Over 100 Works, 300 Performing Arts Professionals, and 600 Artists Gather from September 24 to 28
Opening Ceremony and Gala Performance to Launch the Festival at 7:30 p.m. on September 24 at the Grand Theater of the Busan Cultural Center
The 2025 Busan International Performing Arts Market (BPAM), hosted by Busan Metropolitan City and organized by the Busan Cultural Foundation, is just one week away.
Now in its third year, BPAM will run for five days from September 24 to 28, centered around the Busan Cultural Center and Busan Eurasia Platform, and will also take place at venues such as Busan Citizens Hall, Haeundae Cultural Center, Kyungsung University, Haeundae Beach, and KT&G Sangsangmadang. Over 100 performances from 15 countries will be showcased by more than 600 artists.
Under the slogan "A New Wave of Performing Arts," BPAM aims to provide domestic and international arts organizations with opportunities to expand overseas, serve as a platform for networking among performing arts professionals, and become a festival-style performing arts market that citizens can also enjoy.
2025 Busan International Performing Arts Market (BPAM) Poster.
▲Performances: A balanced lineup of genres, with a focus on discovering works from Busan
The official BPAM program is divided into "Performances" and "Networking" categories. Among the performances, the official selection curated by BPAM's team of artistic directors features 26 works, including four full-length invited pieces (BPAM Choice) and 22 showcase pieces (BPAM Showcase).
The BPAM Project (4 works) serves as a platform to discover promising new works from Busan. Other highlights include BPAM Pick (10 works), which features representative repertory performances from Busan; BPAM Street (32 works), which participates in the Busan Street Arts Festival on Haeundae Beach; and BPAM Link (21 works), which introduces performances from groups such as Hotpot, Busan Youth Fringe Alliance, and Busan Concert Hall in collaboration with BPAM during the event. In total, around 100 works will be presented at various locations throughout Busan.
A key feature of this year's 26 official invited works is that at least one piece from Busan has been selected among the official lineup. In addition, a new "Regional Creation and Production Project" has been established to discover competitive, regionally based performing arts content.
The creative (open call), demonstration and verification (showcase and review), full-length performance (CHOICE invitation), and expansion stages are supported step by step, building a structure that enables regional works to grow continuously.
The opening performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. on September 24 in the Grand Theater of the Busan Cultural Center. It will be a gala performance that encompasses theater, dance, music, and multidisciplinary genres, reflecting the genres featured at BPAM. True to BPAM's slogan, the sea will be portrayed not as a boundary but as a symbol of connection.
Participating groups include "Ryu Janghyun and Friends" (music), "Theater Company Actor, Audience, and Space" (theater), "Ongals" (multidisciplinary), "Kim Insu and Gugak Jazz Society" (music), "Umbilical Brothers" (multidisciplinary), and "The Park Dance and Pusan National University Department of Dance" (dance), who will together open the festival.
▲Networking: A practical bridge for distribution, a chance to meet renowned performing arts professionals from Korea and abroad
The "Networking" program, which focuses on the distribution and sales of works, includes the BPAM Booth for content promotion and opportunities for information exchange and collaboration between performing arts organizations and institutions; BPAM Next Talk, where presentations on the outlook for performing arts and work distribution are given; and BPAM Just Ten Minutes, which offers one-on-one business meetings between performance groups and delegates for the distribution of works.
In particular, BPAM Next Talk (September 25-28, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.) will bring together renowned domestic and international performing arts experts to share a variety of strategies and case studies.
Held over four days at Busan Eurasia Platform, the sessions will be divided into four main topics: "From Local to Global: Sustainable Performing Arts Market Strategies," "Private Theaters: Changing Private Theaters and Global Distribution Strategies," "Regional Festivals: Festivals Growing with Cities and Local Cultural Ecosystems," and "Asian Performing Arts Collaboration: New Possibilities and Future Strategies." Anyone interested in the global performing arts market is welcome to attend.
This year's booth program (September 24, 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.) will be the first official BPAM program and will take place at the Asti Hotel Ballroom, accompanied by pitching sessions.
At Just Ten Minutes (September 25-28, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.), domestic and international performance groups will have the opportunity to promote their works through ten-minute one-on-one business meetings with delegates from Korea and abroad, whom they would otherwise rarely meet. Given the number of groups that secured distribution through meetings last year, expectations are high for this year as well.
▲International Delegates: Over 100 participants from 33 countries. More festival representatives expected than last year
This year, an increasing number of festival representatives from the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia are expected to visit Busan. Notable attendees include Lisa Richard-Toney, President and CEO of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) in the United States; Tony Lancaster, CEO of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the United Kingdom; Ann Chan, Co-Director of the Hong Kong Performing Arts Expo (HKPAX); as well as representatives from the Avignon Off Festival in France, the Market for African Performing Arts (MASA), Palacio Libertad in Argentina, and Tanec Praha in the Czech Republic. These major organizations and foundations will strengthen strategic partnerships beyond existing networks through pre-meetings and demand surveys.
▲Citizen Participation: Expanded performances open to the public, citizen-friendly market operation
BPAM will go beyond its traditional distribution-focused showcase to expand opportunities for citizens to attend performances. By increasing the number of performances open to the general public as well as performing arts professionals, BPAM aims to enhance its popular appeal. As a result, it is transitioning into a festival-style market that combines business functions with citizen engagement. The performance lineup can be found on the official website, and tickets are currently on sale online.
▲Performing Arts Ecosystem: Establishing a virtuous cycle for performing arts through linkage with Busan Cultural Foundation projects
Arts organizations that achieve distribution results can receive support through the Busan Cultural Foundation's "Performing Arts Field - Distribution Support" program. In addition, the foundation aims to create a sustainable exchange structure by linking its projects with the interests of delegates. Next year, an academy program will support the entire process from the creative preparation stage to overseas expansion, establishing a virtuous cycle ecosystem in which local artists can challenge themselves on the global stage through preparation, creation, performance, and international advancement.
Oh Jaehwan, CEO of the Busan Cultural Foundation, stated, "We hope that the successful hosting of BPAM this year will further advance Busan's performing arts ecosystem and establish a virtuous cycle from local creation to distribution and overseas expansion. With the participation of delegates, artists, and citizen audiences, this will be an opportunity for the Busan Cultural Foundation to demonstrate its role and value as a key platform connecting local and international performing arts. Based on the achievements of the past three years, we are currently formulating future strategic plans and will announce the future direction for building a sustainable performing arts ecosystem for BPAM."
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