The 38th Chuncheon Puppet Festival concluded its seven-day run on the 16th, drawing a total of 84,142 visitors to venues across Chuncheon, South Korea, according to festival organizers. Held under the slogan “Puppets Crossing Boundaries,” the event featured 105 works presented across 193 performances by 99 troupes from 10 countries, including South Korea, France, Spain, Israel, Mongolia, Italy, the United States, Mexico, and Switzerland.
Global Troupes and Diverse Repertoire Fill Chuncheon Venues
Performances took place at the Chuncheon Puppet Theatre, Chuncheon City Hall Plaza, Festival Theater Momzit, KT&G Imaginarium Chuncheon, Udu Park, and Yaksa Stream. The festival opened with the Roginara Theatre production of the musical puppet show Pinocchio. Other featured international and domestic works included Israel’s invited production Edit & Me and the Chuncheon City Puppet Theatre’s historical fantasy Deukchung: Time Traveler. Outdoor and OFF-site performances added to the schedule, featuring Italy’s Scaramouche Theatre with the street cabaret ZAZA!, Theater Bobtong’s Bear Hunting, Theater Sabujak’s The Little Prince and the Blind Mouse, and Studio Gamtanho’s South Korea-Mexico collaborative production Tortugamarina.
Civic Participation Highlighted by Opening Parade and Collaborative Stages
According to festival data, approximately 17,000 artists and citizens took part, with a parade group of about 1,000 people marching 1.5 kilometers from Festival Theater Momzit to Chuncheon City Hall Plaza alongside large puppets and structures. The procession culminated in a finale performance at the city hall plaza combining giant puppets with a 500-member choir. Community involvement extended to children and local volunteers, including children from the "Kokobau Shooting Star" group who operated large puppets they spent 120 days building, and 91 volunteers known as "Kokomi" who managed operations and translation.
Industry Programs Focus on Copyright, Distribution, and Art Market Showcase
Beyond public performances, the festival hosted professional programs aimed at expanding the puppet theater ecosystem. An international forum on the 13th addressed the self-reliance of regional performing arts festivals and local cultural ecosystems. Subsequent roundtables on the 14th and 15th tackled copyright issues in creative processes and explored collaborative possibilities between physical theater and puppetry, drawing on the experiences of dancers and choreographers. The 2026 Puppet Art Market concluded the event on the 16th at KT&G Imaginarium Chuncheon, where 26 teams—including seven domestic troupes, three invited international troupes, and three local arts groups—participated in showcase performances to connect with local arts centers and festival directors regarding future contracts and co-productions.
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