Agency’s 30th year to feature comeback projects, world tours, next-gen debuts
YG Entertainment is preparing for a landmark year, as the agency celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026 and flagship groups Big Bang and Blackpink mark their 20th and 10th years, respectively.
Although the members of both groups have moved to separate agencies or established independent labels for solo activities, Big Bang and Blackpink remain among YG’s most recognizable intellectual properties and major revenue drivers.
Leading YG’s 2026 plans is Big Bang’s 20th anniversary comeback project. The group is preparing a new album and world tour scheduled around its Aug. 19 anniversary.
In March, Yang Hyun-suk, chief executive producer and founder of YG Entertainment, revealed through YG’s official blog that he had reached an agreement with the members of Big Bang to hold concerts this year. Further details emerged in April when Big Bang announced during an appearance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, that its world tour would begin in August.
The group performed at Coachella as a three-member act, presenting Big Bang hit songs alongside solo performances by the remaining bandmates over two weekends.
T.O.P, who is no longer affiliated with YG, released his first solo full-length album, “Another Dimension” on April 3, nine days before Big Bang’s premiere Coachella performance. Taeyang, now under The Black Label, is also set to release his fourth LP, “Quintessence,” on May 18. The album marks his first full-length release since “White Night” in 2017.
Blackpink is expected to launch anniversary projects around its Aug. 8 debut date, according to plans announced by YG in March.
The group’s large-scale “Deadline” world tour officially concluded in January with concerts at Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong, while third EP “Deadline” was released in February. YG said the anniversary project will focus on fan-oriented events such as pop-up stores and previously unreleased video content.
YG’s younger acts are also expected to play key roles in the company’s anniversary year.
Yang said in a video interview in March, that "We have worked hard for Babymonster and Treasure since last year, and we will refine those results further and bring good news to our fans throughout the year."
Babymonster recently released its third EP, “Choom,” on May 4 and is preparing the 2026-27 Babymonster World Tour "Choom" in Asia and Oceania.
The tour currently includes 27 shows across 18 cities, including Seoul, six Japanese cities and stops throughout Asia and Oceania such as Manila in the Philippines, Macao, Jakarta in Indonesia, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Taipei in Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Auckland in New Zealand, Sydney and Melbourne, Australia .
YG said Monday that additional dates in Europe, North America and South America would be announced later.
Treasure also recently launched its third Asia tour, 2025-26 Treasure Tour "Pulse On," beginning in Macao on May 6 at The Venetian Arena. The tour includes 27 concerts across 14 cities throughout Asia.
The group is set to release a new hip-hop-based EP on June 1. Chief Executive Yang previously said the project was one of his favorite Treasure releases to date, despite the group facing difficulties after debuting during the COVID-19 pandemic.
YG is preparing to debut its first new boy band in six years around September. Yang has so far only revealed that the group will consist of five members. The agency said it opted for a smaller lineup to maximize each bandmate’s individuality and skills, differentiating the team from Treasure's member structure.
Music critic Lim Hee-yun said YG’s 30th anniversary also comes at a time when the company needs to prove it can continue creating new momentum beyond its established flagship acts.
"When you talk about a 30th anniversary celebration, the table should be filled with fresh spring greens, not just familiar names like Big Bang and Blackpink that everyone already knows," Lim said. "Blackpink members have each established their own separate bases for solo activities, and Big Bang is no longer promoting as actively as it once did."
"YG needs to either create new momentum for Babymonster as quickly as possible, launch an exceptional new boy group or develop innovative services that other companies haven't even thought of yet. Rather than relying solely on intellectual property, the company now needs innovation through services as well," he added.
