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“Something we can nurture and grow responsibly”: Wonderfruit expands with Open Fields & Kyoto chapter

Stretching beyond 5 days & Thailand, Music Director Phuong Le explains how the expansion sharpens the festival’s curatorial focus

  • Words: Amira Waworuntu | Images: Wonderfruit
  • 26 February 2026
“Something we can nurture and grow responsibly”: Wonderfruit expands with Open Fields & Kyoto chapter

Wonderfruit has confirmed new dates for its 11th edition, set to take place from December 3–7, 2026.

In addition, the festival has also announced that it has expanded its programming beyond the flagship five-day gathering, introducing a series of activations across The Fields and also internationally.

Central to this evolution is Open Fields, which will see The Fields open for several months outside the main festival period. Running from December 2026 through January 2027, the programme begins with Wonderfruit itself on December 3–7, followed by Camp Wonder on December 18–23, Field.D* on December 20, closing with Din Daen on January 29–31, 2027.

The festival's Music Director, Phuong Le, explains to Mixmag Asia: “Open Fields was born from something very simple. Our home—The Fields—is a place that we have cultivated and cared for over the years.”

She adds, “Beyond Wonderfruit, our home will open for a few months. Amongst our forests, farms, art installations and multi-purpose spaces we will host different cultural expressions and experiences. Some may be smaller in scale or focus on different facets of Mind, Nature and Sound, yet still rooted in the same intention and ethos.”

While the calendar is expanding, the December event remains the focal point. “Wonderfruit remains the convergence. The gatherings allow us to deepen,” says Le.

Read this next: A Decade of Wonder: rites of passage only Wonderfruit can give you

Each activation will take a distinct curatorial approach. Field.D* is described as “an evening of open discovery for the sonically curious,” that converges around the living amphitheatre, Creature Stage, while Camp Wonder focuses on families and children and is highlighted as “an exploration of play and presence rooted in Buddhist teachings”.

Din Daen is conceived as a modern village grounded in Thai medicine and folk wisdom; “A retreat intended to share traditional, local knowledge in a way that enriches daily life.”

Le explains: “In this way, curation becomes more focused and contextual. We seek opportunities to discover new music, sounds and voices free from prescriptive lenses, approaching sound as a collaboration between people and place rather than quick stimulation.”

Read this next: 70 analogue shots of Wonderfruit 2022

Internationally, the festival will expand through Wonderfruit Chapters: Kyoto, extending the festival to Japan.

Le pointed to shared values between the two countries. “There is a shared sensibility, a respect for nature, ritual, sound and community,” she said, adding that “This collaboration feels less like expansion and more like exchange. Japan has come to The Fields; now we come to Japan.”

She also underlines how the Japan addition reflects long-standing creative exchanges, noting: “Our intention is not for this to be a one-off, but the beginning of something we can nurture and grow responsibly. Growth for us is not about scale. It is about cultivating ecosystems that are in dialogue with their local communities and natural rhythms.”

The Tokyo chapter will be positioned as an intimate, culturally rooted gathering that connects local traditions with Wonderfruit’s existing community.

For more updates, head to Wonderfruit’s official site here.

Amira Waworuntu is Mixmag Asia’s Managing Editor, follow her on Instagram.

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