Transpacific Bound

Culture & Design

Major festivals, exhibitions, and cultural programs worth planning around.

Across gateway cities

Confirmed upcoming listings

Aug292026

Culture & Design

Busan · Aug 29–Nov 1, 2026

Busan Biennale 2026 — Dissident Chorus

Busan’s contemporary art biennale runs 65 days across three venues under Dissident Chorus, with paid entry at Busan MoCA and free access at two Yeongdo sites.

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Sep252026

Culture & Design

San Francisco · Sep 25–Jan 25, 2027

Ha Chong-Hyun: Retrospective

The first major North American museum exhibition devoted to Korean artist Ha Chong-Hyun surveys more than six decades of his abstract painting.

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Oct212026

Culture & Design

Singapore · Oct 21–Nov 1, 2026

37th Singapore International Film Festival

SGIFF moves to October for twelve days of Asian and international independent film, filmmaker conversations, competitions, and industry exchange.

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Oct262026

Culture & Design

Tokyo · Oct 26–Nov 4, 2026

39th Tokyo International Film Festival

The 39th Tokyo International Film Festival runs ten days across Hibiya, Yurakucho, Marunouchi, and Ginza, with general tickets opening October 17.

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Oct292026

Culture & Design

Taipei · Oct 29–Nov 2, 2026

ART TAIPEI 2026

Taipei’s Asia-Pacific art fair returns to TWTC Hall 1 with VIP previews on October 29 and public days October 30–November 2; 2026 tickets and the gallery roster remain TBA.

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Oct292026

Culture & Design

Hong Kong · Oct 29–Nov 1, 2026

Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival 2026

HKTB’s harbourfront wine and food festival returns to Central Harbourfront Event Space for four days from October 29 through November 1, 2026.

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Oct302026

Culture & Design

Tokyo · Oct 30–Nov 8, 2026

DESIGNART TOKYO 2026

A ten-day citywide design and art festival placing work across shops, galleries, museums, restaurants, and event spaces; final visitor-access conditions remain pending.

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Nov62026

Culture & Design

Singapore · Nov 6–15, 2026

Singapore Writers Festival 2026

Singapore’s multilingual literary festival brings local and international writers together around literature, storytelling, arts, and ideas; the programme and 2026 ticketing remain pending.

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Nov72026

Culture & Design

Busan · Nov 7, 2026

Busan Fireworks Festival 2026

Busan’s waterfront fireworks night returns for a single Saturday over Gwangalli Beach, with limited paid seats, large free viewing zones, and bridge closures that reshape the evening commute.

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Nov122026

Culture & Design

Los Angeles · Nov 12–19, 2026

Asian World Film Festival 2026

The 12th Asian World Film Festival returns to Culver City, November 12–19, 2026, for a week of Asian World cinema ahead of awards season; theaters, lineup, and tickets remain TBA.

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Nov142026

Culture & Design

Tokyo · Nov 14–15, 2026

Design Festa Vol. 64

Asia’s large open-entry art fair fills Tokyo Big Sight’s West and South Halls for a two-day weekend of makers, illustration, craft, performance, and food.

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Nov292026

Culture & Design

Manila · Nov 29, 2026

Manila International Fashion Week Season 8 (2026)

Manila International Fashion Week’s Season 8 runway night lands at Elan by the Bay under the theme Fashion Beyond Borders, with related mall exhibits the week prior.

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Jan62027

Culture & Design

Los Angeles · Jan 6–10, 2027

LA Art Show 2027

Los Angeles’s large indoor contemporary and modern art fair returns to the Convention Center West Hall with an Opening Night premiere and multi-day public viewing.

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Jan212027

Culture & Design

Singapore · Jan 21–31, 2027

Singapore Art Week 2027

The 15th Singapore Art Week spreads exhibitions, performances, screenings, and public projects across galleries, institutions, and unexpected city sites.

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Feb252027

Culture & Design

Los Angeles · Feb 25–28, 2027

Frieze Los Angeles 2027

Frieze returns to the Santa Monica Airport campus for its eighth Los Angeles edition, gathering roughly 100 galleries plus installations and Frieze Week programming.

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Mar92027

Culture & Design

Bali · Mar 9, 2027

Nyepi 2027: Bali’s Day of Silence

Bali stops for 24 hours on the Balinese Hindu new year: the airport closes, roads empty, and visitors stay inside their accommodation from dawn to dawn.

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Mar112027

Culture & Design

Tokyo · Mar 11–14, 2027

ART FAIR TOKYO 21

The 21st edition brings Japanese and international galleries and institutions together across contemporary art, modern art, antiques, and crafts.

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Mar252027

Culture & Design

Hong Kong · Mar 25–27, 2027

Art Basel Hong Kong 2027

Asia’s major international art fair returns to HKCEC for public days March 25–27, 2027, with preview access and ticket tiers still publishing closer to the fair.

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Mar262027

Culture & Design

Osaka · Mar 26–28, 2027

AnimeJapan 2027

AnimeJapan’s first Osaka edition spans business days March 26–27 and public days March 27–28 at INTEX Osaka, with Friday–Sunday covering the full window.

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Apr222027

Culture & Design

Bali · Apr 22–25, 2027

BaliSpirit Festival 2027

Ubud’s long-running yoga, dance, and music gathering returns for four days, opening with a community day and free evening party before three full festival days.

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May142027

Culture & Design

Singapore · May 14–Jun 20, 2027

Singapore Design Biennale 2027

The inaugural biennale will run for more than five weeks across design, architecture, art, research, and technology under the theme “1.35°N.”

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Jun12027

Culture & Design

Bali · Jun 1–7, 2027

Balinale 2027: Bali International Film Festival

Indonesia’s international film festival returns for its 20th edition in Sanur, with screenings at Cinema XXI and special events across the coastal strip.

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Jul22027

Culture & Design

Los Angeles · Jul 2–5, 2027

Anime Expo 2027

A major Japanese pop-culture convention returns for four days of anime, manga, games, music, fashion, premieres, creators, and fandom.

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