An indoor sports festival combining running, fitness, performances, Seon meditation and temple cuisine will be held this winter at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi province. KINTEX said on the 1st that it would host the hybrid sports festival BEATEMPO KOREA 2026 X F45 for the first time with global fitness brand F45 KOREA. The event will run for three days, from 25 to 27 December, in Halls 7 and 8 of KINTEX Exhibition Centre 2.
2,200,000 sq m indoor venue to host hybrid sports MICE event
The event will cover approximately 22,000㎡. KINTEX described it as Korea's first hybrid sports MICE event to combine sports content with experiences, exhibitions and performances. Its organisers are highlighting the fact that the indoor exhibition venue will allow running and exercise programmes to go ahead without being affected by winter weather or temperatures. The Report said Halls 7 and 8, as well as meeting rooms, would be used as event spaces.
The name BEATEMPO combines the words BEAT and TEMPO. The programme consists of four exercise formats that add EDM music and lighting to workouts.
Exercise programme moves from functional training and indoor running to night-time performances
BEATEMPO 180 x PEAK 500 is a 45-minute functional training programme. Participants can compete individually, in pairs or in relay teams, and the organisers say it has been designed to burn up to 800kcal.
BEATEMPO 150 RUN will feature 5㎞ and 10㎞ indoor running races. A night fun run combining music and lighting will also be held. The night-time programme ANTIDOTE will feature artist performances and community gatherings. F45's Pilates programme, FS8, will also run throughout the event.
BEATEMPO 110 BREATHE with the Jogye Order's Seon Meditation Central Headquarters
The programme attracting attention in the meditation and wellness category is BEATEMPO 110 BREATHE. This Seon meditation wellness programme, organised with the Jogye Order's Seon Meditation Central Headquarters, has been designed to help participants recover after exercise. It comprises food therapy, breath meditation, sound meditation and yoga.
Functional training, running, performances and Seon meditation will form the event's four main programme strands. The organisers plan to address physical recovery and mental rest together by scheduling meditation focused on breathing and sound after strenuous exercise. Detailed schedules for each programme have not yet been released.
Sunim Seonjae and Sunim Jeong Kwan to take part in temple-food therapy
Temple-food masters Sunim Seonjae and Sunim Jeong Kwan will take part in the food-therapy programme. Sunim Seonjae became known to the public through Netflix's Culinary Class Wars, while Sunim Jeong Kwan appeared on Netflix's Chef's Table. The two monks are set to present a programme combining food, meditation and wellness.
The exhibition centre will also feature a Buddhist goods pop-up zone showcasing Buddhist cultural products.
Recovery wellness zone to feature spa buses and ice plunges
A separate space will be created for recovery. The recovery wellness zone will offer spa buses, ice plunges and massage programmes. An F&B zone sponsored by Coca-Cola and photo zones with a range of concepts will also be available.
Participants will receive welcome kits and prizes. Sponsors include Coca-Cola, Bose Korea, Fila Korea, Neoldam, Ganong Bio, Balboa Kitchen, Sweat Ape and Araum. The first 100 running participants to arrive at the venue will be able to try Fila Korea running shoes and Bose Korea's new earbuds.
KINTEX plans to develop event into its own content IP
KINTEX plans to develop the event into its own content IP rather than treat it as a one-off event. It aims to expand the role of its exhibition venues beyond hosting exhibitions and trade fairs, turning them into spaces for sports, cultural and wellness content.
Lee Min-woo, chief executive of KINTEX, said BEATEMPO KOREA was “an example of KINTEX moving forward as a platform connecting industry, local communities and lifestyles”. He also said the company planned to work with global brands to secure differentiated content IP and develop it into a sustainable growth model that would benefit the local economy.
Tickets will go on sale at 8pm on 6 October through CJ OnStyle's mobile live-commerce platform. Prices and participation requirements for each programme are available on the event's official website.