Gwangju Fringe Festival Immersed in Street Culture

The 2023 Gwangju Fringe Festival is returning to the citizens with a fresh new look, featuring world-class street dance.

Hosted by Gwangju Metropolitan City, organized by the Gwangju Cultural Foundation, and in cooperation with Dongshin University, the 2023 Gwangju Fringe Festival ‘S.On.S@Fringe (Sonsat Fringe)’ will take place on the 10th and 11th at the Asia Culture Square of the National Asia Culture Center (ACC).

‘S.On.S@Fringe’ is an abbreviation for ‘Street Dance On Stage at Gwangju Fringe Festival,’ a festival ambitiously prepared by combining street dance and street culture.

The event will be filled with a competition of domestic and international street dance performance teams, along with various street culture experiences such as graffiti exhibitions, hands-on activities, and market booths.

The street dance performance competition will open its finals stage on the 10th at 6:30 PM with a total of 35 teams, including 15 general division teams and 20 youth division teams, who passed the preliminary rounds.

About 365 participants, including many from overseas such as Japan and Thailand, will showcase passionate performances in various street dance genres like hip-hop, popping, waacking, and locking. After the preliminary rounds, the final stage will be held on the 11th at 6:30 PM.

The composition of the judges is also noteworthy. Hip-hop legend Yokoi from Osaka, Japan, street dance legend Yoshie, Baek Gu-young and Woo Tae known from ‘Street Man Fighter (Smanpa),’ popping dancer Hojin, choreographer Hani, and other stars will participate, raising public interest. MC Durak, the commentator for Mnet’s ‘Street Man Fighter Commentary,’ will host the event.

A special showcase will also be held. On the 11th, ‘MBITIOUS’ and ‘YGX,’ who appeared on Mnet’s ‘Street Man Fighter’ last year and sparked a dance craze in Korea, will present a special stage. For the first time in the region, the full performance of the seven members of MBITIOUS can be enjoyed.

In addition, side events allowing diverse experiences of street culture have been prepared. Around the Plaza Bridge at the Asia Culture Center, visitors can enjoy flea markets and hands-on events, and a graffiti exhibition will also be held at the Asia Culture Square.

Various companies are sponsoring the event. Red Bull Korea will provide free energy drink ‘Red Bull’ to participants and spectators on the 10th and will install a Red Bull Mini Cooper car to offer a unique attraction. DJ equipment brand ‘Technics’ will support T-shirts for the competition participants.

Furthermore, this ‘S.On.S@Fringe’ is held in connection with the ‘Gwangju Street Culture Festa.’ It is an expanded festival of the nationwide street dance competition ‘Battle Lineup,’ taking place over three days from the 9th to the 11th at venues including the ACC Arts Theater.

Hwang Poong-nyeon, CEO of the Gwangju Cultural Foundation, said, “Through the Fringe Festival newly presented with street dance, I hope many citizens and young people enjoy a festival full of passion and excitement together.”

Kim Yo-seong, Director of Culture and Sports, stated, “This Fringe Festival was themed on ‘street dance,’ a representative street art of Gwangju’s youth, to expand youth participation,” adding, “Through ‘S.On.S@Fringe,’ I hope Gwangju will rise as a global mecca of street dance.”

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