Hybe and Trafalgar Releasing have just announced Hybe Cine Fest 2026, taking place from October 24-31 at cinemas around the world.
After being held in Latin America in 2024 and Asia in 2025, this year the event is being expanded globally for the first time, present in more than 60 markets.
A noteworthy point is that the program not only re-airs recorded concerts. Hybe brings many different forms of music experience into theaters, from recorded concerts, live concert broadcasts to interactive activities for fans.
The focus of Hybe Cine Fest 2026 is BTS. Two performances of the group's Arirang world tour in South America will be broadcast in theaters around the world.
First is the BTS world tour ‘Arirang’ in Buenos Aires: Live viewing, broadcast from Buenos Aires, Argentina. This is also the first time BTS has performed in Argentina. The program will be broadcast on October 24 in the Americas and October 25 in the remaining regions.
The performance in São Paulo, Brazil - the final destination of the Latin American tour - continues to be brought to the big screen on October 30th in the Americas and October 31st in other markets.
Besides BTS, three other Hybe-affiliated groups also have concerts brought to the big screen.
Seventeen brings the New_ world tour to audiences at the cinema. This is a tour marking the group's new journey after 10 years of operation.
Tomorrow X Together appeared with Act: Tomorrow, recorded from the group's fourth world tour. Meanwhile, Enhypen has Blood saga, recreating the opening concert in Seoul with a stage inspired by the group's familiar vampire fantasy world.
Another content is Hybe cheering party in 3D - a 3D interactive program that allows audiences to sing, shout cheering slogans and use luminous sticks right in the cinema.
The list of artists appearing in this show extends beyond the four groups mentioned above, including Le Sserafim, &Team, Boynextdoor, TWS, Illit, Katseye, aoen, Cortis and Santos Bravos.
Hybe Cine Fest 2026 also experiments with turning some cinema complexes into spaces dedicated to the fan community. At the selected locations, there will be areas for taking photos, writing messages, selling official products and limited edition toys.
Tickets are open for sale globally from September 30th. The schedule and specific theater list will be announced depending on the market.
Hybe's expansion of the event to more than 60 markets shows that cinemas are becoming a new channel of exploitation for the Kpop industry. A concert held in Argentina or Brazil can no longer only serve tens of thousands of direct spectators but can also simultaneously reach fans in many countries through the big screen.
This model also extends the commercial life cycle of a tour. In addition to concert tickets, artists and management companies have additional revenue from theater tickets, products for fans and accompanying activities.
In Vietnam, the form of bringing concerts to theaters is also being noticed. Recently, Soobin live concert movie: All-Rounder was released at the cinema system, showing that the big screen is being exploited by entertainment units for many types of content outside of traditional cinema.
