Yaochang, Touzen – This evening the eighth edition of GlobeFest™ opened to critical acclaim in Yaochang during a three hour spectacle which left crowds on their feet and TV audiences gripped. With rehearsals delayed and concerns mounting over the past two weeks as to the ability of the Touzen state broadcaster, TOK, to deliver both the venue and production by the show’s opening, all such criticisms have been put to rest following a launch ceremony dubbed by many as “the best ever”. The host city is thought to have spent some 3,ooo,ooo¥ on today’s show alone – with an audience size of 36,000 seated in the Doyang International Indoor Centre in downtown Yaochang throughout the ceremony, which led straight into the show’s first night of competition.
Kim Lee Cheong directed the three hour production with music composed specially by duo Ban Park Mihn and Chee Yung Shi. 2,500 dancers and performers took the audience through ‘a journey of music’ – the theme of this year’s edition – narrated by famous Touzen actor and writer Yee Hahm Tark culminating in ‘A New Life’, a spectacular musical performance specially commissioned for the opening.
Yaochang was selected as the host city for the 2018 edition in 2014 – beating off competition from the Republica del Sur, the favourites and expected winners of the nine month long bid process. Taking over hosting duties from last year’s host Thionville in Belmonté, the Executive Director of the Yaochang Organising Committee is also Kim Lee Cheong, who directed tonight’s show, and who will also direct the final next Friday. Despite concerns over the show’s organisation, TOK resisted calls for the show to be moved to the country’s capital Almintora but brought in veterans of previous productions to help speed up preparations – including Luca Ford, who worked on last years show and the 2015 edition held in Concord, Karolina. It is thought Ford, brother of current World Media Commission Administrator, Liza Ford, made significant changes to the launch ceremony and is rumoured to have influenced the running order of the four group stage competitions taking place over the next three days.
Results from tonight’s competition that took place directly after the launch ceremony including favourites Erlangen-Ansbach, are due to be announced within the next few hours at a follow up results show hosted live from the arena. The new format for the show will see live broadcasts every night over the next eight days – with the winner due to be announced next Saturday night at an all-star finale presented by Choe Bahk Choi.
With more than 200,000 visitors expected to Yaochang in the coming few days, the city is on a high security alert – with competitors and delegations housed in a special secure village not far from the arena. The Doyang Centre is one of the largest venues to play host to the competition since 2013 when Yujin hosted in its capital city of Zhenjing. 46 competing nations are in Yaochang – the highest number for several years.
