Now in it’s 12th year, the Seoul Fringe Festival is an honorable attempt to bring independent arts to the forefront of peoples minds. The acts and performances are primarily Korean, but ‘indie’ art knows no cultural bounds. With 17 venues, along with a number of other participating places around the Hongdae area, it’s easily the most organized indie festival in the Seoul area.
One of the artists I happened to stop and enjoy along the way – some excellent hip-hop in both English and Korean to entertain both the locals and the foreigners.
Your biggest choice will be what sort of things you’d like to see – and there’s plenty to choose from. From theatre and dance to music and the infamous ‘other’ category, it’s simply a matter of choice. Another choice will be towards paid or unpaid events – in general, outdoor events are free and indoor events cost anywhere from 5,000 – 15,000 won. Bear in mind that in most cases, the event is geared towards Koreans and may not have translation available. For more information, try calling 02-325-8150, 02-325-0110, or check out the website.
Inside the Seoul Fringe Festival Center – a place to chill, get some souvenirs, and collect info on what’s going on.
The biggest ‘pro’ to the event – lots of variety and quality, spread out across a square kilometer – is ultimately also it’s biggest con. For the casual festival-goer, the possibilities seem much like a candy shop to a kid – all sorts of things to try and not enough time to try them all out. That they’re spread out across dozens of different clubs in Hongdae makes it difficult to find some acts, or leaves you bouncing around from one act to another trying to see all the interesting ones. I hope that next year’s festival has fewer (but larger and more well-known) spaces, with more acts at each one. That would create less bouncing around and more time to enjoy each act.The festival runs through the 29th of August. To get there, take line 2 of the Seoul subway system to the Hongik University station, then take exit 5 to street level. Take the very first left, then the first right. Look for the information center while in the subway, near the tourist information center, or down the hill from the park. Don’t forget to learn more at www.seoulfringefestival.net.
