Upcoming Events – May 2026

PLAYS & MUSICALS                      

The Play: “I Love You, Mom”

• Dates: May 2–3 (Sat. & Sun.)
• Times: May 2 (Sat.): 2:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m.
• May 3 (Sun.): 2:00 p.m. Venue: May 18 Memorial Cultural Center, Democracy Hall
• Tickets & Info: Ticketlink, Cosmos Theater Company; 1688-3820
• Overview: A heartwarming and critically acclaimed play that has touched audiences worldwide, from Los Angeles to Sydney. “I Love You, Mom” is the Grand Prize winner of the 2025 Chuncheon Theater Festival, delivering a deeply moving story about the eternal bond and sacrifice between a mother and her son.

Children’s Animal Puppet Show: “Bustling Zoo”

• Dates: May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (Sundays)
• Time: 2:00–2:50 p.m.
• Venue: Gwangju National Science Museum, Main Building 1F, Sangsang Hall
• Admission: 1,000 won for all ages. Arrive at least 30 minutes early; reserved seating held until 20 minutes before showtime.
• Inquiries: Gwangju Science Museum, Culture Division; 062-960-6142
• Overview: A lively puppet show where charming animal characters come to life – inviting young audiences into a world of wonder, laughter, and discovery.

Gwangju City Theater Company: “The Girls”

• Dates: May 7–9 (Thu.–Sat.) Times: May 7: 7:30 p.m. May 8: 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. May 9: 4:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
• Duration: 90 minutes (No intermission)
• Venue: Gwangju Arts Center, Small Theater
• Tickets & Info: Yes24; 062-415-1820
• Overview: Based on the powerful novel by Gwangju-based author Moon Soon-tae, the play “The Girls” tells a poignant story deeply rooted in the history and soul of the region. Produced by Gwangju City Drama Company, this production explores themes of resilience, memory, and the shared lives of women through a compelling narrative.

CONCERTS                                       

Gwangju City Changgeuk Troupe: “Pungryu in Gwangju”

• Dates/Venues: May 2 (Sat.) 4:00 p.m. / Suwan Lake Park, Gwangsan-gu* May 9 (Sat.) 4 p.m. / Yangsan Lake Park, Buk-gu*
• *Subject to cancellation in case of rain.
• Tickets & Info: Free seats; 062-526-0363
• Overview: Experience the vibrant energy of Korean heritage with the Gwangju City Changgeuk Troupe. This outdoor concert series, “Pungnyu in Gwangju,” invites the public to enjoy a soulful afternoon of traditional performing arts in the city’s beautiful parks.
  

Gwangju City Opera’s 21st Regular Performance: Concert Opera “Carmen”

• Date: May 16 (Sat.) Time: 7:00 p.m.
• Duration: 80 minutes Venue: ACC, Art Theater 2
• Ages: 6 and up
• Tickets & Info: Yes24; 062-613-8241
• Overview: This production reimagines Bizet’s masterpiece, focusing on its most passionate arias and dramatic highlights in an intimate, powerful concert format.

2026 Kim Chang-wan Band National Tour, Season 4: “Haru”

• Date: May 9 (Sat.)
• Time: 6:00 p.m.
• Duration: 120 minutes
• Venue: 5.18 Memorial Culture Center, Democracy Hall
• Tickets & Info: Ticketlink; 1811-8202
• Overview: The performance features a diverse setlist that blends brand-new tracks with legendary Sanulrim classics and the band’s signature high-energy hits. Fans can expect a full, live experience delivered by all members of the Kim Chang-wan Band under the leadership of the iconic frontman himself.
  

PERFORMANCE                              

Lee Eun-kyul: “Meta”

• Dates: May 8–10 (Fri.–Sun.) Times: May 8: 7:30 p.m. May 9: 2:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m. May 10: 2:00 p.m.
• Venue: Gwangju Arts Center, Grand Theater
• Admission: Ages 6 and up
• Tickets & Info: Nol Interpark, GongyeonMaru; 1588-0766
• Overview: A cinematic illusion spectacle by South Korea’s top illusionist, Lee Eun-gyeol. “Meta” redefines magic through a groundbreaking fusion of art and reality.

