Incheon Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Chan-dae) will revamp its existing “1,000 Won Culture Ticket” into the “Incheon Happiness Culture Ticket” and launch the new program in October, making it easier for all citizens to enjoy a wide range of cultural experiences close to home.
The city government announced that it would launch the “Incheon Happiness Culture Ticket” program in October for approximately 6,000 citizens to commemorate Citizens’ Day and add greater meaning to October as the “Month of Culture.”
Following the program’s focus on arts performances in May, the October edition will diversify its offerings to include performances, sports, and tourism, bringing positive changes to citizens’ everyday lives through culture.
In particular, the city has renamed the “1,000 Won Culture Ticket” as the “Happiness Culture Ticket” to reflect the program’s goal of expanding opportunities for citizens to enjoy culture. The new name represents the city’s commitment to making diverse cultural content more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
The “Happiness Culture Ticket” initiative was first introduced in October last year. At the beginning, the program provided cultural, sports, and tourism experiences to more than 5,000 citizens, youth, and culturally underserved groups through performances, professional soccer games, city tour buses, and the Wolmi Sea Train. Starting this year, the program has been expanded to operate in the first and second halves of the year in conjunction with Family Month in May and Citizens’ Day in October.
This October, the city has prepared a diverse range of programs, including arts performances such as shadow theater, classical music, traditional performance plays, and theater, as well as professional soccer and tourism programs. The range of options has been expanded to allow anyone, from children to adults, to enjoy the program.
First, Incheon Culture and Arts Center will present “Hand Shadow Fantasy ANIMARE” by a Japanese theater company specializing in shadow theater and with a history spanning more than 70 years. The performances will be held four times from October 29 to 31. Reservations will open at 2 PM on September 4.
On October 15, Citizens’ Day in Incheon, the Incheon New Philharmonic Orchestra will take the stage at Arts Center Incheon. The performance was organized to commemorate the 62nd Citizens’ Day and the 23rd anniversary of the opening of the Incheon Free Economic Zone (IFEZ). Ticket sales will open at 2 PM on September 7.
The Happiness Culture Ticket will also be available for use in Incheon’s old downtown area. At Subong Culture Center, the traditional performance “Rumbling Yeonhui Stage! Nori Stage!” will be presented on October 24, combining pungmul, pansori, traditional performing arts, and acrobatics. At Munhak Theater, the play “Fragments,” which revisits the wounds of war and the separation of families, will be staged three times on October 2 and 3.
For sports, the city will expand opportunities for teenagers to attend games. It will provide support for teenagers aged 13 to 18 to attend the Incheon FC vs. Pohang match scheduled for 4:30 PM, October 9. Reservations will open at 2 PM on October 5.
Cultural experience programs will also be available for local children’s centers and other facilities. The programs will combine the Wolmi Sea Train ride with museum visits, and the Incheon Transit Corporation will accept separate bookings from local children’s centers and facilities.
Detailed information on reservation schedules for each Happiness Culture Ticket program is available in the News section of the Incheon Metropolitan City website and on the participating facilities’ websites.
The city plans to continue identifying participating facilities and programs to expand opportunities for citizens to experience diverse forms of culture in their everyday lives. Incheon also plans to develop the Happiness Culture Ticket into Incheon’s signature “citizen-centered cultural welfare model” that improves access to culture and delivers tangible benefits to citizens.
A city official stated, “The Happiness Culture Ticket embodies our commitment to helping all citizens enjoy culture more frequently, more conveniently, and in greater variety. We will encourage more cultural facilities and programs to participate, expand citizens’ choices, and continue expanding cultural welfare that citizens can experience in their everyday lives.”
