KoCACA Art Festival Opens in Busan, Gathering 2,000 Performing Arts Professionals

Korea's Leading Performing Arts Art Market: Platform for Distribution and Collaboration
Discussing Sustainable Performing Arts, Including the Transition to 'Green Theaters'

Performing arts venues and organizations from across the country will gather in Busan to discuss the distribution of performance content and strategies for collaboration.

The art market booth scene showcased at the 2025 KoCACA Art Festival. KoCACA

The Korea Cultural & Arts Centers Association (KoCACA) announced on the 28th that it will host the '2026 KoCACA Art Festival in Busan' at the Busan Cinema Center from June 8th to 11th. This year's event will bring together more than 2,000 participants from over 430 institutions and organizations, including performing arts venues, arts organizations, and cultural professionals from all over the country.

Held under the slogan 'Together in ARTS,' the festival is an art market-style event where arts centers, organizations, and cultural professionals from across Korea gather to introduce and share performance content, engage in exchanges, and seek new opportunities for distribution and collaboration.

Official poster of the '2026 KoCACA Art Festival in Busan.' KoCACA

Opening Ceremony, Booth Exhibition, Showcase ... Performing Arts Art Market Unfolds

On the first day, June 8th, the opening ceremony will take place at the Rooftop Theater (outdoor theater) of the Busan Cinema Center. The opening performance will be 'Sirireong Sirireong: The Swallow's Journey,' a modern reinterpretation of the traditional pansori , signaling the start of the festival. This production, created by the National Asia Culture Center (ACC), is directed by Yang Jungwoong and features E-Sangil and Ambiguous Dance Company, promising a powerful stage that blends tradition and modernity.

On June 8th and 9th, the KoCACA booths and showcases will be held, while on June 9th, a repertoire pitching session is scheduled. More than 270 groups and institutions, including arts organizations, performance equipment companies, and related agencies, will participate in the KoCACA booths to share performance content and participate in on-site consultations and networking.

The showcase will feature 10 highlight performances spanning theater, musicals, music, dance, traditional arts, and multidisciplinary works by arts organizations. For the first time, outstanding performance content from arts centers will also be presented. The arts center content consists of four works selected through the '2025 Arts Center Specialization Support Project.'

In the repertoire pitching session, arts organizations and production companies will present their major works and collaboration proposals to representatives of arts centers.

'2025 KoCACA Art Festival'现场。 KoCACA

KoCACA Forum and Round Table ... Discussing Current Issues and the Future of Performing Arts

The KoCACA Forum, which explores major issues in the performing arts field, and round table sessions for exchange and cooperation among cultural professionals, will also be held.

This year’s KoCACA Forum, in particular, will be organized in cooperation with the Arts Council Korea under the theme 'The Transition of Performance Venues in the Era of Climate Crisis: The Path to Green Theaters.' The forum will discuss the direction of performing arts in the era of carbon neutrality, best practices for sustainable venue operation, and practical and cooperative strategies for the performing arts field to respond to the climate crisis, seeking the future of the sector.

On June 10th, an outstanding case presentation event will feature 15 arts centers selected through a document review process, sharing best practices and experiences in venue management, and contributing to the advancement of professional expertise and practical knowledge in the field.

Additionally, at the round table, representatives of KoCACA regional chapters, arts centers, and arts organizations will participate to discuss ways to promote interregional cooperation and revitalize performance distribution.

This year’s newly introduced nighttime program, the 'Healing Humanities Concert,' will be held outdoors on the night of June 9th. Under the theme 'Jazz Loved by Haruki,' the event will create an opportunity for shared empathy and exchange, combining performance and humanities content for all to enjoy.

Soh Hong-sam, President of KoCACA, stated, "Arts centers and organizations are communities that grow through each other," adding, "I hope the conversations and connections made at the KoCACA Art Festival will become, like scattered stars forming a constellation, a new network of collaboration and distribution that further illuminates the performing arts field."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.