Stay tuned for upcoming music festivals

From rock music to EDM, festivals are gearing up for warmer weather It's still chilly outside, but music festivals to warm us up in the spring and early summer are being announced one by one. With a lineup centered around popular artists and a variety of travel-themed events, the festival Have a Nice Day is set to delight music fans in April. This year’s Have a Nice Day will take place April 12-13 at Sangsang Platform in Jung-gu, Incheon. A unique space, Sangsang Platform was once Korea's first

Feb. 17, 2025

On board with ‘Manseon’: 5 tons of rain cascading down on stage

National Theater Company of Korea to open season with 'Manseon' in March The National Theater Company of Korea kicks off its 2025 season with “Manseon: The Yearning of a Fisherman,” a landmark work in Korean realism drama, set to run from March 6 to 30 at Myeongdong Theater. First staged in 1964, “Manseon” portrays the struggles of working-class families overshadowed by industrialism, centering on the tragic downfall of a household caught between economic desperation and an unyielding pride in t

Feb. 16, 2025

Korean teen ballerino describes Prix de Lausanne as 'transformative experience'

16-year-old Park Youn-jae becomes first Korean male ballet dancer to win prestigious award Ballet dancer Park Youn-jae described winning the prestigious Prix de Lausanne as a precious experience that brought him “closer to ballet.” "Ballet is something you can spend years doing and still struggle to feel connected to," Park said at a press conference held at Arts Center Seoul Doam in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Wednesday. "Every now and then, a rare opportunity comes along to bridge that gap, and for me,

Feb. 13, 2025

GS Arts Center in Seoul to open April with American Ballet Theatre show

Located in former LG Arts Center in southern Seoul, new performing arts center to focus on interdisciplinary artists “GS Arts Center is looking for its audience,” said Sunny Park, CEO of the soon-to-open GS Arts Center, at a press conference on Tuesday. The new performing arts venue, poised to raise its curtain in April, occupies the former home of LG Arts Center Yeoksam, which relocated to Magok in 2022. It is housed within GS Tower, near Yeoksam Station in Seoul’s Gangnam District. With a remo

Feb. 12, 2025

Libertines to hold first-ever Korean concert

British rock band to play in Seoul in April British rock band The Libertines will hold their first concert in Korea on April 9 at 8 p.m. at Yes24 Live Hall in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, as announced by event organizer MPMG. Emerging as an influential band in the postpunk revival movement of the early 2000s, The Libertines debuted in 2002 with the single "What a Waster / I Get Along." Their first full-length album, "Up the Bracket," released later that year, earning them recognition for best new band at

Feb. 11, 2025

Unfamiliar with classical music? Violinist Danny Koo is eager to reach out to you

With matinee concert series at Lotte Concert Hall, versatile Korean American musician hopes to make classical music more approachable Korean American violinist Danny Koo has become a familiar face on South Korean television, particularly through his appearances on “I Live Alone.” For younger audiences, he serves as a classical music guide, hosting the “Pinkfong Classical Music” series, where he and Pinkfong introduce children to the world of classical music. He participates in these activities t

Feb. 10, 2025

Fuerza Bruta's lastest spectacle 'Aven' to land in Seoul next month

The renowned Argentinian theater production series "Fuerza Bruta" is returning to Seoul in March with its latest installment, "Fuerza Bruta: Aven." Known for its high-energy performances that blur the lines between dance, acrobatics and immersive theater, Fuerza Bruta delivers a one-of-a-kind night out. Seoul is the first stop in the troupe’s Asia tour and its first visit to Korea since the "Wayra" tour in 2023. Since its Korean debut in 2013, the Fuerza Bruta series has drawn over 300,000 spect

