The 26th Seoul International Performing Arts Festival (SPAF) is set to captivate audiences from October 8 to 25, taking place across major venues including the National Theater of Korea, ARCO and Daehangno Arts Theater, and Daehangno Theater Quad. A total of 20 productions, featuring international invited works, domestic premieres, and contemporary creations, will grace the stages under this year’s compelling festival theme, "Multiverse of Art". This diverse showcase spans theater, modern dance, opera, and multidisciplinary art. 

Undoubtedly, the most anticipated highlight of the festival is the reading play "Bird" (Oiseau), adapted from Nobel laureate Han Kang's acclaimed full-length novel "We Do Not Part". Directed by Julie Deliquet, the artistic director of France's Théâtre National de La Colline, the production made its sensational world premiere last July at the prestigious Avignon Festival, held at the iconic Cour d'Honneur du Papal Palace. The performance drew massive acclaim, bridging cultural boundaries through profound storytelling centered around the tragic historical scars and collective memory of the Jeju April 3 incident. 

The production boasts a legendary cross-cultural cast. Renowned French actress Isabelle Huppert and veteran South Korean powerhouse actress Lee Hye-young take the stage as the dual narrators, portraying the characters Gyeong-ha and In-seon. Reflecting on the emotional depth of the project, actress Lee Hye-young shared, "The piece deeply captures the fierce friendship between two women and the desperate journey of human beings striving to rescue fragile life from the depths of suffering." Following its monumental overseas success, the domestic staging of "Bird" will run on October 10 and 11 at the Sogang University Mary Hall Grand Theater, offering Korean audiences a uniquely resonant theatrical experience. 

Beyond "Bird," the 26th SPAF lineup features several groundbreaking experimental works. World-renowned soprano Sunhae Im is set to undergo a dramatic artistic transformation, taking on the role of "Prophecy" in director Park Bon's multidisciplinary opera "The Third War". Another highly anticipated piece is director Ku Ja-hye’s production, "'Living Without Being Slapped Cannot Be the Whole of Life'", which brilliantly stages the 50-year life journey of a first-generation transgender woman named Saek-ja, born in 1957. 

By intertwining different cultures, historical memories, and sensory mediums, SPAF 2026 aims to offer audiences a multifaceted perspective on contemporary society through the boundless horizons of global performing arts.

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