional arts festivals have also continued steadily, taking root in citizens' daily lives as familiar forms of culture.
The Rural Excellent Madanggeuk Grand Festival will be held from Sept. 4 to 6 at Cheongju's Chojeong Haenggung Palace under the theme 'Let's Play in the Yard.' It will feature madanggeuk and traditional performance works such as 'Yonggi Nori,' the state-designated intangible heritage 'Tongyeong Ogwangdae,' 'The Good Man Kim Sam-bong,' 'Dung Byeorak' and 'Hyojajeon.' Eco-friendly and traditional culture experiences, along with street performances, will also be offered.
Kim Chang-gon, planning director, said, "What began as a festival to provide rural seniors with opportunities to enjoy culture has grown over more than 20 years into an event attended by family audiences." He added, "Although the festival has changed, we continue to preserve its original purpose, including services that transport seniors by vehicle."
The 'Korea Madanggeuk Festival' will be held from Sept. 11 to 13 around Gwangmyeong Citizens' Stadium. It will offer free performances of original madanggeuk, street theater, traditional performance, magic, mime and audience-participation programs. Featured invitees include 'Red Cliffs Battle' by Madanggeuk Troupe Ugumchi, 'Pumba Pumba' by Theater Company Gaetdol, and 'Tteokkun' by the Jeongseon Arirang Arts Troupe.
The 'Dongnae Folk Arts Festival' will take place from Sept. 19 to 20 at the play yard of the Busan Folk Arts Center, Songyudang and the surrounding area of Geumgang Park. Audiences can experience local intangible heritage through performances and hands-on programs, including the state-designated Dongnae Yaryu and Busan city-designated intangible heritage such as Dongnae Hakchum, Dongnae Jisinbapgi, Dongnae Gomu and Dongnae Hallyangchum.
Kim Ik-hyeon, chairman of the Busan Folk Arts Preservation Association, said, "We want to create a festival where performers and audiences come together in nature, rather than staying inside a theater." He added, "We will also prepare stages centered on young inheritors and exchange performances with a Japanese traditional arts group."
He went on to stress, "If the previous generation restored and systematized folk arts that had been cut off, the task of this generation is to reinterpret tradition and communicate with today's audiences."
[email protected] Shin Jin-a Reporter