Dreams, challenges and cheers come together at 2026 Gwanak Youth Festival

The 2026 Gwanak Youth Festival — the fifth edition of the annual "Cheongazeul" event — wrapped up Saturday at Gwanak-gu District Office Plaza to an enthusiastic reception from young participants and local residents.

"Cheongazeul," a portmanteau meaning "a festival where youth can enjoy themselves without a care in the world," was held this year under the theme "Our Cheering Begins!" The event brought together teenagers and community members to celebrate one another's dreams and challenges.

This year's festival stood out for the depth of youth involvement: participants took part in everything from planning to operations, with a youth organizing committee called "Cheontist" — a blend of the Korean words for "youth" and "artist" — leading the entire event. The group drove the process from selecting the core theme of "cheering" to online promotion, stage performances and day-of logistics.

The festival opened with a cooperative mission program that drew about 100 young participants. Divided into teams, they worked through a series of challenges — rolling oversized balls and flipping large boards — that encouraged communication and teamwork among peers who had just met.

At the opening ceremony, Gwanak-gu District Mayor Park Jun-hee took on the role of honorary cheer captain. Audience members passed a large "cheer ball" — inscribed with encouraging messages for youth — hand-to-hand from the crowd to the stage, where Park and the Cheontist committee received it in a symbolic gesture to kick off the festivities.

A segment called "Cheering Radio" gave young people a chance to share candid stories about career worries and friendships. Each time a story was read aloud, the crowd responded with applause and words of encouragement.

Ten youth club teams took the stage for a performance showcase, presenting band sets and dance routines that drew strong reactions from the audience.

Guest performances followed from Sungkyul University's cheerleading team Pegasus and CB Crew, the winner of a youth club competition, before a DJ cheering party closed out the main program, with young attendees dancing and jumping along to the music.

Off-stage, the festival grounds featured a range of activity booths — photo strip stations, an AI photo zone and a keycap-making corner — alongside a magic show, a surprise bubble performance and a rest area, drawing steady foot traffic from youth and families throughout the day.

"This festival was a meaningful occasion where young people created something themselves and cheered each other's dreams and challenges," Park said. "We will continue to expand opportunities for youth participation and platforms for their voices to resonate more powerfully throughout our community."