The “2026 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 June 15 to 22 at the Namdaecheon Festival Grounds in Gangneung, Gangwon Province.

This year’s theme is “Pullini, It’s Dano.” “Pullim” (unbinding) embodies the healing significance of the Gangneung Dano Festival. The theme draws on the essence of Dano, where participants release pent-up emotions during ritual performances, wash away misfortune with calamus water, and let go of their daily worries. A “Gangneung Dano Festival Theme Pavilion” has been set up at the festival grounds so that visitors can experience this year’s theme through sight, touch, and other senses.

This year’s Gangneung Dano Festival consists of 72 programs across 13 categories, centered on ancestral rites, shamanistic rituals, and folk markets, and featuring performances of nationally and regionally designated intangible cultural heritage, citizen participation events, and traditional folk games. 

Special performances tied to the theme will also be presented. The performance “The Gangnam,” which combines the Gangneung Dano Shaman Ritual of the East Coast with the Byeolsin Shaman Ritual of the South Coast, weaves together shamanic rituals from different regions into a single narrative. The “Jindo Shikim Gut,” a National Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Honam region, is introduced as a ritual to wash away the grievances of the deceased and pray for their rebirth in paradise.

International guest performances will also be held. Five countries—the Philippines (Indant), Thailand, Japan (Kurayoshi), China (Xingzhou City and Jiaxing City), and Mongolia—will participate. Commentary and guidance services for international visitors, as well as an English-language website, will be provided.

Additionally, the festival has expanded its intergenerational programs by introducing “Memories of Dano,” which allows visitors to experience the atmosphere of Dano in the past. The new program, “Dano Changpo Water Battle,” is a participatory event that reinterprets the Changpo water culture through water gun fights and pumpkin-smashing games. 

Programs linked to the local commercial district will also be held. Throughout Gangneung, the “Dano Welcome Shop” and “Welcome Stamp Rally” will take place. Events such as the “Beer Market” and “Coffee Fair” will be linked with local content to encourage tourists to stay longer. This year’s dress code is hanbok. Visitors wearing hanbok will receive a 10% discount at the food court and a Dano Experience Village badge.

To ensure safety, mobile unmanned counters will be installed, and five main entrances will be marked to manage crowd density. Web technology will be used for venue guidance, and QR codes will be provided for performance descriptions. Game content utilizing augmented reality (AR) technology will also be available at the Gangneung Dano Festival.

Kim Dong-chan, Chairman of the Gangneung Dano Festival Committee, stated, “This year’s Gangneung Dano Festival has been prepared as a festival where visitors can relieve the fatigue of daily life and regain vitality, in line with the theme ‘Relax, It’s Dano.’” He added, “We hope for your keen interest in this festival, which combines traditional culture, regional synergy, and digital technology.”