The Forest Festival of the Arts Okayama: Clear-skies Country will return in 2027 with a second wave of artists now confirmed. The festival has announced 12 more participants from eight countries, including Julian Charriere, Junya Ishigami and Adrian Villar Rojas, all appearing at the festival for the first time. Together with the names announced earlier, 20 artists from 11 countries are now confirmed, with works to be shown at 22 venues across seven municipalities in northern Okayama Prefecture, 11 of them used for the first time.

The 2027 edition, running from 18 September to 23 November, is guided by the concept 'Protopia — A Becoming Forest', which treats the forest as an evolving entity moving towards a future a little better than today. Under artistic director Yuko Hasegawa, the festival links that vision to the idea of social common capital, seeking new forms of exchange across technology, agriculture, welfare and education. The main visual for the edition features Brazilian artist Luiz Zerbini's Abrico de macaco 10 (2023), and a specially designed train by Mika Ninagawa with EiM has been running since October, with the project set to develop further before the festival opens.

Building on the festival's inaugural edition in 2024, the 2027 programme brings contemporary art into dialogue with the region's natural environments, cultural heritage and local communities. Further artists, venues and projects will be announced in the coming months as the festival fills out a roster that already spans Azerbaijan, India, Brazil, Argentina, New Zealand, Japan, Rwanda, Switzerland, Thailand and the Philippines.