What we know about K-pop in 2026

A fan poses with a group photo of BTS during a celebration marking the band’s 12th debut anniversary in Goyang, Gyeonggi, on June 13, 2025. [AP/YONHAP]

The new year has dawned, and 2026 is shaping up to be a landmark year for K-pop. From long-awaited comebacks and major anniversaries to anticipated announcements and the arrival of already familiar rookies, the year ahead is poised to kick off with a bang.

Following 2025’s continued global expansion for K-pop, the industry now turns to its next chapter. Here’s what to expect in the year of the horse.

Biggest heavy hitters poised for comebacks

BTS members V, top, and RM, greet fans after finishing their military duties on June 11 in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi. [NEWS1]

K-pop megaband BTS is finally set to return with a new album on Mar. 20, BigHit Music announced on Thursday, which will be followed by “a large-scale world tour” reported to be the septet’s biggest ever.

“In 2026, we’ll be coming to see you more often and making lots of memories together, so please look forward to it,” wrote member V in a handwritten New Year’s greeting letter for BTS’s fans, dubbed ARMY. “It’s been a long time since our last album, so I’m a bit nervous, but we’ll do our best, so we hope you’ll look on it kindly.”

The group returns after a multi-year hiatus due to military duties, which all members had completed by the summer of 2025. The upcoming new album will be the septet’s first new release as a group since “Proof” (2022), a compilation album, and the first official full-group activity after the “Yet to Come in Busan” concert in October 2022.

Handwritten letter by boy band BTS [BIGHIT MUSIC]

According to a Nov. 28, 2025, report by Daol Investment & Securities, BTS’s upcoming world tour is estimated to bring in up to 900 billion won ($621 million) in ticket sales, with total revenue potentially surpassing 1.3 trillion won with merchandise sales.

Blackpink, another K-pop juggernaut, is also set to release a new album, which is reportedly slated for release as early as January.

Girl group Blackpink [YG PLUS]

The upcoming release will mark the quartet’s first physical release since its second full-length album “Born Pink” (2022), and also the first album released after the members renewed their contracts with YG Entertainment for group activities as Blackpink in December 2023.

Blackpink released a digital single “Jump” in July last year and kicked off its “Deadline” world tour.

Boy band EXO is set to drop its eighth full-length album, “Reverxe,” slated for release on Jan. 19. The new album will mark its first physical release since the band’s seventh full-length album, “Exist,” in July 2023. The group has been gearing up for the comeback, performing its megahits such as “Growl” (2013) at the 2025 Melon Music Awards in December.

Boy band EXO’s ″EXO’verse″ meet and greet held on Dec. 14, 2025, at the Inspire Arena in Incheon [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

Eyes on Grammy

Expectations are running high for K-pop’s big Grammy win at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, set to take place on Feb. 1 in Los Angeles.

This year marked a breakthrough for the genre, with K-pop related artists and works earning nominations in three of the so-called “Big Four” categories, which consist of Song of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Best New Artist.

Rose poses with the Song of the Year award for ″APT.″ (2024) during the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 7. 2025, at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. [AP/YONHAP] 로제

Rosé’s viral megahit “APT.” (2024), a collaboration with Bruno Mars, earned three nominations: Song of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Record of the Year. Netflix’s hit animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” and its standout track “Golden” (2025) received five nominations, including Song of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Song Written for Visual Media.

Katseye, a multinational girl group under HYBE, was nominated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group performance, and the Tony Award-winning Korean musical “Maybe Happy Ending” is competing for Best Musical Theatre Album.

Girl group Katseye [HYBE]

Until now, BTS had been the only K-pop act ever to be nominated for the Grammys — Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video — though notable Korean winners are soprano Sumi Jo and sound engineer Hwang Byung-joon.

Big Bang marks 20th anniversary

As Big Bang celebrates the 20th anniversary of its debut on Aug. 29, the legendary boy band has been gearing up for a grand comeback.

Big Bang performing at the 2024 MAMA Awards on Nov. 23, 2024, at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan [CJ ENM]

“Big Bang is celebrating our 20th anniversary next year,” G-Dragon said in his acceptance speech for the 2025 MAMA Awards on Nov. 30. “I’d like to return here to party with my friends.”

Big Bang — consisting of G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung — debuted in 2006 under YG Entertainment, known for megahits like “Lies” (2007), “Haru Haru” (2008), “Fantastic Baby” (2012) and “Bang Bang Bang” (2015).

The group will kick off its milestone year with a performance at the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April. A new album commemorating its two-decade career is also in the works, though details and a release date have yet to be announced.

G-Dragon performs during an encore concert of his “Ubermensch” world tour at Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul, held on Dec. 12, 13 and 14. [GALAXY CORPORATION]

The upcoming album will be Big Bang’s first new physical release in 10 years since its third full-length album “Made” (2016), and the first new release since all the Big Bang members left YG Entertainment. While group activities as Big Bang may still take place in collaboration with YG, no official arrangements have been confirmed.

Big Bang’s most recent release was the digital single “Still Life” (2022), shortly before former member T.O.P. left both YG and the group.

Rookies arrive, mogul returns

The first major rookie group of the year is WakeOne Entertainment’s Alpha Drive One, or ALD1, formed through cable channel Mnet’s audition program “Boys II Planet” (2024).

Alpha Drive One consists of eight winners of the audition program — Lee Sang-won, Zhou Anxin, Heo Xinlong, Kim Geon-woo, Zhang Jiahao, Lee Leo, Chung Sang-hyeon and Kim Jun-seo — and will promote as a team for five years.

Boy band Alpha Drive One [WAKEONE ENTERTAINMENT]

While the group’s official debut is set for Jan. 12 with the release of its first EP “Euphoria,” the octet already performed its pre-debut single “Formula” at the 2025 MAMA Awards in November.

Another highly anticipated debut comes from SM Entertainment, which is preparing to launch a new boy band formed from its SMTR25 trainee pool. While details remain limited, 11 trainees, including Nicholas, Songha and Haruta, were unveiled with introduction films in April last year, followed by additional members revealed via a YouTube reality series. They also performed at the SMTown live concerts in 2025, as well as at the KGMA 2025 award ceremony in November.

SM Entertainment has confirmed that two to three teams will debut from SMTR25, with one set to debut this year.

SM Entertainment’s male trainees, dubbed SMTR25, perform at the “SMTown Live 2025″ in Seoul held at the Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul on Jan. 11 and 12, 2025. [SM ENTERTAINMENT]

Singer and producer Jay Park’s boy band LNGSHOT is also set to make its debut, the first K-pop act launched under Park’s label, More Vision.

LNGSHOT, pronounced as “long shot,” consists of four members: Louis, Ohyul, Woojin and Ryul.

While the group will officially debut with its first EP, “Shot Caller,” in January, the members have already made stage appearances alongside Park on multiple shows, including the MMA 2025. The group also made headlines with a photo of them holding up their middle fingers uploaded on Park’s social media in September.

A picture of boy band LNGSHOT uploaded on its producer Jay Park’s Instagram account on Sept. 20 [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Meanwhile, K-pop mogul Lee Soo-man is preparing a return to the Korean music scene.

The SM Entertainment founder, who left the company after a high-profile feud in 2023, is set to launch a new boy band this year.

Lee had signed a noncompete agreement back in 2023 when selling his SM Entertainment shares to HYBE, which prevented him from participating in the industry in Korea for three years. That restriction expires in March, clearing the way for his comeback.

Since founding A2O Entertainment in 2024, Lee has launched girl group A2O May in China. But the new boy band will debut in Korea, Lee told the press in November.