"Explore Traditional Hats from 70 Countries Worldwide"... Sangju World Hat Festival

Game Where 25 People Share One Hat

Performances by Kim Yong-im, Lee Chan-won, and Son Tae-jin

A global festival featuring hats from various countries will be held in Sangju, Gyeongbuk.

The ‘2023 Sangju World Hat Festival’ will take place from the 13th to the 15th at Taepyeongseongdae Gyeongsang Gamyeong Park in Sangju. It is hosted by Gyeongsangbuk-do and Sangju City, and organized by the Sangju Festival Promotion Committee and the Korea Hanbok Promotion Institute.

So far, Sangju City has been preparing to present a festival that incorporates diverse K-culture along with the unique content of ‘hats.’

Sangju City Hall, Gyeongbuk.

To strengthen the expertise of the Festival Promotion Committee, Sangju City appointed 2 new members, 6 advisory members, and 2 advisors. Additionally, through a joint meeting with the general director, they completed discussions related to the national and provincial government project promotion and overall program operation.

In the second meeting, they decided on the festival schedule and venue, and devised concrete plans including about 20 different programs centered on hats from around the world.

The ‘2023 Sangju World Hat Festival’ consists of main programs, competition and performance programs, participation and experience programs, and side programs.

The main programs of this festival include the ‘World Hat Exhibition Hall,’ which displays Korean traditional hats, traditional hats from over 70 countries worldwide, and celebrity hats, as well as the ‘Modori Challenge Hat.’ Especially, the ‘Modori Challenge Hat’ is the festival’s signature program where about 25 people share and wear hats while enjoying games, and it is planned to be patented.

Competition and performance programs include the World Hat Fringe Festival, a global performance featuring hats; the Hat Dance Contest, where participants can showcase their dance skills using hats as props; and community events such as township talent shows and the Sangju Citizen Song Festival. Various local art performance teams will also join to enrich the outdoor events.

In addition, booths where families can enjoy together, such as the Sangju World Hat Shop, specialty product sales, archery, traditional tea ceremony experience, and flea markets, will be set up throughout the festival site to offer diverse events. Performers scattered around the festival will further enhance the unique atmosphere. Invited singers such as Son Tae-jin, Yang Ji-eun, Kim Yong-im, and Lee Chan-won will also perform to raise the festival’s excitement.

The ‘World Hat Festival’ ambitiously planned by Sangju City has already been listed among the ‘Top 100 K-Culture Tourism Events,’ reflecting high expectations and interest in the festival. The ‘Top 100 K-Culture Tourism Events’ are selected by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization as cultural, artistic, content, and sports events where tourists from around the world visiting Korea during the ‘2023-2024 Visit Korea Year’ can enjoy attractive K-culture.

Through the distinctive Sangju World Hat Festival themed on hats, Sangju City aims to take the lead in globalizing ‘K-Culture’ and make it a global festival that widely promotes Sangju’s festivals and culture. They are committed to doing their best until the end. They also hope that the ‘2023 Sangju World Hat Festival,’ which blends art, culture, and performance, will be the first step toward becoming Sangju’s representative festival with global competitiveness.

Kang Young-seok, mayor of Sangju, said, “The first festival in Korea themed on hats will be held in Sangju,” and added, “We will continue to improve and strive so that the Sangju World Hat Festival can become Korea’s representative festival.”

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