Girisán Jazz Festival to Open in September at Cheoneunsa Temple
Creatrip Team
24 days ago
Cheoneunsa Temple of the Jogye Order will host the 2026 Jirisan Jazz Festival from Sept. 4–5 on its waterside and outdoor stages. The free, reservation-only festival has about 900 attendees booked. Day one features Park Sang-ah Jazz Cats (melody-focused improvisation), Shin Kyung-sook Smooth Jazz Band (familiar tunes in jazz), and the Christian choir Commune (performance themed on religious harmony and communication). On Sept. 5, NS Jazz Band opens the daytime program, followed by DONKEY’S Project with tap-dance percussion. Evening acts include SM Jazz Trio (K-pop jazz arrangements — Korea’s first K-pop jazz group) and the Marlo Band (vocal performances). To ease parking, shuttles will run every 15 minutes between Baekdu-daegan Ecological Education Center in Gurye and Cheoneunsa for the evening show. A paid 1-night, 2-day “Temple Craft Retreat” with nine artisans will run Sept. 4–6, combining crafts, nature, and jazz. The festival theme is “Jazz in the Silence,” echoing head monk Daejin’s remark that silence allows music to be heard.
