CAMPUS FESTIVAL INTERVIEW
Our Memorable Aoreum Festival, and the Stories Behind It
The People Who Made the Aoreum Festival Happen Behind the Scenes

The 2026 Aoreum Festival, “CELESTE,” has successfully come to a close.

Even so, it still feels as though the laughter of students and the music from the stage can be heard in the distance. The stage lights have gone out, and the music that once filled the campus has faded away. Yet the memories of the festival remain vivid.

Photos taken with friends, the time spent waiting in front of booths, and the cheers that erupted as performances began—these moments continue to linger. Behind every one of them were people who spent months planning, coordinating, and working tirelessly on-site.

They were the members of The Catholic University of Korea’s 2026 Aoreum Festival Planning Committee.

• The Festival Began in the Meeting Room

At the first seminar held in preparation for the festival, booth and vendor locations were assigned for participating clubs, departments, and student vendors.

Working closely with participating organizations, the Festival Planning Committee reviewed booth placements and campus traffic flow, establishing the festival's overall layout so that students could comfortably enjoy the various booths and vendors throughout the campus.

• The Second Review: One Seminar Was Not Enough

During the second seminar, information was shared regarding the operating schedules for food and beverage booths, the central stage program, entrance routes, and contingency plans in the event of rain.

More than simply a briefing session, it was an opportunity to align operational guidelines so that participating organizations and students could move together within a coordinated framework on the day of the festival.

• The Meetings Continued — For the Smallest Details

Even after the seminars, the Festival Planning Committee continued to meet regularly. During these meetings, members discussed a wide range of details, including booth operations, on-site traffic flow, stage management, promotional strategies, and safety measures.

Every aspect of the festival was carefully reviewed and coordinated to ensure that the event would run as smoothly as possible for everyone involved.

To make sure no detail was overlooked, the committee repeatedly exchanged ideas, made adjustments, and reviewed plans again and again.

With each discussion and revision, they were carefully shaping the upcoming 2026 Aoreum Festival into something even more memorable and meaningful.

• The Aoreum Festival in Full Swing — Even in the Rain

The plans carefully organized in the meeting room were soon put to the test on the festival grounds.

On the first day of the 2026 Aoreum Festival, CELESTE, heavy rain poured across the campus with no sign of stopping. Despite the challenging weather conditions, the Festival Planning Committee worked through each issue one by one, relying on the preparations and contingency plans they had established in advance.

In the areas where food and beverage booths and activity booths were gathered, event staff and members of the Festival Planning Committee continuously monitored the site.

During peak hours, they managed entrance routes and crowd flow, ensuring that students could move safely and comfortably throughout the festival grounds. In coordination with the central stage schedule, they also guided audience movement and provided on-site assistance to help the event run smoothly.

Students waiting for performances in raincoats, staff members preparing booths in the rain, and Festival Planning Committee members moving throughout the venue with radios in hand all became part of the festival's unforgettable scene.

Rather than dampening the atmosphere, the rain seemed to make the energy and enthusiasm of the festival even more apparent, highlighting the dedication of everyone who helped bring the event to life.

Behind the dazzling performances were people who continuously monitored the situation, solved problems as they arose, and kept the festival moving forward.

At the same time, the smiles of students who continued to enjoy the event despite the rain helped sustain the spirit of the Aoreum Festival until the very end.

• After the Rain, the Aoreum Festival Bloomed Once Again

Fortunately, the skies cleared the following day, and the festival grounds quickly regained their vibrant atmosphere. If the previous day's rain had brought uncertainty and tension, the next day was filled with relief, excitement, and renewed energy from those who had weathered it together.

Under clear blue skies, performances, booths, and food and beverage vendors carried on throughout the campus. Although it was the festival's final day, students embraced the event with the same excitement as if they were experiencing the first day of the festival, enjoying every moment across the campus with eager anticipation and enthusiasm.

Despite the challenge of torrential rain, the Aoreum Festival ultimately came to a successful close. It was not a festival that unfolded exactly as planned, but perhaps because of that, it became an event that revealed the dedication, effort, and care of even more people.

When the rain finally stopped, what remained was not only a rain-soaked athletic field. It was the faces of those who endured the challenges together and the determination of everyone who remained committed to the festival until the very end.

So how does the head of the Festival Planning Committee, who witnessed every moment of that journey up close, remember this year's Aoreum Festival?

• Relief That It Ended Safely, and a Sense of Pride That Followed

Kim Tae-ok (Department of Public Administration ’21), Head of the 2026 Aoreum Festival Planning Committee

"The very first thing that came to mind after the festival ended was relief that everything had concluded safely.

From the first day, heavy rain created a series of unexpected challenges on-site, and I found myself constantly on alert throughout the event. The weather meant that we had to move more quickly, check things more frequently, and adapt continuously to changing conditions. However, thanks to the dedication of our committee members and staff, who remained committed to their responsibilities until the very end, we were able to successfully complete the festival.

Although it was a demanding experience, those difficult moments have ultimately become a source of great pride now that the festival is over."

• The First Thing That Came to Mind Was Not the Rain, but the People Who Worked Together

"On the first day of the festival, my primary concern was not simply ensuring that the event ran smoothly.

At the same time that I hoped the festival would conclude successfully, I was also worried about the members of the Festival Planning Committee who remained on-site in the rain for hours. I kept wondering whether they might catch a cold or become exhausted from the demanding conditions.

When it rains, everything becomes a variable—the condition of the ground, crowd movement, entrance routes, and even the way booths operate. Because of this, we had to continuously monitor the site and make adjustments as needed. While we had discussed contingency plans for rainy weather during the preparation stage, the reality on-site required much faster decision-making and even greater attention to detail than we had anticipated."

• What Allowed the Festival to Continue

"The biggest reason the festival was able to continue without any major incidents was the sense of responsibility shown by every member of the Festival Planning Committee.

Even when the rain poured down relentlessly, there were committee members who moved on to their next tasks without even having time to dry their clothes. When the weather finally cleared and large crowds gathered across the campus, they could be seen carrying radios, moving throughout the venue, and monitoring student traffic flow to ensure everyone's safety and comfort.

The two-day festival was undoubtedly exhausting for everyone involved. Yet seeing committee members check on one another, ask if they were doing alright, and then continue their work gave me the strength to keep going as well.

I believe that the efforts taking place behind the scenes were just as important as the performances on stage in making this year's festival a success."

• The People Who Lit Up the Festival Away from the Spotlight

"I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the members of the Festival Planning Committee who prepared and carried out the festival together.

The Aoreum Festival was able to conclude safely because there were committee members who remained dedicated to their roles until the very end, especially during the rain-soaked first day.

To me, the true special artists of this year's festival were our committee members. Even if they were not standing in the spotlight, they were the people illuminating the festival from behind the scenes. Their ability to keep smiling through exhausting and difficult moments gave me the strength to continue as well.

• The 2026 Aoreum Festival Brought Us All Together

"To me, this year's Aoreum Festival will remain a cherished memory for years to come.

Having enjoyed the festival over the past five years, this was the experience that left the deepest impression on me and gave me the greatest sense of accomplishment. There was rain, there were unexpected challenges, and there were countless variables to overcome. Yet the festival was able to continue until the very end because there were people who faced those moments together.

In the end, I do not believe the Aoreum Festival was defined solely by the cheers heard from the stage. It was a festival made complete by the dedication of those who worked behind the scenes—people who ran from place to place, checked every detail, looked after one another, and quietly supported the event throughout its journey.

Their efforts, care, and commitment were just as much a part of the festival as the celebrations themselves."