ART EXHIBITIONS                          

IHAM Campus Polish Poster Collection: “Silence, That Quiet Shout”

• Dates: May 1 – June 21
• Times: Tue.–Sun.: 10:00 a.m.– 6:00 p.m. Wed. & Sat.: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Closed every Monday)
• Venue: ACC Creative Culture Center Complex, Exhibition Hall 1
• Tickets & Info: 99 Ticket, Nol, Naver, or Kakao
• Overview: A rare encounter with the Polish Poster School – the movement that transformed world graphic design in the 1950s and 60s, and whose collection has drawn international acclaim, including praise from TheNewYorkTimes, now comes to the ACC. Coined by Jan Lenica, the Polish Poster School forged a singular visual language at the crossroads of socialism and liberalism, leaving behind not mere decoration but a living record of resistance through images.

ACC Film & Video: “Asia, The Apparatus”

• Dates: March 19 – September 27
• Times: (Tue.–Sun.)
• 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• (Wed. & Sat.) 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Closed every Monday)
• Venue: ACC Creative Culture Center Complex, Exhibition Hall 2
• Admission: Free to all ages
• Overview: Using moving images as apparatus, this exhibition reconstructs the history and collective sensibility of communities through the interwoven processes of documentation, representation, and rewriting.
  

ACC Newst (New+Artist) Exhibition – The 2nd of 4 Sequential Teams: Lim Soo-bum, Ha Seung-wan Present “Aberrant Bones”

• Dates: May 7 – June 7
• Times: (Tue.–Sun.) 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. (Wed. & Sat.) 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Closed every Monday)
• Venue: ACC Creative Culture Center, Exhibition Hall 7
• Admission: Free to all ages
• Inquiries: ACC Website (www.accf.or.kr); 1899-5566
• Overview: An exhibition that examines new possibilities and future directions for Asia, drawing on the diverse perspectives and creative imagination of contemporary Asian artists.

EXHIBITIONS & FESTIVALS         

Boseong Dahyang Festival: The Promise of a Thousand Years of Tea Growing

• Dates: May 1–5 (Fri.–Tue.)
• Location: Boseong Tea Culture Park & Boseong Tea Fields (Daehan Dawon), Boseong, Jeonnam
• Overview: Held annually at Boseong’s iconic tea fields during the new tea harvest season, the Dahyang Festival invites visitors to slow down and reconnect with nature. At its heart are the timeless rituals of picking, making, and drinking one’s own tea, alongside green tea therapy amid the lush green scenery. The festival extends beyond tea itself, offering eco-tourism trails, traditional hanok stays, and campnics through the Steeped in Boseong program, complemented by cultural exhibitions, competitions, jazz and classical performances, hands-on workshops, and a World Tea Botanical Garden.

2026 Pre Wando International Seaweed Exhibition

• Dates: May 2–7 (Sat.–Thu.)
• Location: Wando Beach Park & Marine Healing Center, Wando, Jeonnam
• Overview: Once dismissed in theWest as mere “seaweed,” Korea’s marine algae has emerged as a global powerhouse – now exported to over 120 countries, recognized by LeMondeas one of humanity’s six future food resources. The 2026 Pre Exhibition serves as both a strategic rehearsal and public declaration: Wando, Korea’s largest seaweed producer, with annual output exceeding 800,000 tons, is positioning itself as the world’s leading hub for seaweed industry and blue carbon policy.

The 16th Gokseong World Rose Festival: Rose at Sixteen – Excitement, Growth, Change

• Dates: May 22–31 (Fri.–Sun.)
• Location: Seomjin-gang
• Train Village Admission: Adults ₩5,000 /Children & Seniors ₩4,500 (Group discounts available for 30+ adults or 15+ children & seniors)
• Overview: Set within a rose garden featuring 1,004 varieties of rare European roses, this festival transforms Gokseong’s landmark venue into a spectacular floral celebration.

Compiled by Amy Park.

Amy Park is the program officer for the Asian Legal Resource Center (ALRC Korea) based in Gwangju. For the 2026 World Human Rights Cities Forum, she is coordinating the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Coalition of Inclusive Cities (APCIC) session on behalf of ALRC Korea.