2025 Korea travel Must-watch Nanta Show in Hongdae, Myeongdong and Jeju
During the Lunar New Year holiday, I travelled to Jeju with my family and watched the Nanta Show, a performance that has captivated audiences both in Korea and internationally since 1997.
This show truly caters to all ages! From my parents in their 60s to my nieces and nephews in their teens, everyone was thoroughly entertained and couldn’t stop raving about the experience.
What impressed me the most was how effortlessly the performers connected with the audience, even without using any spoken language. Through expressive body language, energetic dance moves, and rhythmic music, they kept everyone engaged from start to finish.
Not a single moment felt dull, thanks to the high level of audience interaction. The performers’ ability to make the audience feel like they were part of the show made the experience even more enjoyable.
Halfway through the performance, I realized why the Nanta Show has been running successfully for over 20 years and has even toured in many countries.
It’s universal humour and timeless charm lie in the actors’ incredible expressiveness, hilarious body language, and impressive acrobatic moves. Not to mention, they creatively use kitchen utensils as musical instruments, adding a unique twist to the performance.
I highly recommend it! Whether you’re young or old, language is no barrier to enjoying this masterpiece. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s definitely worth experiencing firsthand!
Nanta’s Storyline
The story is simple, a restaurant manager brings his little mischievous nephew and makes him a part of the NANTA family, which consists of 3 chefs, the funny head chef, an attractive female chef, and a hunky guy. The manager orders the chefs to prepare dishes for an unexpected wedding reception. They have till 6 o’clock to finish, with all the kitchen drama and playful games, can they complete the preparation on time?
Best Parts:
Interaction with the audience and getting up on stage: They sometimes let the audience join in on all the fun, and because we had great seats, the nephew chef pulled the kids in front of us up on stage for a dumpling-making challenge—which was absolutely hilarious!
Two teams were racing to finish first. Unfortunately, the kid’s team lost, but they still got to pick up a photo as a souvenir to remember the experience after the show.
Tip: If you want a chance to be on stage, make sure to get good seats!
Comical moments: Without spoiling too much, I really want to say that the comical moments were personally my favourite. They have a very creative and skilful way to make the audience laugh. You will get to see funny facial expressions, teasing among the actors and them making a fool out of the audience.
Drumming and acrobatic skills: This surprised me the most. I did not expect them to perform so well. They made music using knives and other kitchen utensils! And they showed some fighting, throwing dishes and some dancing!
Show Details
Locations: Hongdae Nanta Theater / Myeongdong Nanta Theater / Jeju Nanta Theater
Showtime: 1 hour 40 min
Fun fact: This is Korea’s longest-running show in a theatre. Nanta combines the rhythms from Korean folk songs with modern music, creating a non-verbal performance that’s accessible to an international audience.
BOOK the Nanta show in HONGDAE here
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