BIGBANG Confirmed for 2026 MAMA Awards, Keeping G-Dragon's Promise From Last Year

A year after G-Dragon told the MAMA Awards crowd that BIGBANG would come "to party with friends" in their 20th anniversary year, the group has been confirmed for the 2026 show. BIGBANG will perform on Chapter 2, held November 21 at Kyocera Dome Osaka.

The announcement came with the second performer lineup for the 2026 MAMA Awards, which run November 20 and 21 under the concept "A Music Interstellar." Fourteen acts or teams were added, and CJ ENM says that combined with the first round, this is the largest performer count the show has had in a single region.

G-Dragon swept four awards at last year's ceremony, including Artist of the Year, Best Male Artist and a Fans' Choice Top 10 Male spot. In his remarks he said BIGBANG turns 20 next year and that he would come "so you're not lonely." That line is what Korean coverage has latched onto, and the confirmation reads as the promise made good. BIGBANG arrive fresh from a 20th anniversary world tour, and the Osaka stage is expected to draw on that chemistry.

Who else is on the bill

Chapter 1 on November 20 features ALLDAY PROJECT, CL of 2NE1, Hearts2Hearts, LNGSHOT, MODYSSEY, TREASURE, and the Mnet competition show Street World Fighter: Directors' War, whose performance directors will take the stage ahead of the finale broadcast.

Chapter 2 on November 21 pairs BIGBANG with Hwasa, IVE, izna, KO1KEYZ, WOODZ and &TEAM. WOODZ is returning with a new digital single, and IVE are coming off a second world tour with a new release arriving after an eight-month gap. KO1KEYZ, the 12-member group formed through PRODUCE 101 JAPAN SHINSEKAI, sold more than 500,000 copies of a debut album released in both Korea and Japan.

The first round had already confirmed 12 acts, among them ALPHA DRIVE ONE, CORTIS, LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT. CJ ENM describes the aim as an "all generation" show spanning veterans like BIGBANG through fourth-generation and newer fifth-generation groups.

How fans are reacting

On theqoo, the BIGBANG news was received warmly, with commenters saying they now had a reason to watch and noting that the hint of new music made the slot feel bigger. One fan wrote that it had been "so long" since the group appeared on a stage like this.

The wider lineup is more divided. On Instiz, a thread titled around the lineup being the weakest in years drew replies asking where ATEEZ, Stray Kids and BTS were, though others called Day 2 strong and asked what a "good" lineup would even require. With only two rounds announced so far, more names may still come.

The ceremony streams worldwide through Mnet Plus and other major digital platforms.