Feb. 10, 2025

Ballerino Park Youn-jae wins 53rd Prix de Lausanne

16-year-old becomes first Korean ballerino to win the pretigious award Park Youn-jae, a 16 year-old ballerino, became the first South Korean male dancer to win the Prix de Lausanne 2025, a prestigious competition for young ballet dancers aged 15 to 18. After the six-day event, the Prix de Lausanne 2025 on Saturday announced nine scholarship recipients selected from 20 finalists. Park, a student of Seoul Arts High School, also took home the Best Young Talent Award. Another Korean dancer Kim Bo-gy

Feb. 9, 2025

Gonjiam Music Festival to mark 10th anniversary

Festival of wind instruments will host audition project with Berlin Philharmonic Karajan Academy Gonjiam International Music Festival will mark its 10th anniversary this year with a special program. Scheduled to take place from Aug. 2 to Aug. 9 at Namhansanseong Art Hall in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, the festival aims to become a leading wind instrument festival in Asia. As part of the festival, a collaborative audition project with the Berlin Philharmonic Karajan Academy will take place. Condu

Feb. 6, 2025

[Photo News] Ushering in Seollal with uplifting traditional spirit

Concert features prestigious traditional performing arts institutions On Wednesday afternoon, more than 1,000 spectators gathered at the Haeoreum Theater of the National Theater of Korea to celebrate Seollal, the Lunar New Year, enjoying a variety of Korean traditional performing arts. The concert, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the National Gugak Center and the National Theater of Korea, showcased performances by prestigious traditional performing arts in

Feb. 5, 2025

Turning poetry into song: ARKO Selection reimagines modern classics

Arts Council Korea has announced the lineup of the 17th ARKO Selection, a series of performances to be held this month, mostly in the popular theater district of Daehak-ro. Among the highlights is "Namdo Sori Recites Poetry: Why Did My Love Fall Silent?," set to run from Friday to Sunday. This performance weaves together the distinctive melodies and rhythms of Namdo folk music with seven modern poems, including Han Yong-un’s iconic "Love’s Silence" (1926). Seven pansori singers, including star p

Feb. 5, 2025

Musical about the tragic last empress of Joseon marks 30th anniversary

'The Last Empress,' a pioneering original musical, celebrates 2 million attendees In 1982, Korean producer Yun Ho-jin traveled to the UK to study theater, and there he saw the musical "Cats." The experience was a revelation, Yun recalled, sparking the realization that South Korea would embrace the genre and needed its own original musical theater productions. When he came back to Korea four years later, he wanted to create a production that could be a global success. Around that time, there was

Feb. 5, 2025

Star directors ready premieres as Jeongdong Theater pulls out all the stops

National Jeongdong Theater celebrates 30 years with ambitious lineup New works by two of Korea’s most successful directors in the performing arts scene -- Jung Ku-ho and Koh Sun-woong -- are among the lineup for the National Jeongdong Theater of Korea’s ambitious 2025 season, which marks its 30th anniversary. The season's program includes 444 performances across 21 productions, including two premieres and three repertory productions. The Jeongdong Theater opened in June 1995 to continue the arti

Feb. 4, 2025

Guns N’ Roses to come to Korea in May

All three core members to perform in Incheon Legendary American rock band Guns N’ Roses is coming to Korea in a few months. Guns N’ Roses will take to the stage May 1 at Songdo Moonlight Festival Park in Incheon, concert organizer 8PM Entertainment announced. The upcoming performance is part of the band's 2025 world tour and marks the band's first time back to Korea in 16 years, following its first here in 2009. Only vocalist Axl Rose among the band’s core members performed at the band's 2009 sh

Feb. 4, 2025

France National Orchestra returns to Korea after 29 years

Cristian Macelaru to conduct two concerts featuring French pianist Alexandre Kantorow The Orchestre National de France is set to return to South Korea for the first time in 29 years, with two highly anticipated performances in April. Under the baton of music director Cristian Macelaru, making his Korean debut, the orchestra will be joined by celebrated pianist Alexandre Kantorow. The April 29 concert at Lotte Concert Hall will be a celebration of Camille Saint-Saens, showcasing the third movemen

Feb. 4, 2025