Global Stages, Global Stars
The 2025 K World Dream Awards is shaping up to be one of the biggest nights in K-pop, with 4th-gen heavyweights taking center stage. Slated for August 21 at Seoul’s Jamsil Indoor Stadium, the festival recently announced its sixth performance lineup, spotlighting some of the scene’s biggest chart-toppers and rising stars.
Who’s Performing?
- Stray Kids: Having dominated the Billboard 200 with six consecutive No.1 albums—like ‘ODDINARY’ and ‘SKZ-REPLAY (HITTA)’—this self-producing group powered by 3RACHA is fresh into their ‘DOMINATE’ world tour. After selling out shows across the Americas and kicking off in Europe, they’re eyeing K-pop’s single-tour attendance record.
- IVE: Since debuting in 2021 with ‘ELEVEN’, they’ve become known for their high-gloss visuals and banger-filled discography, including ‘LOVE DIVE’ and ‘I AM’. Their 2023 world tour drew 420,000 fans across 19 countries, and they’re already filling stadiums in Japan this year with over 100,000 tickets sold.
- LE SSERAFIM: The HYBE girl group is no stranger to Billboard’s Hot 100, charting with tracks like ‘EASY’ and ‘UNFORGIVEN’. Currently on their first world tour, they’re expanding their fanbase across Asia and North America with sold-out shows in 10 cities.
- Young Posse: Dubbed “Hip-Hop’s Daughters” in Korea, this rookie group from DSP Media is quickly building a fanbase with addictively bold tracks like ‘Macaroni Cheese’ and ‘Cold’. They’ve already landed stages at Taiwanese music festivals and Japanese fan meetings.
Beyond the Big Four
The lineup doesn’t stop there. Expect performances from BTOB, TXT, CRAVITY, tripleS, FIFTY FIFTY, NCT WISH, and rookies like KICKFLIP, I’LL-IT, HARTS2HEARTS, and 9. Indie bands including LUCY, Xdinary Heroes, QWER, and DRAGON PONY will bring live energy, while solo artists Paul Kim, Kang Daniel, and trot singers Park Seo-jin, Park Ji-hyun round out a genre-diverse lineup.
K-pop Fans Call the Shots
Fan power is front and center. Global fans are voting in full swing via the K-pop fan app Dugadd, determining Popularity Award winners in four categories: Best Male Group, Best Female Group, Best Male Solo, and Best Female Solo. Final round voting is open until August 11.
Streaming Around the World
Can’t make it to Seoul? No worries. Japanese fans can tune in live via TBS, while international viewers (outside Japan) can stream the ceremony on Hello Live.
From Soribada to Superstage
This isn’t just another K-pop show. The K World Dream Awards originally launched in 2017 as the Soribada Best K-Music Awards and has grown into one of Hallyu’s biggest live events. Backed by major agency YJ Partners and set in Seoul—the K-culture capital—the show celebrates both chart-topping idols and the fans who fuel the genre’s global reach.
Whether you’re stanning 4th-gen juggernauts or discovering new talent, this is one K-pop spectacle you won’t want to miss.
