Overview
The Busan Step Up Dance Festival is a street dance festival hosted by Busan Metropolitan City and organized by the Youth Culture Promotion Association and the Busan Ilbo. This event is a representative youth cultural content of Busan, held to provide stage performance opportunities for talented young artists from home and abroad and to expand opportunities for citizens to enjoy high-quality street dance performances. The preliminary rounds for the 2026 festival will be held at Millac the Market, and the main event will take place at the Busan Cinema Center. Key competition categories include the World Street 1:1 and 2:2 Dance Battle, the Dance Performance World Championship, and the Junior Performance World Championship for those aged 17 and under. This year's competition features a total prize pool of 35 million KRW, with 20 million KRW allocated to the performance category and 15 million KRW to the battle category. Renowned experts in each field, including Aiki, Black Q, Roo, Minami, Kirin Jang, Mood Dok, Youngbin, and Hash, will participate as judges to ensure fair evaluation. Additionally, artists such as Jung Sang-soo, Market Groovy, Vinxen, and Rohann will grace the stage to add to the festival's excitement. Beyond the competitions, the festival offers various side programs for public participation, including a global K-POP audition, dance workshops, dance talk shows, and DJ club parties. Furthermore, a Step Up Street Market and a food zone will be set up to provide visitors with a variety of entertainment and dining options. This event serves as a venue for global dancers and citizens to communicate and share the dynamic cultural energy of Busan.
