Gaya Culture Festival

The 2026 Gaya Culture Festival is Gimhae's representative traditional culture and arts festival, marking its 64th anniversary since the launch of the Garak Culture Festival in 1962. With the slogan "A Place Where Two Thousand Years Have Lingered, the Light of Gaya Awakens," this year's festival aims to promote the historical value of the Daeseong-dong Ancient Tombs, which were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023, to the world, and to revive the brilliant culture of Gaya civilization that shines once again beyond two thousand years. It is held to commemorate the founding spirit of King Suro, who established the Garak Kingdom, to inherit and develop the excellent Gaya culture, and to promote harmony and unity among citizens. This festival, which commemorates the cultural heritage of Gaya civilization that flourished for over 500 years based on iron culture and maritime trade following the founding of the Garak Kingdom by King Suro in 42 AD, was newly revamped in 2007 by integrating the Garak Cultural Festival, which began in 1962 to coincide with King Suro's Spring Grand Ceremony (the 15th day of the third lunar month), and the Gaya World Cultural Festival, which was held for two years starting in 2005. Various programs, including traditional performances, historical experiences, and cultural exhibitions, are held in spaces where the spirit of Gaya lives on, such as Suneungwon Park, the Daeseong-dong Ancient Tombs, the Bonghwang-dong Historic Site, and Gaya Street.