A promotional poster for side events during the 2026 Daegu World Masters Athletics Championships. [Daegu city government]
A promotional poster for side events during the 2026 Daegu World Masters Athletics Championships. [Daegu city government]

A series of side events blending sports, Daegu culture and K-culture will be held during the 2026 Daegu World Masters Athletics Championships, offering athletes, their families and local residents a shared summer celebration.

Daegu city said Wednesday the events will run under the theme "Athletes' Holiday in Daegu" from Aug. 21 through Sept. 3, the duration of the championships, creating a summer festival where athletes and citizens can enjoy the city together.

The program will be split between two venues: daytime activities centered on Color Square at Daegu Stadium Mall, and evening events at the West Plaza. Color Square will host live performances, Daegu cultural and tourism experiences, K-culture programs including hanbok (traditional Korean dress) and traditional medicine consultations, and K-beauty experiences.

At the Sports Memorial Hall inside the West Plaza, visitors can take in a special World Masters Athletics exhibition and hands-on activities. The Suseong Future Education Center will offer AI-linked sports experiences, while a media-sharing bus operated by the Daegu Viewer Media Center and a mobile safety experience bus run by the fire department will also be on site.

Special performances highlighting Daegu's cultural heritage and international ties will include Gosan Nongak (Intangible Cultural Property No. 1) and Uksu Nongak (No. 3) — traditional farmers' music — along with a marimba performance by an arts troupe from Hiroshima, Japan, one of Daegu's sister cities, and a celebratory concert by the DIO Daegu International Youth Orchestra.

Detailed schedules for the side events are available on the championships' official website.

Choo Kyung-ho, Daegu mayor and organizing committee chairman for the championships, said the city has prepared "a stage for harmony and communication where athletes and their families who have come to Daegu from around the world can fully enjoy the charms of Daegu and Korea." He added that the city would "ensure thorough safety management, including heat-wave countermeasures, to give all participants an unforgettable and joyful festival."


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