In an era of rapid change, finding safe spaces to spend quality time with loved ones is crucial. The 5th BICT Fest, Bangkok's International Theatre Festival for Children and Youth, returns grandly to celebrate its 10th anniversary.
It invites everyone to come together with the theme Play Attention: Look Who’s Growing Up! This festival is not just for children; it welcomes audiences of all ages to rediscover the power of play, letting performing arts guide us to new discoveries and shared growth every day.
This year’s festival spans 10 full days from 21 to 30 August 2026, centered at One Bangkok, which offers its urban garden as the festival hub, alongside the Goethe-Institut Thailand and the Sod Sai Panthumkomol Theatre Arts Center at Chulalongkorn University. It will showcase 11 performances by artists from nine countries: South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Belgium, France, the UK, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand.
Unmissable highlights designed for all ages include IYKYK, an innovative interactive show by Thailand’s DuckUnit where audiences ride golf carts to experience light and shadow art in a parking lot; Plock!, a contemporary circus from Belgium inspired by the works of artist Jackson Pollock; and Frolic, a contemporary dance from the UK that integrates performers with and without disabilities.
For families with very young children, Kaow Kome is recommended—a theatre piece for ages 3 to 24 months created through Thai-Japanese collaboration that tells stories of connection through rice culture. The festival concludes with (TBC), an interactive playground built from recycled materials by the Mirror Foundation and co-created by artists from Singapore and Taiwan to give new life to used objects.
Beyond these highlights, there will be indoor and outdoor shows, six artist-led workshops, and post-performance discussion panels. The lineup includes five ticketed performances and six free shows.
Art lovers wishing to support opportunities for children from diverse social backgrounds can join the BICT TOGETHER campaign. This includes BICT TO GIVE tickets priced at 2,000 baht each to fund attendance for underprivileged children, and BICT TO GROW donations ranging from 100 to 10,000 baht to help sustain the festival team and activities.
Interested individuals can check the full program at the bictfest website. Let’s build an artistic community together and share smiles through play.