Oct. 14, 2026, SEOUL, KOREA – The countdown is on for Kakao Entertainment’s Melon Music Awards (MMA) — one of K-pop’s largest annual festivals — as 11 additional acts including I.O.I, aespa, IVE, CORTIS and KiiiKiii join the final lineup. Featuring artists who have dominated Melon’s streaming charts in 2026, this year’s MMA will usher in a new chapter as it expands into a spectacular two-day event for the first time.

MMA2026, presented by title sponsor KakaoBank, will take place at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome on Nov. 14-15. A total of 26 acts will take the stage, with 14 performing on Global Day (Nov. 14) and the remaining 12 appearing on Music Day (Nov. 15). Drawing on its deep expertise in K-pop and large-scale event production, Kakao Entertainment is poised to deliver an immersive, next-level live experience.

This year, MMA will expand to two days for the first time in its history, bringing a more diverse lineup of artists and fans from the world. Taking place under the keyword “Connect,” and the slogan “K-POP CONNECT: The New Pulse,” the upcoming event aims to define the moment when K-pop fans worldwide gather and unite beyond time and space. Notably, Kakao Entertainment has introduced a new award category, “Global TOP 10,” in connection with the recently launched Global-K Chart, aiming to better reflect global fan sentiment and give international fans a greater voice.

Global Day: Nov. 14

Seven of the 11 newly announced acts — I.O.I, aespa, Dragon Pony, IDID, AEN, TUIDE and HANA — are set to perform on Global Day alongside previously announced artists NCT DREAM, ATEEZ, YENA, RIIZE, TWS, RESCENE and Hearts2Hearts.

Reunited after approximately nine years, I.O.I demonstrated its enduring popularity with “Suddenly,” the lead track of its third mini-album, “I.O.I : LOOP.” The song topped both Melon’s TOP100 and HOT100 charts and went on to secure No. 1 on music shows for three consecutive weeks, underscoring the group’s continued success across streaming platforms and broadcast music programs.

aespa reaffirmed its status as a global top-tier group with its second full-length album, “LEMONADE,” released in May. The title track swept the daily, weekly and monthly charts of the Global-K Chart, which aggregates music consumption data from Melon, Tencent Music and LINE MUSIC. The album also reached No. 9 on Billboard 200 albums chart.

Dragon Pony put out its EP “RUN RUN RUN” in March, further establishing its identity as a self-producing band, with all members participating in the songwriting, composition, and arrangement of the tracks. With its title track “Oh Perfect!,” Dragon Pony has cemented its status as one of the hottest rising bands on the scene, unleashing its unbridled energy at multiple festivals.

Japanese girl group HANA has been enjoying breakout success in its home market, with its hit “Blue Jeans” spending nine consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Oricon Weekly Streaming Chart and surpassing 300 million cumulative streams.

Boy group IDID has continued its active run following the May release of “FLY!” Built around an old-school hip-hop sound, the track showcases the group’s youthful energy. AEN, a seven-member boy group that debuted in August, is a Korea-Japan joint project launched by Starship Entertainment and Japan’s AMUSE. The group kicked off its activities with “X to Z (Next to me),” the title track of its debut mini-album, “A NEW ERA OF NOW.”

TUIDE, a seven-member rookie girl group under HYBE ABD, made its debut in August with the EP “TUNE & PLAY.” Its title track, “Sun Kiss,” grabbed No. 16 on Melon’s HOT100, while all five tracks on the EP entered the chart, marking a strong debut.

Music Day: Nov. 15

Four additional acts — IVE, KiiiKiii, CORTIS and hrtz.wav — will join Music Day on Nov. 15. They will hit the stage alongside previously announced acts NCT 127, PLAVE, 82MAJOR, NCT WISH, ILLIT, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, LNGSHOT and AND2BLE.

IVE kicked off the success of its second full-length album, “REVIVE+,” with pre-release title track “BANG BANG” in February. The song shot straight to No. 1 on Melon’s TOP100 chart upon release and went on to top Melon’s weekly chart. IVE is set to return to the spotlight with the pre-release of its upcoming title track, “LOOKS CAN KILL,” on Oct. 19, followed by the release of its mini-album of the same name on Oct. 26.

KiiiKiii scored its first No. 1 on Melon’s TOP100 just 16 days after releasing “404 (New Era)” in January. The track also reigned atop Billboard’s list of the 25 Best K-pop Songs of 2026 (So Far). The group’s third mini-album, “WhyKiiiKiii,” dropped in August, continued that momentum with its title track, “Pop Off Pop Off,” climbing into the Top 10 on Melon’s TOP100. Every track on the album also entered Melon’s HOT100.

CORTIS has maintained a strong presence on Melon’s charts with “REDRED,” the lead track of its second mini-album. The song ranked No. 3 in May, No. 2 in June, and No. 3 in July, August, and September on Melon’s monthly chart, remaining in the Top 3 for four consecutive months. This marked the longest run in the Top 3 for a boy group track since BTS’ “Dynamite.”

hrtz.wav, a five-member group formed through the global band-making project “Steal Heart Club,” debuted in April with its EP “The First Wave.” Just five months after its debut, hrtz.wav released its second mini-album, “The Second Wave: MOMENTUM,” in September, featuring the title track “ALIVE (Feat. Sungchan of RIIZE).” With all members contributing to the lyrics, the track tells a story of youth that resonates deeply with listeners.

To further engage global fans, the MMA page on Melon will also feature a special community space called the “Cheering Board,” where both Melon members and non-members verified through Berriz login can post messages of support for their favorite artists in the lineup. Going forward, Kakao Entertainment plans to host more events for global fans to participate in.