Kingston ESEA Culture Festival 2023

Celebrating the Richness of East & Southeast Asian Culture.

Join us for the first ever ESEA (East & Southeast Asian) Culture Festival in Kingston! Supported by the Royal Borough of Kingston, KBCE proudly showcases the rich diversity of ESEA heritage in Kingston. The festival kicks off with the ESEA World Music Festival featuring two live concerts at the Rose Theatre and the Ancient Market Place in Kingston. Immerse yourself in the enchanting melodies and rhythms that reflect the traditional and contemporary music of ESEA countries.

Watch out for our Random Dance event – a fast moving choreography challenge for everyone to try!

The Autumn moon festival blends delightful live performances, interactive demonstrations, and engaging audience participation programmes. Experience the magic of ESEA traditions while sampling delectable street food and collecting souvenirs from ESEA communities.

Let’s connect beyond boundaries!

`This is a wonderful opportunity for ESEA communities to cherish and celebrate their heritage, while also encouraging local communities to experience the richness of cultural diversity. This will be a great opportunity to bridge boundaries and bring people together, creating a harmonious and unified society’.

Festival Director, Justina Jang

Welcome to the 1st ESEA World Music Festival

KBCE is delighted to present the inaugural ESEA World Festival, an inspiring tribute to the diverse and vibrant musica heritage of East and Southeast Asian nations. Immerse yourself in the enchanting harmonies and rhythms of traditional and contemporary artists from East and Southeast Asia.

Explore music from ESEA countries!

Lecture Concert

7:30pm, Sunday 10th September @ Rose Theatre

Experience an illuminating lecture concert guided by the renowned Korean traditional musician, Hyelim Kim, presented by the Celadon Club, a leading performing arts group specialising in the music and dance from the East & Southeast Asian countries in the UK. The concert will feature various styles of music from China, Japan, Korea and Thailand.

Members: Hyelim Kim (Leader, Daegeum flute/ Korea), Akinori Fujimoto (Taiko drum / Japan), Kwong Thye Lee (Xiao flute and Guzheng Zither / China), Artit Phonron (Khim Zither / Thailand)

ESEA World Pop Music Concert

2:00pm, Saturday 16th September @ Ancient Market Place

Experience the best of modern ESEA music! As part of the Autumn Moon Festival, the talented Music Director, PianW000, collaborates with young and emerging musicians from Nepal, Philippines, Korea and Thailand to present an electrifying fusion of Alternative Pop, Hyper Pop, Hiphop, and R&B that will leave you mesmerized!

PianW000 (Korea/Rap), Henjila (Nepal/ Alt Pop), KingLing (Thailand / Hiphop), RJ (Philippine / R&B), Nikose (Philippine / Hyperpop) `Please note that the programme is subject to change without prior notice.

Random Dance

5:00pm Friday 15th September @ Ancient Market Place

Join us for our Random Dance Challenge as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of BTS. Jump in and dance to their captivating beats along with other popular hits from ESEA communities while savouring authentic street food in the Ancient Market Place. This thrilling dance challenge involves multiple pop songs being played back to back with anyone familiar with the choreography joining in.

Autumn Moon Festival

11am – 3pm, Saturday 16th September @ Ancient Market Place

Expressing gratitude for a bountiful harvest is celebrated under different names in many countries: Chuseok (Korea), Tsukimi (Japan), Tet Trung Thu (Vietnam) or Moon Festival (China). To honor this cherished tradition, we come together for the Autumn Moon Festival, held at the Ancient Market Place every September in Kingston.

This delightful event promises a magical blend of live performances, engaging martial arts demonstrations, and interactive programmes for the audience to enjoy. Witness the exquisite beauty of traditional dances from China, Korea, and the Philippines, each telling a unique cultural story. Immerse yourself in the mesmerizing KPOP performances by the talented winners of this year’s KPOP UK National Competition.

Treat your taste buds to a variety of delicious ESEA street food and explore a treasure trove of unique souvenirs from our vibrant ESEA communities. And while you explore, you will discover a treasure trove of unique souvenirs from the vibrant ESEA communities.