A Global Music Festival United as One... Gwangju Busking World Cup a Huge Success

Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 10th that the '2nd Gwangju Busking World Cup,' held over a week from the 3rd to the 9th, concluded successfully.

Sixty-four teams that advanced to the main stage competed in a tournament format starting from the 3rd, and on the evening of the 7th, the final stage of the 'Gwangju Busking World Cup' was held in earnest at the special stage in Geumnam-ro.

The area around Geumnam-ro was packed with Gwangju citizens who came to watch the competition of the eight teams that passed the third round of the main stage, participants who stayed in Gwangju even after their performances, and domestic and international tourists.

Among the eight teams that fiercely competed for about four hours on the final day, October 7th, the ultimate winner of the Golden Busking Award was the Brazilian duo Livia & Fred.

The winners of the 50 million KRW prize, 'Livia & Fred,' expressed their gratitude, saying, "Over the past week, Gwangju has been a city that connected the world through music, and the Gwangju Busking World Cup was more than just a competition; it was a place of communication and harmony beyond borders and races." They also thanked Gwangju and the festival organizers for hosting such a wonderful event.

The Silver Busking Award, which took second place, went to 'Maria Siga' from France, and the Bronze Busking Award, which took third place, was awarded to 'Caviar for Breakfast' from Germany.

Additionally, the Chungjang Busking Award was given to Korea's 'Kim Sunyoung Jazz Tap Band' and Australia's 'Tanajoe,' the Musician Busking Award went to Korean teams 'Artkudo' and 'Ohelen,' and the American team 'Vivalda and Dula Band,' while the Popularity Award was won by the Australian team 'Tesha Devine.'

The 2nd Busking World Cup, which saw a significant increase from last year's 539 teams from 45 countries (388 domestic teams and 151 overseas teams) to a total of 792 teams from 55 countries (493 domestic teams and 299 overseas teams), has established itself as the world's largest music festival and played a vital role as a meeting place for global musicians to interact.

Starting with a welcoming event, participants who met through the common denominator of 'music' built friendships throughout the tournament period, and buskers who had previously connected in other countries rejoiced in reuniting again in Gwangju for the competition.

The Canadian artist team 'Music in the Jungle,' formed again in Gwangju after meeting in Central America’s Costa Rica, consisted of vocalist Jacqueline Holmes (38, female), visual artist Katie Lorraine (35, female), and DJ Shane Mirelli (32).

The celebratory stages held between competitions also met the expectations of music fans.

Following the welcoming event, the Gwangju MBC Nanjang celebration performance featured Akdan Kwangchil and the Helsinki Koto Ensemble, while the final stage celebration performance was graced by Lornoa & Sangjin Lee Band, filling the autumn night of October with deep emotion.

In addition, performances by the Tintin Busking youth teams and the university busking rivalry also received enthusiastic responses from participants and spectators from around the world.

The teams participating in this competition passionately engaged in the festival, staying in Gwangju to watch the final stage even after being eliminated from the competition.

Some teams even began singing about 'Gwangju,' capturing the lingering emotions in melodies and lyrics.

Although it was a fierce competition for prize money, participants unanimously agreed that it was a festival that allowed them to enjoy music with musicians from around the world and create unforgettable beautiful memories.