Only one month left before the Opening Ceremony of the FINA World Championships and the atmosphere is really starting to warm up here in Gwangju! The city is developing a wide range of cultural programs to give domestic and foreign visitors in Gwangju a foretaste for the celebrations to come during the Championships.
Ongoing cultural events including street festivals, mimes, magic shows and more will extend the Gwangju Fringe Festival summer season. The popular Daein Art night Market is also be running a special “Art Street Culture Experience Event” program. Later next week, to celebrate the 20 days to go milestone, a free concert will be held on June 22nd at the 5.18 Democracy Square.
Cultural activities will continue until and during the Championships. From July 19th to 21st during the “World Youth Festival”, Gwangju will provide a youth learning program for approximately 120,000 students from 318 schools. Pupils will enjoy the Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships as spectators as well as cultural performances which have been organised for them. During the Championships, tour packages have been designed to offer tourists with a wide range of visiting options. The Gwangu City Tour Bus will operate several routes around the city’s hallmarks and beyond, allowing for easy and budget-friendly transportation. Everywhere, music and dance performances, food festivals and more will introduce visitors to the traditional Korean lifestyle.
The Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships will not only be a celebration of acquatics and sports but will also be a complete immersion into local culture, showcasing all the specialties which South Korea has to offer. A detailed schedule of the cultural program will soon be shared so stay tuned!
Opening and Closing Ceremony details revealed
The Gwangju 2019 FINA World Championships will officially kick-off on July 12th at 8pm with the magical moment we are all waiting for: The Opening Ceremony! it will be held at Gwangju Women's University Universiade Gymnasium and over 700 cast members have been preparing for months to put on an unforgettable show for its spectators. The theme of the ceremony will be “Light of Water”, a representation of the world’s waters rising to form a single wave in the spirit of democracy and peace at the 5.18 Democracy Square fountain, an important symbol for the democratisation movement. Stereoscopic images and special effects will reflect South Korea’s technological innovativeness and will guarantee a breath-taking show.
As for every Championships, celebrations will come to an end with the Closing Ceremony which will take place on July 28th at 5 pm at the Arts Theatre of Asia Culture Center, where cultural representations will be held under the theme of “Beautiful Circulation”. The ceremony will take place in an imaginary space reflecting Mureungdowon (meaning paradise) in Seongsanbyulgok – an essay written by Jeongcheol in the early Chosun Dynasty and which describes the beautiful sceneries of four seasons in the South Jeolla Province. The show will include cultural arts of the South Jeolla Province combining the stream of water and harmonious circulation of life. After the cultural performance, around 10:30 pm, the FINA flag will be handed over to Fukuoka, Japan at the Main Venue once all final competition and awards ceremonies have finished.
Test events in Nambu University Venue
From June 5-9, the 91st edition of the Dong-Ah Swimming Competition took place at the Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center. A total of 2400 athletes, ranging from kindergarden kids to students and adults took part in the swimming, diving, waterpolo and artistic swimming competitions.
This test event for the Gwangju World Championships has confirmed that the venue is fully functional and ready to host the global events coming up this summer!
Gwangju 2019 welcomes leading international Chinese media
We were honoured to welcome leading international Chinese media in Beijing and see so much interest for the Championships! The Gwangju 2019 team is very much looking forward to welcoming these talented journalists this summer. Exciting times ahead!
Top sports journalist Alan Abrahamson visits Gwangju
What a treat to have top sport journalist Alan Abrahamson in Gwangju! He was able to visit the May 18th National Cemetery and experience many of the other cultural events in Gwangju ahead of the Championships. We look forward to welcoming all of our guests for the FINA World Championships this summer!
Gwangju 2019
Gwangju 2019 local organising committee
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