# K-Pop Year-End Award Shows 2026: Schedule and Locations

> The 2026 year-end K-pop season runs from KGMA on November 7 at Gocheok Sky Dome to the Golden Disc Awards in Hanoi on January 10, 2027. The ones in Korea are KGMA, the Melon Music Awards and SBS Gayo Daejeon (December 24 and 25 at KINTEX). MAMA is in Osaka, AAA in Kaohsiung and Golden Disc in Hanoi. KBS Song Festival and MBC Gayo Daejejeon had no dates as of October 22.

- URL: https://formthrow.com/en/k-culture/kpop-year-end-music-shows/
- Published: October 18, 2026
- Updated: October 26, 2026
- Data as of: October 24, 2026

The K-pop year-end award shows 2026 season starts with KGMA at Gocheok Sky Dome on November 7 and run to the Golden Disc Awards in Hanoi on January 10, 2027. The ones held in Korea are KGMA, the Melon Music Awards and SBS Gayo Daejeon. MAMA, AAA and Golden Disc are all abroad.

The KBS Song Festival and MBC Gayo Daejejeon had no dates as of October 22. If you want to see at least one live on a December trip, start with this table and then book your flight.

## K-pop year-end award shows 2026: the full schedule

| Date | Show | Venue | Tickets |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nov 7 (Sat) to 8 (Sun) | KGMA 2026 | Gocheok Sky Dome, Seoul | On sale at NOL since Oct 2 |
| Nov 14 (Sat) to 15 (Sun) | Melon Music Awards (MMA2026) | Gocheok Sky Dome, Seoul | Melon Ticket, for Melon members |
| Nov 20 (Fri) to 21 (Sat) | 2026 MAMA AWARDS | Kyocera Dome Osaka, Japan | Qoo10 |
| Dec 5 (Sat) to 6 (Sun) | AAA 2026 | Kaohsiung National Stadium, Taiwan | tixcraft, general sale sold out |
| Not announced (last year Dec 19) | KBS Song Festival | Last year Songdo Convensia, Incheon | Last year a free lottery |
| Dec 24 (Thu) to 25 (Fri) | SBS Gayo Daejeon | KINTEX, Ilsan | Audience applications not announced, last year a free lottery |
| Not announced (last year Dec 31) | MBC Gayo Daejejeon | Last year MBC Dream Center, Ilsan | Last year a free lottery |
| Jan 9 (Sat) to 10 (Sun), 2027 | 41st Golden Disc Awards | VEC outdoor stage, Hanoi, Vietnam | Not announced |

Dates come from each organizer's announcement or press coverage and can change. For the two that are not announced, I looked for this year's notices and nothing was posted yet. I'll fix the table when they appear.

## How do you get tickets for the shows in Korea?

If you remember one rule, make it this one: the award shows sell paid tickets, and the broadcaster festivals use free lotteries.

The [Melon Music Awards 2026](https://formthrow.com/en/k-culture/melon-music-awards/) runs two days for the first time, with 26 acts splitting the bill (Korea Times report). Tickets go through Melon Ticket, first to Melon GOLD tier members and above at 8 pm on October 19, then to Melon pass holders at 8 pm on October 22 (Melon notice). Without a pass, you don't get a shot at either sale.

KGMA moves to Gocheok Sky Dome for two days, with live coverage on ENA (Edaily report). Tickets have been on sale at NOL since October 2 (Topstarnews report). I put the day-by-day lineup and the live voting dates (voting is open now) in my [KGMA 2026 guide](https://formthrow.com/en/k-culture/korea-grand-music-awards/).

## What's different about SBS Gayo Daejeon 2026?

For the 30th anniversary it runs two days for the first time, on December 24 and 25 at KINTEX in Ilsan (Ilgan Sports report). So this is the year you can actually spend Christmas at Gayo Daejeon. On October 20 SBS put out a diamond-themed 30th-anniversary poster (SBS News), and on October 23 it announced a first lineup of 22 acts, including Stray Kids, TXT and IVE. The full list is in [our SBS Gayo Daejeon guide](https://formthrow.com/en/k-culture/sbs-gayo-daejeon/), and more names are still to come. Audience applications haven't opened.

