The global K-wave festival '2026 K World Dream Awards' has revealed its first lineup of performers, officially raising the curtain on the festivities.

The organizing committee announced the first lineup on the 9th, which includes ATEEZ, P1Harmony, RIIZE, Ahof, and Ndot. From top-tier artists leading the global market to next-generation rookie groups, the lineup spans a wide range of talent, heralding an unprecedented scale of performances. The recent activities of the artists included in this lineup are as follows.

• ATEEZ: Recently achieved their third No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with their 14th mini album, marking their seventh million-seller overall.
• P1Harmony: Set a new personal best by reaching No. 4 on the Billboard 200.
• RIIZE: Continuing their steady growth, recording their fourth million-seller alongside a streak of consecutive hit songs.
• Ahof: A highly anticipated rookie who swept 13 major awards at award ceremonies upon debut.
• Ndot: A five-member group composed of members from ZEROBASEONE and EVNNE origins, making a strong impact by surpassing 730,000 copies in first-week sales with their debut album.

This awards ceremony, which aspires to realize the era of 20 million foreign tourists visiting Korea through K-pop, marks its 10th anniversary this year. Since its launch in 2017 as the 'Soribada Best K-Music Awards,' it has driven the globalization of K-content and K-pop over the past decade. Notably, this year, singer Lee Jung-seok has taken on the role of chair of the expert committee, further strengthening the mission of attracting foreign tourists and expanding the competitiveness of K-culture.

The '2026 K World Dream Awards' will be held on August 27 at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Broadcaster Jeon Hyun-moo and comedian Jang Do-yeon will reunite as MCs for the fourth consecutive year, and the event will be broadcast live worldwide via OTT platforms.

Meanwhile, voting for the Popularity Award — which reflects 100% of global fans' choices — will begin on the 13th through the fandom platform Fandex.

Photo = Provided by each respective agency.