GANGNEUNG CITY ENG - 솔향강릉

- Wrapping up an 11-day journey with over 8,000 domestic and foreign participants -

​The World Choir Games, which are recognized as the largest choir competition and a global mega-event in the music world, successfully ended on July 13th with the closing ceremony.

Opening brilliantly on July 3rd in the Gangneung Arena amidst the celebration of over 7,000 spectators, the Gangneung World Choir Games painted the city with music, receiving an overwhelming response with all performances selling out.

The event, joined by approximately 63,000 spectators, 38,000 choir members, and staff, set a record as over 101,000 people came together through choral music.

The Gangneung World Choir Games caught the attention of major broadcasters and press outlets, with about 800 articles published from a month before the competition until its conclusion, reflecting the high interest from the public.

"The competition not only elevated the international brand value of Gangneung but also served as an opportunity to globally promote K-Choir, a step further from K-POP, showing South Korea as a strong cultural power," said Huh Yong-su, chairman of the organizing committee.

The Gangneung World Choir Games featured a range of official events including opening and closing ceremonies, awards, competitions, friendship concerts, celebration concerts, the World Choir General Assembly, and workshops. There were 324 teams from 34 countries participating. Also, various experience programs including a free photo booth, stamp tours, and Korean name calligraphy, set up around the performance venues, were all carried out successfully.

Moreover, choirs gave spontaneous performances throughout the streets of Gangneung, transforming the area into a festival site, and contributing to the recovery of tourism demand and revitalization of local businesses by staying in Gangneung for 11 days.

Notably, the music presented by a diverse range of choirs, from famous choirs listed in the Interkultur World Ranking, to Ukrainian girls' choirs, religious choirs, and socially participatory choirs, deeply moved the audiences. It was a meaningful time when everyone became one through music, transcending borders, races, musical backgrounds, and genres.

Although there was regret that the street parade could not take place due to adverse weather caused by the rainy season, friendship concerts originally planned for outdoor venues such as the Gyeongpo Beach and Wolhwa Street were moved to indoor venues like the Gangneung City Hall and Gangneung Senior Welfare Center, where beautiful harmonies ensued.

The closing ceremony started with a parade of participants from the countries that took this musical journey for 11 days. Everyone gathered in one place to yearn for peace with one voice, in chorus, coinciding with the announcement of the next host country.