North Korea’s large-scale gymnastics and propaganda event known as the “mass games” will return for a third consecutive year in 2020, a North Korea tour company said Tuesday.

The event — as yet unnamed — will likely be held to coincide with two of North Korea’s most significant holidays, NK News learned, though it’s unclear when precisely the first performances will take place.

“The information we were given is that over October 10th [Party Foundation Day] it is happening, and it may start as early as August 15th [Liberation Day] to cover both of the major events of the year,” Simon Cockerell, general manager of the Koryo Tours company, said.

“This way of giving out somewhat vague information is characteristic though, the full information emerges incrementally all the time, but first step is to confirm it is happening, the general time period, then the specifics down the line,” he added.

Last year’s iteration of the games — known as the “Land of the People” — lasted four months, running from June 3 to October 15, though it was briefly put on hold during its first month following criticism of the performance by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

2019 was the second year in a row that North Korea had organized the mass games, following a five-year hiatus between 2013 and 2018.

Human rights activists have long raised concerns over the treatment of performers in the games, the age of the youngest performers, and the long hours required for practicing the hour-long event, which tells the official propaganda narrative of the DPRK’s history and ideological priorities.

News that they will return for a third consecutive year also comes amid a full ban on tourism to North Korea imposed by authorities in the wake of fears about the spread of the novel coronavirus. It’s as yet unclear when that ban will be lifted.

“Of course access for tourists does depend on the border being open by that time but one thing to remember is that Mass Games is not put on for tourists (I mean not only for tourists) so the presence of foreigners is not really required for it to go ahead,” Cockerell told NK News.

“We are confident that by the time of this event the borders will be open and tourists will be able to travel again.”