Kim Duk-soo's samulnori, tango, ballet: free performances at Children's Grand Park on Oct. 16-17

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will host the "2026 Gongnyeon Bomnal Festival" at the Forest Stage of Seoul Children's Grand Park on Oct. 16 and 17, offering free performances for teenagers and families.

The festival is intended to raise awareness that Gongnyeon Bomnal — widely known as a school group outing program — is also open to teenagers and families who wish to attend on their own, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Saturday.

On the first day, Oct. 16, Kim Duk-soo's samulnori troupe will perform "Sinmyeong-ui Kkot — Samul Dokkaebi (Flower of Excitement — Samul Goblins)," a stage blending the rhythms, movements and play of samulnori, at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The shows are open to school group visits from elementary, middle, high and special schools, as well as individual walk-in audiences.

On Oct. 17, a lineup of music, circus, traditional performing arts and dance will follow for teenagers and families. The Risus Quartet and bandoneon player Claudia Kim will perform tango music by Astor Piazzolla, while circus troupe Wheelers and the Little Angels Arts Troupe will also take the stage.

The program continues with Oremsae, a group that blends traditional performing arts with contemporary band sounds, followed by a ballet gala by the Wise Ballet Company featuring excerpts from "Venice Carnival" and "Don Quixote."

A children's arts workshop will also run alongside the performances, letting young participants sing, act and move together with professional artists. The festival will pilot a dance-focused workshop program. All performances at the festival, as well as all other Gongnyeon Bomnal events, are free of charge.

"We have expanded the audience and scheduling of Gongnyeon Bomnal so that the experience of watching performances with classmates at school can carry over into everyday cultural life shared with family," said Min Su-hong, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Bureau of Culture.