I went back to last year's audience notice, and there were two routes. One was an open lottery for anyone 15 or older. The other was a set of fan club lotteries, each with its own conditions such as buying an album (Weverse notice). Foreign fans were checked with a passport or an alien registration card, and if you applied under an English name, only the passport worked. Copies and photos on a phone were not accepted.

For foreign fans there was also a package that bundled an audience ticket with a hotel through NOL World (Newdaily report). Whether it returns this year is not known yet.

## When are the KBS Song Festival and MBC Gayo Daejejeon?

Neither had an announcement as of October 22, so last year's pattern is the best guide for now.

| Item | KBS Song Festival (2025) | MBC Gayo Daejejeon (2025) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Date and time | Fri, Dec 19, 7:15 pm | Wed, Dec 31, 8:50 pm |
| Venue | Songdo Convensia, Incheon | MBC Dream Center public hall, Ilsan |
| Audience application | Lottery, Dec 5 to 7 | Lottery, Dec 17 to 22, results Dec 26 |
| Cost | Free, 2,000 KRW booking fee if you win | Free, two tickets per person |
| Age | 15 or older | 15 or older, photo ID |

The KBS details come from the NOL Interpark Ticket notice and the MBC ones from the MBC audience guide. The application window opens for just a few days about two weeks before the broadcast, so you only find out whether you won after your trip is already booked.

The MBC guide says that once the broadcast starts you can't go in or out, and photos and video are not allowed. It counts a passport as ID but doesn't describe a separate application route for foreigners. Foreign admission procedures strictly adhere to network regulations as published on official broadcaster application portals.

## Award shows held abroad

The [2026 MAMA AWARDS](https://formthrow.com/en/k-culture/mama-awards/) are on November 20 and 21 at Kyocera Dome Osaka (CJ ENM announcement). The Visa cardholder presale registration closed on October 18, and results can be checked on Qoo10 from the 21st (TNGlobal report). Streaming is on Mnet Plus. The lottery rules, seat prices and how to buy from abroad are in the [MAMA 2026 tickets section](https://formthrow.com/en/k-culture/mama-awards/#how-to-get-mama-2026-tickets) of that post.

[AAA 2026](https://formthrow.com/en/k-culture/asia-artist-awards/) is on December 5 and 6 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and both days sold out in the September 19 general sale (Star News report).

The Golden Disc Awards are on January 9 and 10, 2027 at an outdoor stage at the Vietnam Exhibition Center (VEC) in Hanoi. It's the first time in Vietnam and the eighth time abroad (Sports Kyunghyang report). The lineup and tickets haven't been announced.

Compare an airport transfer with a downtown hotel stop in the [Golden Disc Awards 2027 Hanoi ticket and VEC guide](https://formthrow.com/en/k-culture/golden-disc-awards/).

[MMA2026 Melon Music Awards Teaser](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_I3ucP5S3Q)
*Video: Melon official YouTube*

## On-site broadcast logistics: ticketing packages, staging, and pre-recordings

Attending a live network music broadcast differs fundamentally from an ordinary arena concert.

For international fans, licensed travel agency packages offer guaranteed floor or tiered seating combined with chartered return shuttle buses ([SBS Gayo Daejeon logistics review](https://blog.trazy.com/attending-sbs-gayo-daejeon-summer-review-tips/)). Check-in booths operate efficiently, and chartered coaches bypass the chaotic late-night transit crush outside remote venues like Incheon Inspire Arena or Ilsan Kintex. However, floor standing areas frequently suffer sightline obstruction from fans wielding camera step-stools, making lower tiered seating a much safer bet.

