Festival Signs Partnership With Youth Artists' Coalition at Opening Ceremony, Reaffirming Its Role as a Support Platform for Emerging Artists

LA, CA, UNITED STATES, August 17, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- URBAN BREAK & TOY CON SEOUL 2026 concluded Sunday, August 2, following a four-day run at COEX in Seoul that drew approximately 58,000 visitors from Korea and abroad.

Held from July 30 to August 2 in COEX Hall D, the festival brought together approximately 355 artists from 15 countries. For the first time, URBAN BREAK and TOY CON SEOUL were fully integrated under a single ticket, allowing visitors to move freely between the two events.

The 2026 edition also expanded its efforts to support emerging creators through artist programs, industry collaborations and partnerships designed to provide more opportunities for young artists. At the opening ceremony, organizers signed a partnership agreement with a coalition supporting young artists' creative activities, reinforcing the festival's role as a platform for artist development.

This year’s festival featured approximately 40 artists from guest-of-honor country Japan and 25 artists from invited country Indonesia.

Now in its second year, TOY CON SEOUL expanded its international presence with 126 artists from 10 countries and 29 creative brands participating in the event.

The Japan Pavilion presented works across a wide range of genres, from Buddhist-inspired paintings to traditional textiles. Other featured programs included “BRAVE JOURNEY,” a collaboration with Devsisters, and “URBK SHOWCASE: THE ART OBJET,” a program selected by the Korea Arts Management Service.

At TOY CON SEOUL, long lines formed daily at the INSTINCTOY booth, which sold out its available inventory.

Korean artist B98C participated in an IP-based object showcase through “SUPERMARKET,” an installation that invited visitors to discover the artist’s character “Powerless” hidden throughout the shelves of a mock grocery store.

Meanwhile, ISLANDOO’s “EASY” and “BACK” exhibitions generated multiple collaboration inquiries during the event, highlighting opportunities to expand visual-art intellectual property into physical products and broader commercial collaborations.

During the “Brave Street” talk on July 30, participating artists B98C and Slinky joined Cookie Run designers Artist SEO and Artist SODA for a live iPad drawing session imagining how Cookie Run characters might look in a modern urban setting.

The session also included a Q&A with visitors interested in creative careers and the work of professional character designers.

On July 31, Devsisters’ CIPO joined artist Vance for a conversation focused on art and creative collaboration.

Approximately 400 attendees gathered on the evening of August 1 for “BREAK PARTY Vol. 3,” a networking event that brought participating artists and members of the creative community together.

On August 2, URBAN BREAK signed a cooperation agreement with Mokwon University’s Department of Formative Art Contents to support creative activities and opportunities for emerging artists.

Japanese artist Kamakiri also presented a live drawing performance on the festival’s final day, completing his signature work “GABULIEN” in approximately one hour using Posca markers without a preliminary sketch.

With 355 artists from 15 countries and programming spanning contemporary art, art toys, creative IP, live performances and artist networking, URBAN BREAK & TOY CON SEOUL 2026 concluded its first fully integrated edition while strengthening its role as a platform for artists and emerging creators.

◼️ About URBAN COMPLEX Corp.

URBAN BREAK & TOY CON SEOUL 2026 was held from July 30 to August 2, 2026, at COEX Hall D in Seoul. The four-day event featured approximately 355 artists from 15 countries, including about 40 artists from guest-of-honor country Japan and 25 from invited country Indonesia. TOY CON SEOUL brought together 126 artists from 10 countries and 29 creative brands. The event was hosted and organized by the URBAN BREAK Organizing Committee and URBAN COMPLEX Corp., with support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Science and ICT, Arts Council Korea and the Korea Arts Management Service.

Dojune Lee
URBAN COMPLEX Corp.
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