Exhibition program for public and educational institutions… Held at BEXCO in Busan in August
The Busan Indie Connect Festival Organizing Committee (Organizing Committee Chairman Joo Seong-pil, hereinafter referred to as the BIC Organizing Committee) officially announced on March 12 that it is recruiting participating organizations for the non-competitive booth ‘Public Indie’ of the ‘Busan Indie Connect Festival 2026 (BIC Festival 2026)’.
The application period is open until Monday, June 29th, and any public institution, including public institutions and educational institutions related to game content, can apply. This year’s BIC Festival will be held offline from Friday, August 14th to Sunday, August 16th at Hall 2, Exhibition Center 1, BEXCO in Busan. The online festival will run from Friday, August 7th to Friday, August 28th via the BIC official website (bicfest.org).
Public Indie: A non-competitive exhibition space for public and educational institutions.
Public Indie is a non-competitive booth program operated by the BIC Festival. The BIC organizing committee, believing that “competitive booth setups based on capital can undermine the original purpose of exhibiting indie games,” discourages paid booths from general businesses. Instead, Public Indie’s core principle is to provide non-competitive booths only to public institutions (companies), such as public institutions and schools (academies, universities, etc.).
The Public Indie Booth is a multipurpose booth that goes beyond a simple exhibition space, serving as a venue for game content exhibitions, promotion, and networking. Key participants include local government agencies responsible for fostering the game content industry, public institutions operating indie game support programs, and educational institutions offering game development courses.
Participating organizations will be provided with various benefits, including integrated online and offline game exhibitions and customized promotional support , opportunities to be nominated for the BIC Festival Special Awards , and free passes that allow free entry the day before the event .
Joo Sung-pil, the BIC organizing committee chairman, said, “Public Indie is a meaningful place where public and educational institutions can expand their contact with the indie game ecosystem and publicize the achievements of their development both inside and outside the industry.” He added, “This year, we look forward to the participation of many organizations that share the same goal of spreading game culture.”
Applications require submission of relevant documentation proving the public nature of the event. For detailed program information and application inquiries, please contact the BIC official email address ( lee@bicfest.org / support@bicfest.org ).
BIC 2026 Schedule and Location
This year’s BIC Festival will be held one step further than last year’s (Hall 1, BEXCO Exhibition Center 1) by moving the exhibition space to Hall 2, BEXCO Exhibition Center 1.
| division | schedule | location |
|---|---|---|
| Offline festival | Friday, August 14th – Sunday, August 16th, 2026 | Busan BEXCO Exhibition Center 1, Hall 2 |
| Online Festival | Friday, August 7 – Friday, August 28, 2026 | bicfest.org |
The offline festival will be held on the first day, Friday, August 14th, as a business day, and general visitors can enter for free on the two festival days, Saturday, August 15th and Sunday, August 16th.
BIC, the leading domestic and international indie game festival
The Busan Indie Connect Festival (BIC) is a leading domestic and international indie game festival, first held at the Busan Cultural Contents Complex in 2015 and now in its 12th year. Hosted by the Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan IT Industry Promotion Agency, it is organized by the Busan Indie Connect Festival Organizing Committee.
Hundreds of indie games from Korea and abroad are showcased each year, and the event operates as a network festival where developers and gamers meet in person, experience the games, and exchange feedback. BIC 2025 showcased over 270 indie games from Korea and around the world. The developer roster consists of 40% Korean, 40% English-speaking, and 20% other developers, representing a global presence that accounts for over half. Admission is free.
The competition is divided into the General category and the Rookie category for emerging developers, while the non-competitive categories Connect Pick and Public Indie are also held. BIC winners often lead to titles that gain recognition in the domestic and international indie game markets, making it a crucial gateway for Korean indie game developers. A number of BIC alumni have achieved commercial and critical success, including The Dirtiest House, The Devil Within: Satgat, and No Players Online.
BIC 2026 sponsor recruitment is also underway.
The BIC organizing committee is simultaneously recruiting public indie applicants and official sponsors. Early sponsorship applications ran from January 22nd to March 9th, and general sponsorship applications are currently underway from March 10th to June 26th. Companies participating in sponsorships will be provided with various promotional and collaboration opportunities throughout the event.
For inquiries regarding BIC 2026 Public Indie and sponsorship, please contact ▲ Email : lee@bicfest.org / support@bicfest.org ▲ Phone : 070-8855-5058 ▲ Official website : bicfest.org.