Independent ticketing arrangements carry logistical friction ([year-end broadcast attendance records](https://www.trip.com/moments/detail/south-korea-100042-128029350/)): will-call distribution requires queuing across multiple disjointed check-in tents, and live 4-hour broadcast pacing feels like a relentless whirlwind with minimal downtime between stage resets. Coordinating adjacent seating requires securing tickets within the exact same reservation transaction.

Pre-recording sessions (*sa-jeon-nok-hwa*) require grueling physical stamina. For special stage tapings ([broadcast studio admission flow](https://brunch.co.kr/@parkaezey/46)), attendees assemble in outdoor holding zones up to three hours before call time, passing through dual identity checkpoints and fandom verification rosters before entering the studio. Actual stage tapings last 60 to 90 minutes after prolonged waits in freezing sub-zero conditions.

Early morning tapings demand pre-dawn arrivals ([studio attendance field records](https://gall.dcinside.com/mgallery/board/view/?id=newjeans&no=976639)): fans check in by 08:00, undergoing repeated corridor holding sequences where emergency hand warmers and foil blankets are deployed. Broadcast delays are routine; pack maximum thermal insulation and keep high-capacity power banks accessible.

## Before you build a trip around a free lottery

A broadcaster festival can mean half a day of waiting for a few minutes on stage, and with a free ticket you have to win the lottery first. If you book flights and then wait for the draw, you may end up watching it on TV in your room on Christmas. If you want certainty, the paid award shows are easier to plan around.

MBC Gayo Daejejeon started at 8:50 pm last year, and the guide itself warns that the broadcast ends late, so plan your trip home in advance. Before you go, look up how you'd get from Ilsan back to your Seoul hotel late on December 31.

Buy tickets only from the official seller or through the broadcaster lottery. MBC states that audience tickets can't be resold or handed over.

If you're in Seoul at the end of the year, you can fit in the [Seoul Christmas lights](https://formthrow.com/en/festivals/seoul-christmas-lights/) between shows. We keep our other K-pop event posts on the [K-Culture page](https://formthrow.com/en/k-culture/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Which 2026 year-end K-pop award shows are held in Korea?

Of the shows with dates as of October 22, three: KGMA (November 7 and 8) and the Melon Music Awards (November 14 and 15), both at Gocheok Sky Dome, and SBS Gayo Daejeon (December 24 and 25 at KINTEX). The KBS Song Festival and MBC Gayo Daejejeon haven't been announced yet, and both were held in Korea last year.

### When and where is SBS Gayo Daejeon 2026?

On December 24 and 25 at KINTEX in Ilsan, over two days. It is the 30th anniversary, the first two-day edition and the first on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (SBS announcement). On October 23 SBS announced a first lineup of 22 acts, including Stray Kids, TXT and IVE, with more to come. Audience applications haven't been announced.

### Do you have to pay to attend Gayo Daejeon or the other broadcaster festivals?

Last year all three broadcaster festivals used free lotteries. KBS charged only a 2,000 KRW booking fee to winners, and MBC gave up to two tickets per person for free. All three required applicants to be 15 or older.

### Can foreigners attend Gayo Daejeon?

Last year SBS Gayo Daejeon checked foreign fans' identity with a passport or an alien registration card. If you applied under an English name, only the passport worked, and copies or phone photos were not accepted. MBC accepted a passport as ID but did not describe a separate way for foreigners to apply.

### When is the KBS Song Festival 2026?

As of October 22 it hasn't been announced. Last year it was held on Friday, December 19 at Songdo Convensia in Incheon under the name Global Festival, and lottery applications ran from December 5 to 7.

