K-pop Global Tours Accelerate in 2026, With Major Cities Like Oakland, Melbourne, and Tokyo on the Agenda

Driven by the global success of Netflix’s hit series “KPop Demon Hunters,” K-pop world tours will commence in early 2026. Key cities ranging from the Bay Area to Melbourne, Australia, are set to transform into venues for K-pop performances. Twice will expand its North American tour leveraging the global momentum from the Netflix series, holding back-to-back concerts at the Oakland Arena on January 17 and 18. Following that, NMIXX, representing the next generation of K-pop, will perform the first show of its “NMIXX 1st World Tour: Episode 1 — Zero Frontier” at the same venue in April. The Australian market is also emerging as a new hub for K-pop tours. Applewood, an Asian global concert promoter, has partnered with an untitled group to host the “Hello, Melbourne” K-pop festival at Flemington Racecourse on March 14. Since its establishment in 2012, Applewood has produced over 120 concerts, including successful events that remain part of K-pop history such as BLACKPINK’s 2019 world tour. Demand for K-pop in Australia has grown dramatically over the past decade. Groups like BTS, Stray Kids, and Twice consistently record high streaming numbers there, with arena-scale tours selling out within minutes. According to Live Nation, Twice’s recent Australian tour tickets—over 50,000 in total for Sydney and Melbourne—have surpassed all previous records for K-pop performances in Australia. Group member Jihyo said in an interview with Rolling Stone Australia, “I hope Australian fans can truly feel our gratitude. I want to convey just how thankful we are to our Wones (fanbase) for supporting us from afar over the past decade.” “KPop Demon Hunters” is the most prominent cultural phenomenon of the year. As the most-watched Netflix original video, this animated series has accumulated over 266 million views since its release in June and was honored with a Time Magazine Breakthrough Award in 2025. As K-pop reshapes the sound and identity of global youth culture, amplified by cross-continental fan communities and online audiences, this success represents a significant pop culture moment for Asian expressions. The fact that K-pop performs across borders worldwide serves as a rare lens through which to observe the dynamics of modern identity, soft power, and cultural bonds that unite audiences around the globe.