The Philippines will be hosting the 2026 ASEAN-Korea ROUND Festival this April, with local hitmakers Cup of Joe and Ben&Ben joining the line-up.
Set to be held on April 18-19 at the Araneta Coliseum, this two-day free concert will be the festival’s largest edition.
It also coincides with the Philippines’ chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Performances from ASEAN and South Korean artists
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts and South Korea’s KBS World TV announced the full line-up during a press conference on January 28, which features a slate of regional talents.
Joining Cup of Joe and Ben&Ben in representing the Philippines are P-pop boy group HORI7ON and soloist TJ Monterde.
Artists from other Southeast Asian countries will also be performing, including Syafiq Abdilah of Brunei; G-Devith of Cambodia; Indonesia’s Pamungkas; Laos’ JoJo Miracle; MIMIFLY of Malaysia; Myanmar’s Velocity; Regina Song of Singapore; Tilly Birds from Thailand; and Chillies from Vietnam.
South Korean duo MeloMance is also part of the lineup, while the event will be hosted by Korean singer 10CM.
The 2026 ROUND Festival is organized and presented by KBS World, and sponsored by the ASEAN-Korea Cooperation Fund.
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Fulfilling a long-delayed plan
The inaugural version of the festival was held virtually on December 6, 2020, due to COVID-19.
It was originally set to take place in Manila, according to KBS World TV representative Lee Hansol, describing the 2026 edition as a fulfillment of the long-delayed plan.
“We waited six years because of the pandemic, which makes this moment more meaningful,” she was quoted by The Manila Times as saying.
ROUND’s first in-person edition was then held in Jakarta in October 2023.
Last year’s festival was hosted by Malaysia from June 21 to 22.
South Korea and ASEAN member countries take turns hosting the festival, which seeks to promote cultural co-operation between the nations through music.
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