05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Enjoy summer nights with traditional music at Umyeonsan Music Festival
The National Gugak Center is bringing traditional Korean music outdoors this summer with the 2025 Umyeonsan Music Festival, held every Saturday evening Aug. 23 through Sept. 20 at its outdoor Yeonhui Madang stage.
A flagship seasonal event, the festival offers a romantic escape from urban life, filling summer nights with traditional Korean music and performances that bridge past and present.
On Aug. 23, the festival opens with "A Tiger from Mudeungsan Is Here?," an original folk play by the Gwangju-based Traditional Yeonhui Play Research Institute (Jeontong Yeonhui Nori Yeonguso). Featuring audience participation, the production follows the comic misadventures of a tiger and his companion as they tumble into Umyeonsan.
On Aug. 30, the National Gugak Center teams up with pansori singer Ko Yeong-yeol for selections from "Chunhyangga" and "Sinbaetnorae"; on Sept. 6, a vibrant "Yeonhui Pan" showcase of street folk arts, including lion dances, traditional circus acts and folk songs, takes the stage; and on Sept. 13, gugak artists Kim Mu-bin, Sori Maepsi and Yoon Se-yeon present experimental reinterpretations of folk classics.
On Sept. 20, the festival concludes with the Seoul Gut, a shamanic ritual honoring community health and happiness.
Before the concerts, starting at 4 p.m., the National Gugak Center's front plaza will host interactive activities, including a traditional knot-tying workshop, craft-making experiences, photo booths and food trucks.
