Korean chosen as guest language for 2026 Festival d'Avignon

The Festival d'Avignon, an annual French arts festival, has selected Korean for its Guest Language program for 2026.

A woman stands in front of a wall covered with posters advertising plays during the Festival d'Avignon in Avignon, France, July 16. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

The Festival d'Avignon, an annual French arts festival, has selected Korean for its Guest Language program for 2026.

This is the first time an Asian language will be featured in the program, and the only case in which the chosen language is spoken in a single country.

The Guest Language program spotlights the culture and arts of a specific language. Arabic was highlighted in the latest 79th edition of the Festival d'Avignon, which took place from July 5 to 26. Other previous spotlights were English in 2023 and Spanish in 2024.

Held every July in Avignon, France, the Festival d'Avignon is the oldest festival in France that showcases theater, dance, music, literature, visual arts and film. The event attracts more than 100,000 visitors each year.

The Korea Arts Management Service, as the official partner for the Guest Language program, will develop a range of offerings, such as forums, to promote Korean performing arts. Korean works will also be featured in the festival's official categories beyond the Guest Language program for the first time since 1998.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]