2026 K-pop World Festival Final to Feature Teams From Six Countries

Young performers who advanced through preliminary competitions worldwide will meet in South Korea next month for the final of the 2026 K-pop World Festival, according to the foreign ministry. The event will be held in Changwon on Oct. 18.

Six teams will represent Peru, France, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Tanzania and Kyrgyzstan at the final. They will perform alongside K-pop artists including Click-B, ONF, Lee Mu-jin and FIFTY FIFTY, creating a program that combines international contestants with established acts.

Around 1,700 teams from 54 countries participated in regional preliminary rounds, the ministry said. The final will later be broadcast by local broadcaster KBS and KBS WORLD in 140 countries, allowing audiences outside South Korea to watch the event and its performers.