The Gangneung Dano Festival, designated as both 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, Gangwon Province.

According to the Gangneung Dano Festival Committee on the 10th, the theme for this year’s event has been set as “Pullini, Dano-da.” “Unraveling” is a concept symbolizing the essential healing value inherent in the Gangneung Dano Festival. It embodies 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, wash away misfortune with calamus water, and let go of their daily worries and bad luck.

A “Gangneung Dano Festival Theme Pavilion” will also be set up within the festival grounds, allowing visitors to experience this theme through all five senses, including sight and touch. 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—shamanic rites where gods and humans communicate, and 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 festival will bring the concept of “Pullim” to life in a more multidimensional way through specially curated performances tied to the theme. The performance “The Gangnam,” which combines the Gangneung Dano Gut of the East Coast with the Namhae Byeolsin Gut of the South Coast, expands the meaning of “Pullim” 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 expected to showcase another aspect of “Pullim”—the cultural overcoming of death.

Befitting a global festival, the lineup of international guest performances is also rich. Five countries—the Philippines (Indant), Thailand, Japan (Kurayoshi), China (Xingzhou City, Jiaxing City), and Mongolia—will participate, creating a venue for cultural exchange between nations.

Content that fosters intergenerational communication and offers modern reinterpretations of tradition also draws attention. “Memories of Dano,” a space where visitors can share nostalgia for past Dano festivals with a retro vibe, will be open, and and the new program “Dano Changpo Water Battle” offers a dynamic, participatory experience that reinterprets the Changpo water culture in a modern way, allowing participants to wash away bad luck and pray for good health through water gun fights and bursting water balloons.

Kim Dong-chan, Chairman of the Gangneung Dano Festival Committee, stated, “This year’s Gangneung Dano Festival will be a festival that offers warm healing and vitality to visitors’ weary daily lives,” adding, “As we have elevated our global standing and combined cutting-edge technology with regional synergy, we hope for the keen interest and participation of the entire nation.”