Cortis, who rose to the ranks of global K-pop sensation immediately after debut; PLAVE, the virtual artist that became the first million-seller; and Touched, gaining attention for its classic rock sound—artists leading trends across different genres—will take the stage at the Weverse Con Festival.
HYBE on the 11th announced the first artist lineup for the 2026 Weverse Con Festival (Weverse Con Festival, hereinafter Weverse Con Festival) through the global superfan platform Weverse and the Weverse Con Festival official website.
The first lineup includes a total of 10 acts: ILLIT, AHOF, &TEAM, WENDY, LEECHANGSUB, CORTIS, QWER, TOUCHED, P1Harmony, and PLAVE. This lineup spans various genres and generations, including global K-pop artists as well as bands, solo acts, and virtual artists.
First, news of Cortis's appearance at Weverse Con Festival is drawing attention after the group rose to top rookie status immediately following its debut late last year. Cortis entered the U.S. Billboard main albums chart Billboard 200 at No. 15 with its debut album released in September last year, COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES, and has continued explosive growth, surpassing cumulative sales of 2 million copies (according to Circle Chart) six months after release. Cortis, which has announced a new title track in April and a second mini album in May, is expected to showcase its distinctive musical color on the Weverse Con Festival stage.
PLAVE, representing virtual artists, will return to the Weverse Con Festival stage following 2024. PLAVE achieved a career high with first-week sales of 1.09 million copies for their second single album PLBBUU, and continued its rise after successfully completing its first Asia tour covering six cities, including Seoul, Taipei and Tokyo. PLAVE, confirmed to make a comeback in April, will meet Weverse Con Festival audiences with an even more refreshed performance.
Rock band Touched, which has attracted music fans with its authentic rock sound, will also join. Touched proved its skills by winning the 2022 band survival program Great Seoul Invasion. Having sold out solo concerts each year and conveyed the appeal of rock music, Touched will show the charm of an authentic rock band at Weverse Con Festival with intense sound and explosive energy. Alongside them, QWER, which has established itself as a favorite girl group with a refreshing sound and vibrant energy, will return to Weverse Con Festival for the second consecutive year. QWER, which recently embarked on its first world tour covering 16 cities across the Americas and Asia since debut, will present a stage that has grown further as a global performance band.
Appearances by K-pop artists expanding their influence on the global stage will continue. &TEAM, which debuted in Japan and built a solid fandom there, will perform at Weverse Con Festival for the fourth consecutive year. &TEAM, which achieved million-seller status in both Korea and Japan last year, will expand its global activities with a comeback in April and an Asia tour starting in May, meeting fans with deeper music and performances. P1Harmony, which completed its third world tour across 25 cities worldwide, also made the Weverse Con Festival lineup for the second consecutive year. Having steadily grown as a performance-oriented artist, P1Harmony will begin full-scale activities with the release of mini album 9 on the 12th and will present a high-quality performance at Weverse Con Festival.
Stages by fifth-generation K-pop artists also draw attention. ILLIT, which held its first festival stage at Weverse Con Festival upon debut in 2024, continues a special relationship with the festival with a third consecutive appearance. Opening its first tour visiting seven domestic and international cities on April 14–15, ILLIT will present an even more relaxed and polished stage at Weverse Con Festival. Anticipation is also rising for AHOF's first appearance; the multinational boy group was formed through the survival program Universe League. AHOF recorded over 360,000 sales in the first week of their debut album WHO WE ARE and won three music show trophies within 10 days of debut. AHOF will deliver an energetic stage befitting a next-generation rising star.
Solo artists with soulful voices who will heighten the immersion of summer night festivals will also take the stage. WENDY, who solidified her status as a vocal queen after successfully completing her first solo world tour, will participate in Weverse Con Festival for the first time. WENDY recently released the global single EMOTIONS in collaboration with a U.S. singer-songwriter and continues her activities. At this Weverse Con Festival, she will present a deep performance as the essence of a trusted vocalist. BTOB's LEECHANGSUB, who is expanding his activities as a musical actor and solo artist, will return to the Weverse Con Festival stage following last year. Having successfully completed solo concerts in seven domestic cities recently, LEECHANGSUB will connect with audiences at Weverse Con Festival with emotional vocals and stable live performances.
HYBE said, "This first Weverse Con Festival lineup is composed of artists who are leading new trends in popular music through distinctive attempts and overwhelming achievements across different genres," and added, "In the artist lineups to be revealed in the future, we will present a variety of artists that span generations and genres of music, reflecting Weverse Con Festival's identity as a 'field of popular music.'"
Meanwhile, the second lineup for Weverse Con Festival, to be held June 6–7 over two days at Seoul Olympic Park KSPO DOME and the 88 Lawn Square, will be announced later this month, and the final lineup will be revealed next month. Ticket reservations and detailed information related to the Weverse Con Festival can be found on the Weverse Con Festival official website and the Weverse community Weverse Zone.
[photo] HYBE
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