Traveling to World Youth Day with Encore Tours gives choirs, bands, and ensembles the chance to experience this global gathering through culture, faith, and music. With over 25 years of experience delivering exceptional concert tours, Encore designs performance-focused journeys that balance full participation in World Youth Day events with meaningful opportunities for musical exchange. The next gathering is in Seoul, South Korea, August 3 to 8, 2027. Will you join us? Why Choose Encore For more than 25 years, Encore Tours has partnered with music educators, conductors, and community leaders to deliver exceptional concert tours around the world. We excel at creating meaningful, culturally immersive experiences, with the flexibility, safety infrastructure, and commitment to excellence you deserve. “Catholics are the original pilgrims; so, travel to us is second nature. Nothing is foreign to us. Everything is wonder. There is no other company that can tap into our universal culture and heritage like Encore.” –Mike R., Encore Group Leader Planning Ease A dedicated Encore Performance Travel Specialist will guide you through the process and provide tools to make planning organized, efficient, and fun. Customization and Flexibility No Encore tour is exactly alike. We work with directors to shape the experience around your ensemble, your goals, and your community. 24/7 Network Support Unpleasant surprises can happen on even the best planned trips, such as illness, lost passports, or flight cancellations. Our culture of care and 24/7 service network helps fix things fast. Centrally Located Hotels You’ll stay in the heart of the action, saving you hours in commuting time, and enjoy the comfort of three or four star hotels with twin rooms for participants and a single room for the director or group leader. Local, Authentic Meals Travel rule: don’t underestimate the importance of food to young travelers. With Encore, expect large, delicious meals with the right mix of authentic and familiar. Top Tier Tour Managers Encore Tour Managers are experienced professionals who understand the unique needs of performing ensembles and ensure your tour runs smoothly from planning through performance. Most Inclusions From the World Youth Day registration fee and exceptional excursions to all tips and basic protection coverage, it’s included. See the full list of what’s included. Fundraising Support Participants can take advantage of Encore’s fundraising resources to help make the tour more accessible for your community. Director Benefits Explore director benefits and learn about Prelude, Encore’s global conference designed to inspire, connect, and support ensemble leaders. There are certain life experiences that can open the eyes and hearts of young people in a way they could never experience at home. Going on a religious pilgrimage can have that impact. Taylor B. World Youth Day Group Leader Traveling to World Youth Day deepened my faith in a way I did not expect. Bryce F. Student, World Youth Day Lisbon 2023 and Jubilee for Youth Rome 2025 What sets Encore apart is their attention to detail and their willingness to customize the experience so our group can participate fully in World Youth Day while also pursuing meaningful musical goals. Taylor B. Group Leader Sharing Music Beyond World Youth Day For ensembles traveling with Encore Tours, World Youth Day is part of a larger cultural and musical journey. In addition to participating fully in WYD events, groups may have the opportunity to share music in venues selected for their acoustics, setting, and connection to the local community in Seoul and beyond, including sacred spaces with strong choral traditions, university and conservatory venues, and cultural or civic settings that welcome musical exchange. All performance opportunities are thoughtfully coordinated to complement, not compete with, the official World Youth Day program. Band Choir Orchestra Seoul Arts Center Seoul The Seoul Arts Center in the Seocho district is one of the most prominent cultural complexes in the country, offering a wide range of performance and exhibition spaces. Its Opera House features the grand 2,305-seat Opera Theater, the 710-seat CJ Towol Theater, and the adaptable Jayu Theater. The Music Hall includes a 2,505-seat Concert Hall designed for orchestral performances and a smaller 354-seat Recital Hall for soloists and chamber music. Additional venues like the IBK Chamber Hall and Inchoon Art Hall provide more intimate settings. The center also hosts the Hangaram Art Museum, Hangaram Design Museum, and Seoul Calligraphy Art Museum, along with outdoor stages and gathering spaces. Band Choir Orchestra Ewha University Concert Hall Seoul Ewha Womans University in Seoul offers several venues suitable for choral performances. The Welch-Ryang Auditorium, with a seating capacity of 2,800, has hosted numerous concerts and events. Additionally, the Samsung Art Hall, located within the Ewha Campus Complex, provides a modern setting for performances. These venues are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, making them suitable for a wide range of choral events. Band Choir Orchestra Lotte Concert Hall Seoul Lotte Concert Hall, located in Seoul’s Lotte World Mall, is a state-of-the-art venue designed with classical and choral music in mind. Featuring vineyard-style seating for over 2,000 and an impressive 5,000-pipe organ, the hall offers superb acoustics and clear sightlines. Its adjustable acoustic features make it especially well-suited for a wide range of choral performances in a professional and visually striking setting. Choir Yedarm Church Seoul Yedarm Church, located in Seoul’s Seongbuk District, offers a beautiful and acoustically rich setting that is well-suited for choral performances. Known for its warm atmosphere and supportive audience environment, it has hosted ensembles such as the Camarata Chorale and Orchestra, which have performed major works including Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and Beethoven’s Mass in C Major. The church’s layout and acoustics make it an inviting venue for choirs seeking a meaningful performance experience in Korea. Band Choir Orchestra Gimhae Arts and Sports Center Gimhae The Gimhae Arts and Sports Center is a premier cultural complex in Gimhae, South Korea, featuring a range of performance and exhibition venues. Its main auditorium, Maru Hall, is a 1,464-seat