HYBE takes K-pop cinema festival worldwide across 50 countries
A promotional poster for the HYBE CINE FEST 2026 / Courtesy of HYBE
K-pop’s entertainment juggernaut is redefining what it means to go to the movies.
HYBE, the agency behind BTS, announced Wednesday an ambitious expansion of its cinema franchise, bringing live concert broadcasts and exclusive feature films to more than 1,100 movie theaters across roughly 50 countries next month.
The weeklong event, dubbed HYBE CINE FEST 2026, represents the company’s most aggressive effort yet to transform traditional cinema screens into interactive, communal gathering spaces for a global fandom.
Organized in partnership with event cinema distributor Trafalgar Releasing, the festival will run from Oct. 24-31. In Korea, the event will screen exclusively at Lotte Cinema, while Japanese distributor Avex Pictures will oversee a tailored rollout in Japan.
What began in 2024 as a localized initiative in Latin America — drawing 260,000 attendees — expanded to Asia last year, attracting roughly 320,000 moviegoers. This year’s edition marks its transition into a truly worldwide affair, featuring six distinct theatrical programs. Highlights include never-before-seen concert films from powerhouse groups Seventeen, TXT and ENHYPEN, captured during their arena stops in Incheon and Seoul.
The crown jewel of the lineup, however, belongs to BTS. Live broadcasts of the group's "ARIRANG" world tour performances in Buenos Aires on Oct. 24 and São Paulo on Oct. 30 will air in real time across participating international theaters.
To bridge the physical distance between stage and cinema, HYBE is leaning heavily into fan culture.
A "HYBE CHEERING PARTY," will project 3D-enhanced music videos and performance clips from 13 roster acts, including Le Sserafim, Illit and KATSEYE. Every screening will function as an immersive sing-along, complete with Romanized Korean subtitles and synchronized fan chants — the precise, choreographed cheers that audiences shout during live shows.
Select flagship venues worldwide, including Lotte Cinema World Tower in Seoul, will offer physical activations such as light-stick decorating booths and photo zones, alongside pop-up retail spaces in major metros like Los Angeles and Paris.
"We wanted to take the shared magic that fans created in Latin America and Asia and scale it globally," a HYBE official said.
Global ticket sales open Sept. 30 at 10 p.m. Korea time, with domestic Korean sales following on Oct. 15 at 10 a.m.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.