## Sources

- [MMA2026 행사 안내(일정, 예매, 중계처)](https://m2.melon.com/mma/2026/info/), 멜론
- [MMA2026 brings 26 K-pop acts to Gocheok Dome for 2-night spectacle(2026.10.14)](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/entertainment/k-pop/20261014/mma2026-brings-26-k-pop-acts-to-gocheok-dome-for-2-night-spectacle), 코리아타임스
- [2026 MAMA AWARDS to take place in Japan from November 20-21(2026.3.31)](https://newsroom.cj.net/2026-mama-awards-to-take-place-in-japan-from-november-20-21/), CJ 뉴스룸
- [2026 MAMA AWARDS Visa 선예매 등록 안내(2026.10.13)](https://technode.global/?p=995043), TNGlobal
- [AAA 2026 티켓 이틀 10만 석 매진 보도(2026.9.19)](https://www.starnewskorea.com/star/2026/09/19/2026091915294122860), 스타뉴스
- [KGMA 2026 고척스카이돔 개최 보도(2026.9.7)](https://en.edaily.co.kr/news/eda202609075200), 이데일리
- [KGMA 티켓 가격과 공연 시간 보도(2026.10.2)](https://www.topstarnews.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=16233126), 톱스타뉴스
- [대표 사진: 고척스카이돔 정면(서울경관기록화 사업, 2020년 1월)](https://data.si.re.kr/photo/06G00807Db50000), 서울연구데이터서비스(공공누리 제1유형)
- [SBS 가요대전 30주년, 12월 24일과 25일 킨텍스 이틀 개최(2026.10.1)](https://isplus.com/article/view/isp202610010202), 일간스포츠
- ["Shining Like a Diamond for 30 Years"… '2026 SBS Gayo Daejeon' Unveils Concept Poster(2026.10.20)](https://news.sbs.co.kr/english/article.do?news_id=N1008806773), SBS 뉴스
- [SBS Gayo Daejeon 2026 first lineup of 22 acts announced (2026.10.23)](https://ent.sbs.co.kr/news/article.do?article_id=E10010323756), SBS 연예뉴스
- [2025 SBS 가요대전 방청 안내(팬클럽 추첨, 본인 확인 규정)](https://weverse.io/txt/notice/32558?hl=ko), 위버스 TOMORROW X TOGETHER 공지
- [2025 SBS 가요대전 현장과 외국인 팬 패키지 보도(2025.12.25)](https://biz.newdaily.co.kr/site/data/html/2025/12/25/2025122500097.html), 뉴데일리
- [2025 KBS 가요대축제 글로벌 페스티벌 방청 추첨 안내](https://tickets.interpark.com/contents/notice/detail/11995), NOL 인터파크 티켓
- [2025 KBS 가요대축제 글로벌 페스티벌 방청 신청 보도](https://www.gukjenews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=3461003), 국제뉴스
- [2025 MBC 가요대제전 방청 신청 안내](https://program.imbc.com/Info/1006860100000100000?seq=2174), MBC
- [제41회 골든디스크어워즈 2027년 1월 9일과 10일 하노이 개최(2026.9.4)](https://sports.khan.co.kr/en/article/202609041123007), 스포츠경향
- [[MMA2026] 멜론뮤직어워드 Teaser](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_I3ucP5S3Q), 멜론 공식 유튜브
- [에스파 보러 MBC 가요대제전 사녹 다녀온 후기(2024.12.29)](https://brunch.co.kr/@parkaezey/46), 브런치
- [첫 사녹 가요대제전 후기(2024.12.22)](https://gall.dcinside.com/mgallery/board/view/?id=newjeans&no=976639), 디시인사이드 뉴진스 마이너 갤러리
- [2024 SBS Gayo Daejeon Summer attendance review and tips(2024.7.29, updated 2024.12.11)](https://blog.trazy.com/attending-sbs-gayo-daejeon-summer-review-tips/), Trazy Blog
- [2024 SBS Gayo Daejeon at Inspire Arena: A Memorable Experience (posted 2025.1.6)](https://www.trip.com/moments/detail/south-korea-100042-128029350/), Trip.com Moments