The 2026 Anyang Dance Festival drew 160,000 visitors during its three-day run from September 18 to September 20 across Pyeongchon Central Park and Samdeok Park, according to the Anyang city government.
Festival Programs and Citizen Participation
This year’s festival shifted away from a pure viewing format to become a stay-type complex cultural festival designed to encourage visitors to stay longer. Active citizen participation shaped the atmosphere on-site, featuring a ‘Random Play Dance’ and ‘Shuffle Dance Busking’ at the dance zone in front of the stage dressing room. Meanwhile, family visitors with children enjoyed programs throughout the day at the central fountain play zone. Samdeok Park and Pyeongchon Central Park also introduced the ‘Dance Movie Day’ and movie zones, combining film and dance with relaxation spaces.
Contests and Performances
The newly established ‘Anyang Golden Dance Contest’ featured amateur teams with an average age of 50 or older performing hula and shuffle dances, where the ‘Assa Shuffle’ team won the grand prize. The ‘Anyang KR:OWN Competition’, a street dance contest featuring youths and 12 finalist teams, crowned the ‘Y’ team as winner amid enthusiastic responses from spectators.
The main stage at Pyeongchon Central Park hosted the 53rd Citizens’ Day commemorative ceremony alongside opening performances by Lim Chang-jung, Artms, and HolyBang on September 18. On September 20, a K-POP concert featuring Bada, tripleS, Jadu, and idntt energized the crowd, while a drone light show featuring messages of dance and light concluded the final night. Additional events included the 41st Anyang Citizens’ Song Festival, the ‘Always Youth Concert’, citizen performances, a flea market, food plaza, friendly exchange city markets, and social and excellent enterprise exhibition and experience booths.
Maximum-ho Mayor stated, 올해 축제는 영화와 놀이를 더해 시민이 함께 즐기는 참여형·체류형 축제로 한 단계 더 성장했다
and added, 세대와 장르를 넘어 시민 모두가 함께 축제의 주인공이 돼 주셔서 감사 드린다
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