Mass games or mass gymnastics are a form of performing arts or gymnastics in which large numbers of performers take part in a highly regimented performance that emphasizes group dynamics rather than individual prowess.

Mass games are now performed only in the Rungrado May Day Stadium but in the '90s there were mass games held at the Kim Il-sung Stadium and in the Pyongyang Gymnasium. Mass Games may be described as a synchronized socialist-realist spectacular. They typically feature over 100,000 participants in a 90-minute display of gymnastics, dance, acrobatics, and dramatic performance, accompanied by music and other effects, all wrapped in a highly politicized package.

According to Kim Jong-il, the philosophy behind the events was that:

Developing mass gymnastics is important in training schoolchildren to be fully developed communist people. To be a fully developed communist man, one must acquire a revolutionary ideology, the knowledge of many fields, rich cultural attainments and a healthy and strong physique. These are the basic qualities required of a man of the communist type. Mass gymnastics play an important role in training schoolchildren to acquire these communist qualities. Mass gymnastics foster particularly healthy and strong physiques, a high degree of organization, discipline and collectivism in schoolchildren. The schoolchildren, conscious that a single slip in their action may spoil their mass gymnastic performance, make every effort to subordinate all their thoughts and actions to the collective.

— Kim Jong-il, On Further Developing Mass Gymnastics: Talk to mass Gymnastics Producers. April 11th 1987^[1]

Mass gymnastics exhibit the North Korean idea of "ilsim-dangyeol" (single-minded unity), as well as nationalism.^[2][3]

Today, mass games are annually performed in North Korea, where they take place to celebrate national holidays such as the birthdays of former rulers Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. In recent years, they have been the main attraction of the Arirang Festival in Pyongyang. The 2004 documentary film by VeryMuchSo Productions and Koryo Tours A State of Mind details the training of two young girls from Pyongyang who perform in the mass games.

Arirang mass games were first performed in 2002 in Pyongyang's May Day Stadium and have been held every year since – between August and October and on one occasion in Spring. The show was on 4 times a week. Tourists from all over the World were welcomed to the DPRK during Mass Games.

Sokol is a Czech gymnastics organization which runs mass games called Slet [cs] for Eastern European youth. The word slet means 'a gathering of falcons'.^[6] The first Sokol slet was held in 1882 in Prague to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Sokol organization.^[7] Since 1994 slets have been held every six years.

The opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games may also be viewed as instances of mass games.^{[by whom?]}

• Turners
• A State of Mind – UK produced, award winning documentary by Koryo Tours and VeryMuchSo productions in 2002, about child gymnasts in training for the Mass Games
• Government-organized demonstration
• Propaganda in North Korea
• Spartakiad (Czechoslovakia)
• World Gymnaestrada