I.O.I's First Stage in Nearly 9 Years Lands at MMA 2026, Day One

I.O.I will take the stage at MMA 2026 on November 14, almost nine years after the group reunited, as part of a final lineup of 26 acts announced by Melon on the 14th. The fourth and last lineup reveal added 11 names, including aespa, IVE, CORTIS, KiiiKiii and Dragon Pony.

The awards, run by Kakao Entertainment's music platform Melon, take place over two nights, November 14 and 15, at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul's Guro District. This year's slogan is "K-pop Connect: The New Plus."

Who plays which night

Day one, November 14, has 14 acts: I.O.I, aespa, NCT DREAM, ATEEZ, RIIZE and TOWS among them. Having I.O.I open the weekend alongside aespa and ATEEZ gives the first night a mix of reunion nostalgia and current-generation heavyweights.

Day two, November 15, hands off to 12 acts that have dominated the music charts, including IVE, CORTIS, KiiiKiii, NCT 127, PLAVE and ILLIT.

MMA is also adding a new "Global Top 10" category this year, tied to the Global-K Chart, a combined streaming index covering Korea, China and Japan.

MAMA Awards names its first 12 acts for Osaka

The lineup news arrives a day after CJ ENM revealed the first performers for the 2026 MAMA Awards, held November 20–21 at Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan.

Chapter 1, on the 20th, features seven acts: ALPHA DRIVE ONE, who debuted this year, plus BABYMONSTER, ENHYPEN, ILLIT, INI, NCT WISH and RESCENE. Chapter 2, on the 21st, has five: CORTIS, KiiiKiii, LE SSERAFIM, TWICE's Nayeon performing as a soloist, and ZEROBASEONE.

The theme is "A Music Interstellar," a staging concept built around artists and fans connecting across time and space through music. From November 9 to 21, an offline fan festival called MAMA Fan Festa will run around Osaka and on Mnet Plus.

MAMA began in 1999 as the "Video Music Awards" and, after rebranding and expanding to global bases, reaches its 27th edition this year. The ceremony will be streamed worldwide through Mnet Plus and other major global platforms.