'Journey of imagination begins...' Gwacheon Performing Arts Festival opens September 18
Gwacheon City will hold the '2026 Gwacheon Performing Arts Festival (GPAF)' for three days from September 18 to 20 at Gwacheon Civic Square and the Gwacheon Civic Hall area.
This year's festival theme is 'Rising Memories, The Time When the Journey of Imagination Begins.' Through 'GPAF City 2.0,' an expanded version of the festival's universe 'GPAF City' first introduced last year, an imaginary city will be realized. In particular, the festival space has been expanded and a new 'GPAF Village' has been created, allowing audiences to experience the festival as if traveling through a single city.
This year, more than 50 performances will take place across six spaces within the festival grounds. Visitors can freely move around the festival area and enjoy performances of various genres according to their preferences. The opening ceremony will kick off the festival with a fusion stage combining tradition and modernity and dynamic aerial performances, while the closing ceremony will ornately wrap up the three-day journey with a large-scale stage and fireworks.
Civic participation programs are also being strengthened. A parade featuring professional artists and citizens allows on-site audiences to participate as well, and through the 'Gwacheon Assembly Show' and 'Gwacheon Youth Club' performances, local artists and citizens take the stage directly.
Additionally, the festival is designed for all generations to experience, including children's space-themed experiences and activities such as 'Chalk Road' and 'Log's Memory Storage.' At the 'Flea Market' featuring creators and local businesses, unique products and works are showcased, while the 'Farmers Market' introduces local agricultural products and food, offering audiences a fresh enjoyment. A children's universe-themed experience is also provided.
Food, an essential part of the festival, is also abundantly prepared. At the food zone with participating local restaurants in Gwacheon, visitors can taste a variety of flavors in one place, and businesses selected as 'Gwacheon City's favorite restaurants' also participate with special menus. Additionally, the Gwacheon Performing Arts Festival continues its reputation as an eco-friendly festival by using reusable containers for the fourth consecutive year, and commemorative items created through collaboration with local businesses will also be released.
Gwacheon Mayor Shin Gye-yong stated, "The Gwacheon Performing Arts Festival is Gwacheon's unique cultural festival where citizens and audiences directly create the festival's story," and added, "We hope visitors will experience new imagination and enjoyment by stepping away from their daily routines."
The 'Gwacheon Performing Arts Festival' is hosted by Gwacheon City and organized by the Gwacheon Cultural Foundation. Since changing its name from 'Gwacheon Festival' in 2023, it has won the 'Korea Festival Contents Award' for three consecutive years, earning recognition for both artistic merit and popular appeal. Detailed information about the festival can be found on the Gwacheon Performing Arts Festival website (www.gcfest.or.kr).