There's a global event to do absolutely nothing, and it's intense. What you didn't know about Space-Out competition
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "There's a global event to do absolutely nothing, and it's intense. What you didn't know about Space-Out competition")
A Space-Out competition in Australia, and the 'Thinking Man' trophy. Courtesy: spaceoutcompetition.com Photograph: (Others)
Launched in 2014 in Seoul, South Korea, by visual artist Woopsyang, Space-Out challenges participants to sit still, stay quiet, and unplug from everything for one and a half hours. In today's world of short attention spans, it is near-impossible
Did you know that there is a global competition to do absolutely nothing? It's called Space-Out, and it's been around for a decade now. The race is getting tougher by the year. Here is what you probably didn't know about the Space-Out competition.
Why is there a competition to do absolutely nothing? What you should know about Space-Out
Space-Out Competition is flipping the script by rewarding people for literally doing nothing. In a world of hustle culture, zoning out is the name of the game. To be precise, you have to spend 90 minutes doing nothing.
Launched in 2014 in Seoul, South Korea, by visual artist Woopsyang, Space-Out challenges participants to sit still, stay quiet, and unplug from everything for one and a half hours. In today's world of short attention spans, it is near-impossible: No talking, no laughing, no phones, and no naps.
The measure of success? Pure, uninterrupted idleness in front of an eagerly watching crowd. The goal is to achieve a meditative state to the level that even the heartbeat slows down.
The Space-out competitions are anti-stress spectacles
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Since its debut in South Korea, franchisee Space-Out events have been held in Tokyo, Rotterdam, Hong Kong and Melbourne, bringing together an eclectic mix of creative types, professionals, and the chronically overworked crowds.
The Art of 'Spacing Out': How to compete
The events are held in public spaces. In the competition, which resembles a flash mob in slow motion, contestants sit on mats in quirky outfits, creating a human still life among a sea of onlookers.
They can take water, use a fan or even a massage by signalling through coloured cards.
But they cannot smile or doze off.
Space-out competition: How the winners are selected
The winner of the Space-Out competition is selected based on heart rate stability and audience votes. The heart rate is monitored every 15 minutes, with a smooth and steady pulse showing that the contestant is truly relaxed.
Audience votes consider who spaced out with the most flair, costume, or relatable story.
Who won the 2025 Space-Out events?
This year's event in Seoul was held on May 11. Punk rock group Pogo Attack took first prize at the Hangang Space-Out, while second place went to YouTube content creators Inssa Family.
A special mention went to a group of soldiers unwinding on leave. More than 4,500 teams applied, and the event had a 57-to-1 competition ratio.
A Space-Out event at the RISING Festival in Melbourne, Australia, was held on June 9. Amelia Lumley, aka 'Fountain Lady', who dressed in a costume complete with trickling water sounds to distract others, won the competition.
In 2024, Denis Kwan Hong-Wang, an educational psychologist from Hong Kong, took the global Space-Out competition title by holding steady in a noisy shopping mall. In 2025, he went to Seoul to present trophies at this year's main event.
What is the prize of the Space-Out competition?
There is no entry fee. The rules are simple, and the expectation is silence and stillness. The trophy is modelled after ‘The Thinker’ sculpture, in a Korean hat.
The Space-Out Competition is a parody, protest and art installation in equal measures.
It is a performance art piece with a message: in a world running at full speed, maybe the bravest thing you can do is to just stop and breathe slowly.
So, are you good at doing nothing? Maybe you should be at a Space-Out
It might sound easy, but doing nothing for 90 minutes really takes some hard work. If you are overworked, burned out and want to really try doing nothing for a change, this might be your sport to try.
Who knows, you might be next year's champion of chillout.