multi-purpose theater equipped with a movable orchestra shell and sound reflection board, suitable for diverse performances. Nuri Hall, with 540 seats, serves as an experimental black box theater for various thematic performances. The center also includes Aedureum Madang, an outdoor theater with a capacity of 500 seats, and the Yunseul Art Gallery, which offers flexible exhibition spaces. Additional facilities encompass a media center, sports center, Aram Learning Center, café, and restaurants. Show All 7 Venues Show Less Band Choir Orchestra Haeundae Cultural Center Busan Haeundae Cultural Center, located in Busan’s Haeundae District, is a versatile performance venue offering a modern, well-equipped setting ideal for choral concerts. Its main hall seats nearly 500 and is complemented by additional rehearsal and performance spaces, making it suitable for both large and small vocal ensembles. With excellent acoustics and a reputation for hosting a wide range of cultural events, the center provides a welcoming and professional environment for choirs performing in one of Korea’s most vibrant coastal cities. Band Choir Orchestra Tongyeong Cultural Foundation Tongyeong The Tongyeong Cultural Foundation, located in South Korea’s coastal city of Tongyeong, manages the modern Tongyeong Concert Hall, a venue known for its excellent acoustics and suitability for choral performances. Each year, the foundation hosts the Tongyeong International Music Festival, attracting global talent and reinforcing the city’s status as a UNESCO Creative City of Music. Spotlight Trip Stages of Seoul and Beyond Korea / Seoul / Gimcheon / Busan Stages of Seoul and Beyond invites your ensemble on a dynamic musical journey through South Korea, where ancient serenity and cutting-edge culture exist side by side. From temple stays and tomb tours to cable cars and K-pop workshops, this performance tour combines meaningful musical exchange with immersive local discovery. With guaranteed audiences, curated cultural experiences, and seamless travel across four major cities, it’s an inspiring way to connect through music and explore Korea’s complex, captivating identity. Sample Itinerary Where Faith, Culture, and Music Meet Encore designs World Youth Day performance tours that place music at the heart of a global cultural and faith experience. By thoughtfully balancing participation in World Youth Day with opportunities for musical exchange, Encore allows ensembles to engage with sacred spaces, local communities, and fellow musicians in meaningful ways. Every tour is shaped to support the ensemble’s musical goals while honoring the spiritual significance of the journey, creating an experience where faith is expressed through culture and music becomes a shared language. This approach shapes everything from the venues we select to how performances are integrated into the broader World Youth Day experience. World Youth Day 2027 Performance Tour Itinerary Seoul’s dynamic blend of modern culture and ancient history provides the perfect backdrop for the transformative experience of World Youth Day Seoul 2027. You’ll get a taste of the city’s historical highlights during sightseeing, and a taste of its culinary delights with authentic dinners at local restaurants each evening. Daily participation in World Youth Day events allows your group to experience the impact of celebrating faith and culture with young Catholics from around the world through music, prayer, friendship, and interpersonal exchange. Consider this itinerary a starting point. Request a custom proposal and we’ll help you explore extensions and performance opportunities that fit your ensemble. Request a Custom Quote Frequently Asked Questions What does the tour include? Round trip flights, airport transfers, and all surface transport Full time Encore Tour Manager plus all tipping Three or four star centrally located hotels with twin rooms Daily breakfasts and dinners showcasing authentic Korean cuisine Basic Protection Plan coverage plus options for upgraded protection 24/7 global emergency support network Sightseeing of Seoul highlights, such as Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village World Youth Day registration fee Arrangements for World Youth Day events, such as Youth Festival activities, Papal welcoming ceremonies, the Via Crucis, evening prayer vigil, and more Do I need to have a group? Encore works with groups, including school ensembles, parish and diocesan choirs, and community music programs. If you are still building interest, we can help you think through the best path forward. Can my group extend their trip? Yes. Every Encore tour is custom. We’d be happy to help you add sightseeing, cultural experiences, or additional performance opportunities in Seoul or elsewhere in Korea. Shouldn’t I travel with a Catholic company? Encore has long partnered with Catholic schools, parishes, and faith communities, and we understand the spiritual dimension of performance travel. We also have extensive experience arranging performances in sacred spaces, including churches and cathedrals. If your ensemble is exploring faith centered performance travel, you may also like our Vatican performance tours and our guide to top pilgrimage destinations for Catholic choirs. How many chaperones can I bring? Can my Priest go? We will work with you to find the right pricing model for your group. Typically, we recommend one complimentary spot for every 10 traveling participants. Many groups use those complimentary spots for chaperones and spiritual leaders. How is a World Youth Day tour different than a typical Encore tour? Encore delivers the same high standard of planning and on tour support we’re known for, with the added structure of World Youth Day programming. Your tour includes World Youth Day registration and coordinated participation in official events, and it may also incorporate performance and exchange opportunities that complement the WYD schedule, based on your ensemble type and goals. Non-Performing Travel with ACIS For Catholic school groups, parish youth groups, and other non-music travelers, ACIS Educational Tours offers a World Youth Day experience designed around pilgrimage, faith formation, and cultural discovery. With decades of experience working with Catholic communities, ACIS supports groups who want to participate fully in World Youth Day without a performance component. Explore All of Your Options