[Cookie News] Gangneung Dano Festival, a celebration of healing and renewal, opens on the 15th... Featuring 72 diverse programs (June 10, 2026)
2026.06.12 15:49
-The “2026 Gangneung Dano Festival,” a millennium-old celebration, will take place over eight days from the 15th to the 22nd at the Namdaecheon Event Venue in Gangneung, featuring 72 programs across 13 categories. Under the theme
“Pulini, Dano,” the festival embodies the value of healing...Attempting innovative changes such as expanding global exchange, introducing smart technology, and fostering mutual growth with local businesses
This year’s Gangneung Dano Festival, themed around healing and embrace, kicks off next week, taking visitors on a journey through a thousand years of history.
The Gangneung Dano Festival Committee (Chairman Kim Dong-chan) announced on the 10th that the Gangneung Dano Festival, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, will be held for eight days from the 15th to the 22nd at the Namdaecheon Event Site in Gangneung.
The theme of the 2026 Gangneung Dano Festival is “Pullini, Dano.” The concept of “release,” which symbolizes the essential healing value of the Gangneung Dano Festival, conveys the meaning that Dano is the moment when the hearts and relationships of festival-goers naturally unravel—as they release their pent-up emotions at the ritual site and wash away misfortune with calamus water, letting go of their daily worries and bad luck. The “Gangneung Dano Festival Theme Pavilion,” where visitors can experience this theme through all five senses—including sight and touch—will also be set up within the festival grounds.
The Gangneung Dano Festival Committee (Chairman Kim Dong-chan) announced on the 10th that the Gangneung Dano Festival, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and a National Intangible Cultural Heritage, will be held for eight days from the 15th to the 22nd at the Namdaecheon Event Site in Gangneung.
The theme of the 2026 Gangneung Dano Festival is “Pullini, Dano.” The concept of “release,” which symbolizes the essential healing value of the Gangneung Dano Festival, conveys the meaning that Dano is the moment when the hearts and relationships of festival-goers naturally unravel—as they release their pent-up emotions at the ritual site and wash away misfortune with calamus water, letting go of their daily worries and bad luck. The “Gangneung Dano Festival Theme Pavilion,” where visitors can experience this theme through all five senses—including sight and touch—will also be set up within the festival grounds.
This year’s Gangneung Dano Festival will feature a rich lineup of 72 programs across 13 categories, centered on ritual ceremonies—the essence of traditional culture—and shamanistic rites where humans communicate with the divine, as well as the nation’s largest open-air market. The festival will also include performances of nationally, provincially, and locally designated intangible cultural heritage, citizen participation events, and folk games.
In particular, the meaning of “release” will be brought to life in a more multidimensional way through special performances tied to the festival’s theme. The performance “The Gangnam,” which combines the Gangneung Dano Shaman Ritual of the East Coast with the Byeolsin Shaman Ritual of the South Coast, will expand the meaning of “release” by weaving together the rituals of different regions into a single narrative.
Additionally, the “Jindo Ssikkim Gut,” a representative National Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Honam region, is a ritual to help the deceased reach paradise by washing away their grievances. It is set to showcase another aspect of “Pullim”—the cultural overcoming of death.
In particular, the meaning of “release” will be brought to life in a more multidimensional way through special performances tied to the festival’s theme. The performance “The Gangnam,” which combines the Gangneung Dano Shaman Ritual of the East Coast with the Byeolsin Shaman Ritual of the South Coast, will expand the meaning of “release” by weaving together the rituals of different regions into a single narrative.
Additionally, the “Jindo Ssikkim Gut,” a representative National Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Honam region, is a ritual to help the deceased reach paradise by washing away their grievances. It is set to showcase another aspect of “Pullim”—the cultural overcoming of death.
In keeping with the festival’s global scope, international guest performances and global outreach efforts will be significantly expanded. A platform for international cultural exchange will be established, featuring participation from five countries: the Philippines (Inta-si), Thailand, Japan (Kurayoshi), China (Xingzhou City and Jiaxing City), and Mongolia. In addition, dedicated commentary and guidance services for foreign visitors will be enhanced, and the English-language website will undergo a major overhaul to maximize convenience for global visitors.
Content that fosters intergenerational communication and offers modern reinterpretations of tradition is also drawing attention. “Memories of Dano,” a space where visitors can share nostalgia for past Dano festivals through a retro aesthetic, will be operated, while the new program “Dano Changpo Water Battle” offers a dynamic, participatory activity that modernizes the Changpo water culture. Through water gun fights and bursting paper bags, participants wash away bad luck and pray for good health.
Throughout Gangneung, the “Dano Welcome Shop” and “Welcome Stamp Rally” are taking place. The festival is also promoting mutual growth to revitalize the local economy by closely linking with local attractions—such as beer markets and coffee fairs—to encourage tourists to stay longer and inject vitality into the local business district.
Content that fosters intergenerational communication and offers modern reinterpretations of tradition is also drawing attention. “Memories of Dano,” a space where visitors can share nostalgia for past Dano festivals through a retro aesthetic, will be operated, while the new program “Dano Changpo Water Battle” offers a dynamic, participatory activity that modernizes the Changpo water culture. Through water gun fights and bursting paper bags, participants wash away bad luck and pray for good health.
Throughout Gangneung, the “Dano Welcome Shop” and “Welcome Stamp Rally” are taking place. The festival is also promoting mutual growth to revitalize the local economy by closely linking with local attractions—such as beer markets and coffee fairs—to encourage tourists to stay longer and inject vitality into the local business district.
Once again this year, ‘hanbok’ has been designated as the festival’s dress code, and visitors wearing hanbok will receive generous rewards, including a 10% discount at the food court and a complimentary badge at the Dano Experience Village.
To systematically manage crowd density, mobile unmanned counters will be installed and the five main entrances will be clearly marked. Additionally, advanced digital technologies will be introduced to ensure safe and smart festival operations, including web-based venue guidance, a QR code-based performance program explanation system, and Gangneung Dano Festival game content utilizing AR (Augmented Reality) technology, among other advanced digital technologies, to ensure safe and smart festival operations.
Kim Dong-chan, Chairman of the Gangneung Dano Festival Committee, said, “This year’s Gangneung Dano Festival will be a festival that offers warm healing and vitality to visitors’ weary daily lives, living up to the slogan ‘Pullini, It’s Dano.’” He added, “As we are enhancing our global standing and combining cutting-edge technology with regional synergy, we hope for the keen interest and participation of the entire nation.”
To systematically manage crowd density, mobile unmanned counters will be installed and the five main entrances will be clearly marked. Additionally, advanced digital technologies will be introduced to ensure safe and smart festival operations, including web-based venue guidance, a QR code-based performance program explanation system, and Gangneung Dano Festival game content utilizing AR (Augmented Reality) technology, among other advanced digital technologies, to ensure safe and smart festival operations.
Kim Dong-chan, Chairman of the Gangneung Dano Festival Committee, said, “This year’s Gangneung Dano Festival will be a festival that offers warm healing and vitality to visitors’ weary daily lives, living up to the slogan ‘Pullini, It’s Dano.’” He added, “As we are enhancing our global standing and combining cutting-edge technology with regional synergy, we hope for the keen interest and participation of the entire nation.”
