Yeosu Expo offers eye-catching events, performances

 YEOSU, South Jeolla Province -- The Expo 2012 Yeosu has arranged several eye-catching events and performances throughout it’s run.

During the three-month Expo, various concerts, street performances, water shows and other cultural spectacles performed by artists from here and abroad will be staged. The organizers said the Expo offers about 90 cultural events and performances every day until the maritime festival ends on Aug. 12


Big Star Show

The Big Star Show happens every weekend and includes performances by famous music artists. Included in the Big Star Show is the Big Wave Concert series featuring K-pop stars and many other independent shows.

The Big Wave Concert series begins on opening day. The lineup includes Korean boy bands Super Junior, SHINee, Beast, 2PM and CN Blue. Korean girl groups the Wonder Girls and Miss A will also make appearances. Hip-hop groups such as Dynamicduo and other artists such as Busker Busker will also perform.

The independent concerts will showcase John Legend and the Ensemble Ditto, a classical music ensemble. A number of big-name Korean singers including 015B, Kim Jo-han and DJ Doc and rockers such as Kim Kyung-ho and Boowhal will also perform. 


New Media Show

Staged every night on the Big-O from 9:30-10 p.m. is the New Media Show, which focuses on world peace and harmony, futuristic vision and the coexistence of different races. Projected on a huge screen that sits in the ocean, the show employs state-of-the-art technologies to tell the story of a sea explorer. Laser beams, oceanic fountains, flames and lighting will add to the spectacle.

Big Ocean Show

The “Big Ocean Show” series presents spectacular shows on the sea near the Big-O every day from 2 p.m. to 3:10 p.m.

Based on a traditional village feast, the 70-minute show includes artistic circus acts, aquatic stunts and a fountain show.

The show takes its motif from two Korean folk tales, the Tale of Odori and the Tale of Sinjikke.


World Ocean Festival

The World Ocean Festival invites spectators to the floating stage to watch a multitude of shows projected onto the surface of the ocean. The show uses the ocean water as a screen for the first time at a World Exposition, according to the organizers.

The shows include “BEAT,” a non-verbal performance, “The Ocean Girl,” a drama and “Shim Chung,” the country’s first ballet. The floating stage will host “Ocean Opera,” from France and “Ocean Blast Fever,” from the United States, as well as acclaimed DJs.

The times of each show vary, so visitors are recommended to check the event calendar in the Expo brochure.


Street performances

The Expo organizers have invited popular street performers from around the world to keep visitors entertained while they wait in line or walk around the site.

Entertainers will be performing throughout the Expo venue, and their specialties include mime and juggling, aqua-action, magic and much more.

The street performers are to appear between 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on the streets near Expo Square, Corporal Square, Ocean Square, Exhibition Halls, and the areas where people line up to get into exhibitions.

Street performance champions from the Japanese outdoor festival “Daidogei” are one of the expected street performance groups, and the Expo also invited young street-dancers and indie bands to perform.

By Chung Joo-won (joowonc@heraldcorp.com)