Sejong Center opens nighttime garden to extend Seoul's cultural evenings outdoors
The interior view of the Sejong Grand Theater at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul. Korea Times file
When the curtain falls at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts this autumn, the show will no longer end at the auditorium doors. A newly landscaped courtyard garden in central Seoul is set to extend the evening outdoors, offering theatergoers live jazz, food stalls and a space to linger beneath nighttime illuminations.
The center will launch Curtain Call Garden on Thursday, running the outdoor cultural program through Nov. 8 at its Art Garden behind the venue in central Seoul’s Gwanghwamun area.
Open daily from 5 to 11 p.m., the garden will welcome visitors free of charge, extending the experience of live performance beyond the theater and encouraging residents and tourists to spend more time in the downtown district.
The program is part of Seoul’s initiative to stimulate the nighttime economy by activating cultural spaces after dark and bringing more visitors to nearby businesses.
Club Janus, a landmark of Korea’s jazz scene since opening in 1978, has curated 15 live performances scheduled from Wednesdays through Saturdays.
The lineup includes Prelude, one of Korea’s leading jazz bands; Carina Nebula, an all-female vocal quartet led by jazz singer Malo; Salon de Osukyung, known for its jazz tango; and Hontoni, a street jazz orchestra.
Performances will range from traditional jazz to bossa nova, tango and blues, with audiences able to listen from the garden without entering a concert hall.
The garden’s autumn setting, designed by landscaping company Orangerie, will feature plants, lighting and seating intended to create an intimate retreat in the busy city center.
“The value of culture and the arts is not completed solely inside a performance hall, but deepens when it connects to citizens’ everyday lives,” said Ahn Ho-sang, president of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. “We hope Curtain Call Garden will serve as an open space where people can share the lasting impression of a show and artists can naturally meet with the public, bringing fresh cultural vitality to Gyeongbok Palace and Gwanghwamun at night.”
Local food and beverage businesses, including craft beer brand Eulji Maegok and Korean food specialist Yoon’s Food Lab, will operate booths during the event.
Visitors attending a Sejong Center performance that day will receive a 30 percent discount on food and drinks, while participating artists will receive 50 percent off.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.