BIGBANG returns with world tour spanning 18 cities

Group launches landmark world tour marking 20th debut anniversary, kicking off in Korea in August before sweeping through North America, Europe and beyond

BIGBANG is set to return with a world tour of sweeping scale, filling some of the largest stadiums and dome venues on the planet.

YG Entertainment said Thursday that BIGBANG will launch the BIGBANG 2026 WORLD TOUR with performances in Korea in August before embarking on a globe-spanning run through North America, Europe, Oceania, Japan and Asia that continues through February next year.

The confirmed itinerary already covers 18 cities and 31 showings. Starting in Goyang, the tour moves through Auckland, East Rutherford, Paris, London, Taipei, Singapore, Hanoi, Sydney, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Kaohsiung — a tightly packed route that crosses multiple continents.

The scale of the venues is perhaps the tour's most striking feature. BIGBANG will perform at Goyang Sports Complex in Korea, MetLife Stadium in the United States, Stade de France in France, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the United Kingdom, Kaohsiung National Stadium and Taipei Dome in Taiwan, and major Japanese domes including Tokyo Dome, Kyocera Dome and PayPay Dome — arenas typically reserved for the world's biggest pop acts. The run marks the group's first world tour as a complete unit in nine years, and is expected to draw strong demand from a multigenerational global fandom.

Marking their 20th debut anniversary, BIGBANG are widely credited as architects who expanded K-pop's genre boundaries and established a model of artistic independence for idol acts. That they can still command dome- and stadium-level demand after a nine-year absence speaks to the BIGBANG brand as a living force rather than a relic of the past.

A YG Entertainment official said the agency is "pouring everything into every visual and sonic element — production scale, stage quality — to fully meet the expectations of global fans who have stayed loyal through the long wait," adding that additional cities would be announced in phases.

Alongside the world tour, BIGBANG is rolling out a range of projects to mark their 20th anniversary. A fan participation event called "STILL ALIVE" invites supporters to authenticate and share stories behind personal mementos — old light sticks, past concert tickets and other items tied to their history with the group. Fans can take part through the BIGBANG official community on the global fandom platform bstage until June 21.

shee@heraldcorp.com