The festival, which brings together more than 2,900 artistes, officials and working people of 40-odd groups selected from each region and unit, is to be held in the forms of provincial performances and performances by art groups from ministries and national institutions.

The opening ceremony took place at the East Pyongyang Grand Theatre on Friday.

Present there were Ri Il Hwan, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Ri Song Hak, vice-premier of the Cabinet, officials concerned and the participants in the festival.

In his opening address, Sung Jong Gyu, minister of Culture and chairman of the festival organizing committee, said that the festival is an all-people grand political art festival peculiar to Juche Korea where the participants will represent through dances and songs the people's invariable, wholehearted loyalty to Chairman Kim Jong Il and their firm faith and revolutionary will to hasten a new victory of socialist construction under the guidance of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un.

The speaker expressed the belief that all the participants would actively contribute to revving up the festive mood of the auspicious February holiday and making the whole society burn with enthusiasm for the revolution and struggle by singing loudly of the immortal revolutionary feats of the Chairman and fully displaying the ideological and spiritual qualities of the revolutionary people and the artistic abilities.

The flag of the festival was hoisted amid the playing of the song "Shine, Jong Il Peak".

Then followed an opening performance.