By Roseline Gao
KAOHSIUNG — Pier-2 Art Center (駁二藝術特區) will offer a free five-band concert Sunday, while two exhibitions featuring original Kaohsiung monsters and major anime franchises enter their final weekend.
The Kaohsiung Youth concert (2026高速青春音樂展演) will take place Sept. 27 at LIVE WAREHOUSE in the Dayi area. Doors open at 3:20 p.m., with performances beginning at 3:40 p.m. Admission is free. The event closes the city’s first International Youth Month.
The lineup includes Shallow Levée (淺堤), a Kaohsiung indie-rock band that has played the Megaport Festival, and Sunset Samurai (夕陽武士), which performs rock music in Taiwanese. Punk band punkhoo (胖虎) will also perform. Two newer groups developed through a Kaohsiung City Youth Bureau (高雄市政府青年局) training program will premiere original songs. Details and the full schedule are available on the bureau’s event page.
Visitors can also catch two exhibitions before they close Monday, Sept. 28. One features monsters created from Kaohsiung’s industrial and waterfront landscape, while the other brings characters from several major anime franchises together in collectible-figure displays.
UNIDENTIFIED — Field Reports From Pier-2 (怪獸風景) presents original creatures inspired by landmarks including the Great Harbor Bridge (大港橋) and Hamasen Railway Cultural Park (哈瑪星鐵道園區). Japanese artist Shinji Nishikawa (西川伸司), who has worked on Godzilla productions since 1989 and contributed to the Ultraman series, created TAIKANG (大港獸), a mechanical guardian assembled by smaller creatures near the bridge. Taiwanese steampunk artist KCN (氫酸鉀) created TAMA (玉獸), a two-headed guardian connected to the railway park.
The exhibition is at the C7 warehouse in the Dayi area and is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the holiday. Entry is included with a purchase from the exhibition shop, including its NT$50 sticker. More information is available on the Pier-2 website.
TAMASHII EXHIBITION 2026, meanwhile, displays collectible figures from One Piece, Gundam, Dragon Ball, Demon Slayer and Saint Seiya. A Gear 5 Luffy statue is appearing in Taiwan for the first time, according to organizers. The free exhibition is at the B3 warehouse in the Penglai area and is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with last entry at 6:40 p.m. Details are available on the Pier-2 website and the organizer’s official Facebook page.
Public transportation is recommended because parking around Pier-2 is limited during holiday periods. C12 Dayi Pier-2 Station (駁二大義) is closest to the concert and monster exhibition, while C13 Penglai Pier-2 Station (駁二蓬萊) is closest to the figure exhibition. All three venues are within walking distance of one another.
