The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Seoul streets transform to open stage for Seoul Street Arts Festival

By Hwang Dong-hee

Published : Sept. 27, 2023 - 14:24

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“Evanescent” (SFAC) “Evanescent” (SFAC)

Seoul's streets are to become a festive outdoor venue for various street arts, circus performances, dance, multidisciplinary shows and art installations this weekend.

The outdoor performing arts festival organized by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, known as the Seoul Street Arts Festival, kicks off Friday at Seoul Plaza, along with a Chuseok full moon viewing event.

The opening performance, “Full Moon,” starts at 6:30 p.m. Friday, featuring artists from this year’s festival, including B-boy crew Soul Burnz, genre-bending singer Lee Hee-moon and the band Obangsin.

Over the three-day festival, a total of 34 groups across diverse genres, featuring over 170 artists, will fill the streets in colorful performances.

"Spring Has Come Again" by Project Luminary (SFAC)
"It Is Not Here, It Is Over Here" by Galmae (SFAC)

In particular, Atelier SISU, an international group based out of Sydney, has created the work “Evanescent,” featuring giant balloon sculptures to highlight the ephemerality, transience and elegance of nature.

The festival runs to Sunday and takes place at various locations, including Seoul Plaza, Cheonggye Plaza and Mugyoro.

With the exception of a few prebooked performances, all events are free and open to the public without reservations. For a detailed schedule, visit the festival's official website or Instagram page.

During the festival period, there will be traffic restrictions in place from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday in the designated areas.