The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced on the 2nd that it will hold the ‘I am a Busker’ citizen busking competition for the first time on June 21st and 22nd in the Hongdae Red Road area of Mapo-gu. This festival is planned with the intention of spreading street performance culture into citizens’ daily lives.
The competition focuses on ordinary citizens rather than professional artists, and it is open to not only Seoul residents but also those from other regions. It aims to be an open festival where anyone can take the stage.
The competition is divided into two categories: a youth division and a general division, with a total of 50 teams participating. The youth division will take place on June 21st, and the general division on June 22nd. Participants will showcase performances in various genres such as popular music, instrumental music, performance art, and traditional arts. Winners will be selected through expert judging and on-site voting by citizens, and prize winners will have the opportunity to join the Seoul Street Performance Group in 2026.
During the festival, various side events will be held alongside performances by the 2025 Seoul Street Performance Group. These include the ‘Song of Seoul’ stage where citizens can participate, ‘Meetup Booths’ for artists and audiences to communicate, ‘Instrument Experience Booths’ where visitors can try out instruments, and ‘Caricature Booths’ offering unique drawings.
Celebratory performances are also planned following each competition. On the 21st, the indie band ‘Sokak Sokak’ will take the stage, and on the 22nd, the emotional duo ‘Mind U’ will perform.
Citizens wishing to participate in the competition must submit a performance video of about three minutes by June 12th. Applications can be made individually or as a team, and the results of team selection will be announced on June 16th. Detailed information can be found in the announcements and notices section of the Seoul website and the Seoul Street Performance website.
Hong Chae-sook, Director of Seoul’s Cultural Headquarters, stated, “The I am a Busker Festival is a stage where any citizen can be the main character of cultural arts,” adding, “We hope it will serve as the foundation of Seoul as a cultural city where citizens are not just consumers of culture but also creators.”