A 20th-anniversary world tour, a Coachella slot, and a trio formation. Here’s the full picture of where BIGBANG stands now and what’s coming next.
If you’ve been tracking the K-pop landscape even loosely, you’ve probably noticed a signal cutting through the noise: BIGBANG is coming back. The group that debuted in 2006 under YG Entertainment, responsible for global hits like “BANG BANG BANG” and “Fantastic Baby,” is planning a 2026 comeback to mark their 20th anniversary. YG Entertainment has announced a world tour and a Coachella performance in April 2026.
But this isn’t the same BIGBANG that originally took the stage as a five-member group composed of G-Dragon, Taeyang, T.O.P., Daesung and Seungri. The group returning in 2026 is expected to continue as a trio featuring G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung. The path from five to three involves contract splits, criminal convictions, a Netflix acting turn, and a surprise collaboration that reignited fan fervor in late 2024.
Here’s the full timeline and what it means going forward.
How BIGBANG Went From Five to Three
The first major change came in 2017 when member T.O.P faced significant controversy, including a 2017 overdose on and legal issues regarding marijuana use. While serving his mandatory military service in June 2017, news broke that he would be prosecuted for marijuana use.
In a 2022 interview with Prestige Hong Kong, the rapper described the period in 2017 as “the worst moment” of his life.
“This is the first time I’ve spoken about this publicly, but I did try to commit suicide about five years ago,” he told the magazine. “I realised later how much hurt and painful memories I gave to the people around me, my family and fans out there.”
T.O.P, who also revealed in the interview that he had suffered from depression since he was young, said he penned more than 100 songs over the past five years.
“It’s been my motivation, like wanting to fill up a bookshelf with my work. It’s been my passion. I realized how precious it is to pay back what I’ve received. I feel that I’m reborn.”
Then another huge scandal hit the band in 2019 when Seungri retired from the entertainment industry amid the highly publicized Burning Sun scandal. He was convicted in 2020 of charges including prostitution mediation and embezzlement. Originally sentenced to three years in prison, Seungri’s term was reduced to 18 months in 2022 following his admission of guilt. He was released on February 9, 2023.
T.O.P’s departure followed a longer, more ambiguous arc. In 2022, around the same time YG Entertainment announced BIGBANG’s long-awaited return with a digital single, it was revealed that T.O.P had ended his exclusive contract with YG Entertainment. He still participated in the group’s comeback single, “Still Life,” released on April 5, 2022, which marked the group’s debut as a quartet.
That participation turned out to be his final act with the group. T.O.P announced on May 31, 2023, that he had officially withdrawn from BIGBANG.
The Label Breakup
BIGBANG is no longer affiliated with YG Entertainment. The split happened in stages.
Following T.O.P’s departure in 2022, Taeyang left to join The Black Label, a subsidiary of YG, while Daesung exited to pursue opportunities under a label called R&D. G-Dragon’s contract with YG expired in June 2023, officially ending the group’s relationship with the label. Later that year, he signed to Galaxy Corporation under his real name.
So all three remaining members now operate under different labels. That scattered arrangement makes the planned 2026 reunion all the more striking: these artists are choosing to regroup rather than being pushed together by a single management company.
The 2024 Reunion That Confirmed the Comeback Was Real
2024 proved to be a pivotal year. On November 22, G-Dragon released “Home Sweet Home,” a song from his third studio album, and it featured a reunion that fans had been speculating about for months.
G-Dragon first hinted at the collaboration the day before the song’s release, posting a teaser image featuring piano keys on a black background. That post quickly fueled fan speculation that he would be releasing a new song with his BIGBANG bandmates, Taeyang and Daesung. One day later, “Home Sweet Home” dropped, validating those fan theories.
G-Dragon held a fan meeting at KSPO DOME in Seoul, where he confirmed the 20-year reunion.
During the February 2026 event, G-Dragon shared, “This year, BIGBANG is making a comeback for their 20th anniversary. As both a member and a fan, I am also looking forward to it, and I think all the members feel the same way,” expressing his excitement about the comeback.
For the upcoming reunion, the trio will collaborate with their original agency, YG Entertainment.
Where T.O.P stands
T.O.P, who left the group in 2023, is returning to the music scene with a solo song after 13 years. He also appeared in the Netflix original series “Squid Game Season 2” in 2025, which put him back in public view for a very different audience.
But in an interview conducted during that Netflix appearance, T.O.P drew a line regarding BIGBANG’s comeback.
He cautiously responded, “I thought of ‘Spring Summer Fall Winter’ as the final project,” and added, “Seeing fans still hoping for a reunion hurt my heart rather than making me angry. I feel guilty toward the members and will carry this regret for the rest of my life.”
Why This Matters
BIGBANG’s 2026 comeback sits at an interesting intersection. K-pop reunion tours have become a pattern over the past few years, but this one carries specific wrinkles that make it different from a standard nostalgia cycle.
The three remaining members are on separate labels, which means this reunion required active coordination across companies rather than a single label repackaging old assets. The Coachella booking also places them on one of the most visible festival stages in the world, positioning the comeback for crossover attention well beyond the existing K-pop fanbase.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.miamiherald.com ’
