University’s Leeds Korean Culture Festival returns this autumn
The University of Leeds will host its second celebration of Korean culture on Friday 13 – Saturday 14 November 2026.
The University of Leeds’ popular Leeds Korean Culture Festival will return this November for a celebration of all-things Korean, from culture, arts and lifestyle to the fascinating journey from tradition to innovation.
Taking place at the School of Music and stage@Leeds on Friday 13 and Saturday 14 November, the festival offers attendees a range of events and activities to enjoy, including music concerts, pop-up booths, exhibitions, lectures, workshops and food stalls.
Highlights include performances by South-Korean K-Pop hip-hop star and researcher James An; traditional Korean weaving, patchwork and textile dying workshops; a host of talks by guest academic speakers from Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) such as Dr Kyung Myun Lee (‘From K-Pop to the Brain: Music, Mind and Technology at KAIST), Professor Juhan Nam (‘Human-AI Music Ensemble’)and Dr Sungyung Kim (‘Digital Therapeutics Using 3D Audio Technologies’); a live show by progressive post-rock band Dongyang Gozupa; and much more.
Dr Hyunah Cho, Lecturer in Music Psychology and Wellbeing and the lead organiser of the festival, said: “Following the success of our first event in 2024, we’re delighted to host our second Korean Culture Festival, celebrating tradition and innovation in Korea. The festival is for anyone passionate, or simply curious, about Korea’s vibrant culture, and includes a host of performances and hands-on activities that bring together traditional heritage and contemporary pop culture.”
This year’s festival is the result of a collaborative effort across the University of Leeds, bringing together expertise from the School of Music (Dr Hyunah Cho), the School of Design (Dr Hye-Won Lim and Dr Eunsuk Hur), and the School of Mechanical Engineering (Dr Seunghwan Lee and Dr Jaemin Lee).
Leeds Korean Day is collaborating with the 2026 Leeds City of Languages festival, a two-week celebration of multilingualism and cultural diversity coordinated by the School of Languages, Cultures and Societies’ Sofia Martinho (Associate Professor of Portuguese and Director of the Camões Centre for Portuguese Language at Leeds) and Bettina Hermoso-Gomez (Associate Professor in Spanish and Director of Routes into Languages Yorkshire and Humberside). This year's festival features more than 100 events in over 30 languages.
Register for individual events via the University of Leeds’ Open Up platform.
