'Attracting Tourists with 150 Performances'... 2022 Welcome Daehangno Opens on the 24th

A 36-Day Performing Arts Tourism Festival
Showcasing Performances in Theaters, Online, and on the Streets

Actor Oh Young-soo (left) and choreographer Monica pose at the press conference for the performance tourism festival '2022 Welcome Daehangno' held on the morning of the 21st at the Seokyeong University Performing Arts Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] A festival welcoming overseas tourists by showcasing various performances on the Daehakro stage is being held.

Hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and co-organized by the Korea Tourism Organization and the Korea Performance Tourism Association, '2022 Welcome Daehakro' opened on the 24th and will be held around the Daehakro area until October 30.

'2022 Welcome Daehakro' marks its 6th year this year. It is Korea's representative performance tourism festival where you can experience excellent Korean performances such as non-verbal (nonverbal) shows, traditional performances, musicals, and plays in Daehakro.

This year, the festival features the largest number ever with over 150 performances participating. It aims to relieve the public's frustration caused by COVID-19 and serve as an opportunity to announce the revival of Korean tourism by attracting performance tourists through the commercialization of Daehakro.

On the opening day, the 24th, the 'Welcome Roadshow' will mark the start of the Welcome Daehakro event. Notably, this year it is planned as the first large-scale street event since the festival began in 2017, with 32 teams performing along the entire car-free street from Ewha Intersection to Exit 1 of Hyehwa Station.

Welcome Daehangno Festival Poster. Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

The opening ceremony will feature a parade with about 20 teams performing along a 500m route, piano performances by pianist Park Jonghoon, choir performances, modern dance by the 'Rikay Dance' company, and a special guest performance by the 'YB Band.' Actor Oh Youngsoo and choreographer Monica, both ambassadors for Korean performance tourism, will also appear to meet the audience.

The performances, spanning a total of 36 days, will take place in theaters, online, and on the streets. At the Seokyeong University Performing Arts Center Halls 1 and 2, the 'Welcome Theater' (9.14~11.27) will present a total of 10 works including musicals like 'Legendary Little Basketball Team' and 'Mia Familia,' with English subtitles provided for foreign tourists.

Online, every Wednesday at 8 PM, 'Welcome K-Stage' (9.21~11.23) will sequentially stream 10 performance videos. English, Chinese, and Japanese subtitles will be available for foreign viewers.

Additionally, the 'Welcome Fringe' event (9.30~10.29) will attract attention with a total of 36 performances held every weekend outdoors at Daehakro’s Marronnier Park and Pine Tree Road.

To commercialize Daehakro as a tourist destination, a Daehakro tour product combining major tourist spots such as Marronnier Park and Naksan Park, popular restaurants, the Daehakro commercial district, and various performances during the festival period will also be introduced. Discount coupons usable at 30 stores around Daehakro will be distributed as well.

Yoo Jinho, head of the Tourism Product Division at the Korea Tourism Organization, said, "We plan to further expand and develop Welcome Daehakro into Asia’s representative performance tourism festival to make Daehakro a mecca of performing arts and an essential tourist destination in Seoul that global tourists must visit, just like London’s West End and New York’s Broadway."

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