Travel
Busan International Performing Arts Market brings 100 performances
haps Magazine Korea
October 1, 2026
Busan International Performing Arts Market (Photo by BPAM/courtesy of haps Magazine Korea)
The 2026 Busan International Performing Arts Market (BPAM) got underway Wednesday, October 1, beginning a seven-day program featuring around 100 performances from 12 countries at venues across Busan.
Now in its fourth year, BPAM runs through October 7 at locations including Dongseo University’s Centum Campus, Haeundae Cultural Center, Busan Citizens Park and KT&G Sangsang Madang.
The event opened Thursday evening at Sohyang Theater Shinhan Card Hall with “The Sound of Macbeth,” an experimental reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth directed by Kim Ara. The production, starring Jung Dong-hwan, Kim Sung-nyeo and Song Yong-jin, uses sound and light to offer a contemporary take on the classic tragedy.
This year’s program includes 30 officially invited productions selected by a professional committee, divided into seven “BPAM Choice” works and 23 “BPAM Showcase” performances.
Among the international works is “Nightwalks with Teenagers” by Canada’s Mammalian Diving Reflex. The community-based walking performance allows teenagers to choose locations around the city and lead adult audiences through them. The Busan edition involves local students, international performers and regional artists.
Performances will take place both inside traditional venues and in outdoor spaces such as Busan Citizens Park, giving the public opportunities to experience a range of theater and performing arts throughout the week.
BPAM also serves as an industry marketplace, with around 300 performing arts professionals expected to participate, including approximately 100 international delegates.
This year’s business program has been expanded to include 39 pitching teams, up from nine last year, along with four days of exhibition booths. Artists and industry representatives can also participate in one-on-one meetings, talks examining international performing arts trends and programs connecting Korean creators with overseas platforms.
International participants are expected from organizations and events including the Western Arts Alliance, CINARS, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, YPAM, Adelaide Fringe, Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus and the Sibiu International Theatre Festival.