CORTIS·PLAVE·TOUCHED on one stage···‘Weverse Con Festival’ first lineup unveiled ILLIT, AHOF, &TEAM, WENDY, LEECHANGSUB, QWER, P1Harmony - 스포츠경향
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Artists leading trends across distinct genresincluding CORTIS, who have risen to global K-pop prominence since debut; PLAVE, the first virtual artist to become a million-seller; and TOUCHED, noted for an authentic rock soundwill take the stage at the Weverse Con Festival.
On the 11th, HYBE announced the first artist lineup for ‘2026 Weverse Con Festival (Weverse Con Festival, hereafter WeConFe)’ via the global superfan platform Weverse and the official Weverse Con Festival website.
The first lineup features a total of 10 teams: ILLIT(ILLIT), AHOF(AHOF), &TEAM(&TEAM), WENDY(WENDY), LEECHANGSUB(LEECHANGSUB), CORTIS(CORTIS), QWER, TOUCHED(TOUCHED), P1Harmony(P1Harmony), and PLAVE(PLAVE). This roster spans genres and generations, from global K-pop artists to bands, solo acts, and virtual artists.
The news that CORTIS, who emerged as top rookies upon debut in the latter half of last year, will head to WeConFe draws attention. With their debut album ‘COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES’ released last September, CORTIS entered the U.S. Billboard main album chart ‘Billboard 200’ at No. 15 on their first appearance, and within six months of release surpassed cumulative sales of 2 million (based on Circle Chart), sustaining explosive growth. Signaling a new title track in April and a second mini album in May, CORTIS will also showcase a distinctive musical palette on the WeConFe stage.
Representing virtual artists, PLAVE will take the WeConFe stage once again following 2024. Recording first-week sales of 1.09 million copies for its second single album ‘PLBBUU’ and achieving a career high, PLAVE successfully completed its first Asia tour across six cities including Seoul, Taipei, and Tokyo, continuing its ascent. Having confirmed an April comeback, PLAVE is likewise set to meet WeConFe audiences with an even fresher performance.
The rock band TOUCHED, long noted by music fans for its traditional rock sound, will also join. TOUCHED proved its prowess by winning the 2022 band survival program <Great Seoul Invasion>. Selling out solo concerts every year and conveying the appeal of rock music, TOUCHED will present the charm of a bona fide rock band at this WeConFe as well with intense sound and explosive energy. Alongside, QWERwho have established themselves as a ‘favorite girl group’ with refreshing sound and vibrant energyreturn to WeConFe for the second consecutive year. Recently completing their first world tour since debut, traveling to 16 cities across the Americas and Asia, QWER will deliver a stage that shows further growth as a global performing band.
Appearances by K-pop artists expanding their influence on the global stage continue as well. Having debuted in Japan and built a solid local fandom, &TEAM will perform at WeConFe for the fourth consecutive year. The group, which achieved million-seller status in both Korea and Japan last year, will expand its global activities with an April comeback and an Asia tour starting in May, meeting fans with deeper music and performance. Having wrapped up its third world tour held in 25 cities worldwide, P1Harmony also joins the WeConFe lineup for the second year in a row. Steadily growing as a ‘performance-oriented artist’, P1Harmony will launch full-scale activities with the release of its ninth mini album on the 12th and is set to present a highly polished performance at WeConFe.
Stages by fifth-generation K-pop artists also draw attention. Having made its first festival appearance at WeConFe upon debut in 2024, ILLIT continues its special connection with a third straight appearance. Opening its first tour across seven cities at home and abroad on the 1415, ILLIT will deliver an even more relaxed and refined stage at WeConFe. Anticipation is also building for the first appearance by the multinational boy group AHOF, formed through the survival program <Universe League> last year. With its debut album ‘WHO WE ARE’ selling over 360,000 copies in the first week and winning three music show trophies just ten days after debut, AHOF will put on an energy-filled stage befitting a ‘next-generation rising star’.
Solo artists with compelling voices will also take the stage, heightening the immersion of summer nights at the festival. WENDY, who solidified her status as a ‘vocal queen’ by successfully completing her first solo world tour, will participate in WeConFe for the first time. WENDY recently continued her activities by releasing the global single ‘Emotions(EMOTIONS)’ through a collaboration with an American singer-songwriter. At this WeConFe as well, she will deliver a profound stage as the epitome of trusted-and-true vocals. Expanding his scope as a musical actor and solo artist, BTOB member Lee Chang-sub returns to the WeConFe stage once again following last year. Having recently wrapped a successful solo concert series across seven Korean cities, Lee Chang-sub will connect with audiences at WeConFe through emotive vocals and steady live performance.
HYBE said, “This first WeConFe lineup is composed of artists who, through distinctive attempts and overwhelming achievements across different genres, are leading new trends in popular music“며, ”In the artist lineups to be revealed going forward, we will also present a diverse range of artists spanning generations and genres, reflecting WeConFe identity as a ‘stage for popular music’“이라고 말했다.
The second lineup for WeConFe, which will be held over two days on June 6-7 at KSPO DOME and the 88 Lawn Field in Seoul Olympic Park, will be announced within this month, and the final lineup will be unveiled next month. Ticket reservations and detailed information about the Weverse Con Festival can be found on the official Weverse Con Festival website and in the ‘Weverse Zone(Weverse Zone)’ community on Weverse.
