PRESS RELEASE
KBS WORLD’S 2026 ROUND FESTIVAL
13 January 2026
KBS WORLD’s Global Event “ROUND” Returns on an Unprecedented Scale
ASEAN•Korea Music Festival “2026 ROUND in the Philippines”
To Be Held in Manila, Philippines, the 2026 ASEAN Chair Country
10CM Confirmed as Host, with Leading Filipino Musicians and ASEAN Stars Set to Unite
Hosted by KBS WORLD, sponsored by the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund, and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Korea and the ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN•Korea Music Festival (ROUND Festival) will be held in Manila, the Philippines, in 2026. As the ASEAN Chair Country for 2026, the Philippines will host ASEAN•Korea Music Festival “2026 ROUND in the Philippines” on April 18 (Sat) and 19 (Sun), 2026, at the Araneta Coliseum, a place widely regarded as being at the heart of Filipino popular culture.
* ASEAN Member States (in alphabetical order): Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam.
Production Press Conference Announced for “2026 ROUND in the Philippines” on an Unprecedented Scale
Scheduled to take place in Manila, the ASEAN•Korea Music Festival “2026 ROUND in the Philippines” will officially mark its launch with a production press conference. This press conference will be held on January 28, 2026, at the Quantum Skyview Deck, Gateway Mall, Manila. The event will be attended by distinguished guests, including the Chairperson of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) of the Philippines, the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Philippines, and the President of KBS WORLD. Filipino boy groups Hori7on and KAIA will also participate as presenters, offering a first look at the journey ahead.
As the festival is hosted in the Philippines, the 2026 ASEAN Chair Country, “2026 ROUND in the Philippines” will be the largest in the history of the ROUND Festival. The Araneta Coliseum, which will host performances on April 18 and 19, has a seating capacity of approximately 13,000 and has welcomed numerous global artists, including Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, and Lady Gaga. More recently, it has also hosted concerts by Korean artists such as DAY6 and RIIZE. On this big, iconic stage that has played the backdrop to key moments in Filipino popular culture, stories of solidarity and cultural exchange created by artists from ASEAN and Korea will come together. KBS stated, “We hope this festival will become a meaningful platform where artists and fans from ASEAN and Korea unite through music to share hope and comfort.”
10CM Confirmed as Host, ASEAN Stars Such As HORI7ON to Take the Stage
With the festival expanding to its largest scale yet, expectations are high not only for the event itself but also for its lineup of artists, which will be officially revealed at the press conference. In particular, anticipation is growing among local fans as many prominent artists representing the host country, the Philippines, are set to join the lineup. Filipino boy group HORI7ON will attend the press conference on behalf of the participating artists. Formed through a global audition program, HORI7ON consists of Filipino members trained under the Korean idol system. The group debuted through Music Bank and has rapidly expanded its global fanbase, emerging as a leading next-generation P-pop act.
Korean musician 10CM has also been confirmed as the host of “2026 ROUND in the Philippines.” With a strong fanbase across ASEAN due to his K-drama OSTs, 10CM further demonstrated his popularity in the Philippines by successfully holding a solo concert in Manila in 2024. In addition to hosting, he will also give a special performance exclusively for ASEAN fans.
Admission to the ROUND Festival is free of charge and will be available through advance registration. Details regarding the registration schedule and process for “2026 ROUND in the Philippines” will be announced on official channels in February.
Connecting Through Music: ROUND Festival
ROUND is the official name and brand of the ASEAN•Korea Music Festival project, launched by KBS in 2020 with the goal of promoting exchange and cooperation between ASEAN and Korea through music. The ROUND Festival is held biennially in Korea and annually in the ASEAN Chair Country, fostering communication and collaboration among artists from ASEAN and Korea. In addition, the annual ROUND Music Forum promotes sustainable mutual growth through popular music.
Launched online in 2020 amid a global pandemic, the festival connected audiences worldwide through music. After another online edition in 2021, ROUND finally held its first offline festival in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2023, which was followed by one in Vientiane, Lao PDR (2024) and another in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2025).
Today, ROUND has grown into a cultural and artistic network platform connecting ASEAN and Korea.
ROUND Instagram http://instagram.com/roundfestival
ROUND YouTube https://www.youtube.com/roundfestival
ROUND Facebook https://www.facebook.com/roundfestival.official
ROUND TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@roundfestival