Festival chairman says comedian fandoms in digital spaces are now driving demand for live shows
The 13th Busan International Comedy Festival, one of Asia’s largest comedy showcases, is set to run for 10 days from Aug. 29 to Sept. 7 across multiple venues in the coastal city of Busan.
Kicking off with an opening ceremony at Bexco, the event will bring together around 100 performers, including Korea’s top comedians, international acts and rising digital creators. The comedy troupe from "Gag Concert" — Korea’s iconic sketch show — will open the event with a live performance. Popular comedian Park Myung-soo, known for his appearances on hit variety programs like "Infinite Challenge" and "Happy Together," is scheduled to emcee the opening ceremony.
Throughout the festival’s run, audiences can expect a dynamic slate of performances. Highlights include a comedy showcase by comedian Eom Ji-yoon and the creators behind YouTube channel Shortbox, taking place at Ocean Hall inside Busan Bank on Aug. 30. That same evening, Mandam Assemble, a comedy special featuring fan-favorites Kwak Beom and Lee Chang-ho, will hit the stage at Busan Citizen’s Hall.
As stand-up comedy continues to gain traction across social media platforms, the festival is also embracing the genre in a bigger way.
“Personally, what I’m looking forward to this year is the emergence of stand-up comedy as a new genre (at BICF)," said comedian Byun Ki-soo at a press conference held Friday in Seoul’s Sangam-dong. Byun is also slated to perform his own show during the festival.
"And I believe that if stand-up comedy continues to develop and BICF receives more support in the future, it would be great to send the (Korean stand-up comedians) abroad as scholarship students, so they can actually live and experience life there. I think that kind of real-world exposure would be really valuable,” said Byun.
As more comedians build fanbases through short-form content on platforms such as YouTube and Instagram Reels, BICF aims to bridge the online and offline experience.
Festival Organizing Committee Chairman and comedian Kim Joon-ho highlighted how fanbases cultivated online are now fueling demand for in-person performances.
“Kwak Beom and Chang-ho, those guys used to perform pretty much as unknowns. But after gaining popularity through YouTube as a platform and building a bit of a fandom for their team, they started doing live shows again last year and the year before," said Kim.
"They took it back offline and did performances — and they were incredibly popular, with tickets selling out in about five minutes. So just like musicians, it's clear that comedians can now operate both online and offline. Comedians nowadays have started to build solid fanbases, too,” Kim said.
Tickets for the festival are now available through the Nol Interpark website. For the full performance schedule and venue details, visit the festival’s official homepage.
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