'2026 Andong International Mask Dance Festival' wraps up 11-day run

The 2026 Andong International Mask Dance Festival, a celebration of masks and dance from around the world, concluded its 11-day run.

According to Andong city, the festival ran from Sept. 24 through Sunday at Jungangseon 1942 Andong Station, the original downtown area, Mask Dance Park and Hahoe Village, drawing large crowds of local residents and tourists from South Korea and abroad.

This year's edition was the first held after the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism designated the event a Global Festival of Korea.

Under the theme "Memories of Masks, Dances for All," the festival featured performances, competitions, and exhibition and hands-on programs bringing together domestic and international performance troupes, residents and tourists.

In light of the global festival designation, organizers introduced two new programs aimed at boosting foreign tourist participation: "Mask Atelier" and the "Global Mask Dance Challenge."

At the Mask Atelier, visitors crafted their own masks and experienced traditional mask culture firsthand. They could then wear their finished masks to explore the festival grounds or join performances and parades, giving them a chance to become part of the festival themselves.

The Global Mask Dance Challenge was built around K-pop, allowing domestic and international visitors to dance and mingle together.

Performances by 27 troupes from 23 countries and 17 domestic traditional mask dance groups formed the heart of the festival.

Guest-of-honor nation Malaysia presented stages by three performance troupes and held a dedicated "Malaysia Guest of Honor Day," showcasing productions that blended traditional artistry with a contemporary sensibility.

The Sabah State Cultural Center hosted exhibitions of traditional masks and crafts alongside cultural experience programs, offering a broad introduction to Malaysian culture.

The festive energy spread beyond Jungangseon 1942 Andong Station and Mask Dance Park, extending into the original downtown, traditional markets and Hahoe Village.

Market parades through the old and new markets, performances and exhibition and hands-on programs in the original downtown, and the Hahoe Seonyu Julbul Nori fire-on-the-water show unfolded across Andong, highlighting the region's culture and spaces.

On the final day, the group finals of the World Mask Dance Competition and the closing ceremony were held.

HAN-BEAT took the grand prize in the domestic group category, Russia's Rovesniki won the international group category, Yongin University Himchan Taekwondo claimed the domestic individual category, and Latvia's Buras won the international individual category.

Andong Mayor Kwon Ki-chang expressed gratitude "to the visitors who came to this year's festival, as well as the domestic and international performance troupes, volunteers and everyone involved."