The debut sets from three K-Pop acts at Coachella 2025 left everyone talking. LISA and JENNIE of BLACKPINK, as well as popular boy group ENHYPEN, rocked the stage, showing up for the K-Pop world, which continues to prove itself as a global contender on the festival circuit. After BLACKPINK headlined Coachella in 2023, becoming the first Korean artists to do so, the doors were open for others to follow in their footsteps.

In my opinion, there are several K-Pop acts that I believe would be ready to headline the festival next year if they were invited. Some have attended the festival, or even hit the stage already, while others would make their Coachella debut with a bang. Either way, they would each bring a unique sound, artistry, and stage presence to the Valley. If anyone is to become the second K-Pop act to headline Coachella in 2026, it should be one of the artists or groups below.

5 Taemin

The Soloist Deserves Global Success

When it comes to Michael Jackson, the latter of whom had a profound impact on Taemin's skills as a performer. Those who know a little about K-Pop from hearing songs like "Butter" by BTS or "APT." by ROSÉ ft. Bruno Mars on the radio won't know Taemin unless they look a little deeper.

[Taemin's] unique tone, incredible stage presence, and undeniable dancing abilities set him apart from other idols.

After debuting in 2008 as the youngest member of boy group SHINee, Taemin quickly attracted attention for his clean, concise performance style. Since then, he's risen as one of the most notable figures in the K-Pop industry from one of the most well-respected groups of K-Pop's second generation. Jimin of BTS and Ni-ki of ENHYPEN are just a couple of the idols from newer generations who cite Taemin, and SHINee in general, as their biggest role models, meaning that some of today's biggest groups wouldn't have the star power they hold without the influence of Taemin and others like him.

Without the global promotion that other Korean acts receive, it isn't likely that Taemin will headline a festival as big as Coachella, which is why he's lowest on this list. I do think, however, that if he were to gain promotion overseas with the goal of making him a global star, it wouldn't take long for the fire to catch. With his first solo world tour completed earlier this year, the momentum is there. His team just can't let it fizzle out before he gets started.

4 BIGBANG

They Deserve Their 2020 Set That Never Was

The career trajectory for BIGBANG has had its major highs and lows since their debut in 2006, but the three active seem more than ready to acknowledge the group and come together once again, this time on the Coachella stage where they belong. In South Korea and worldwide, BIGBANG are one of the most famous K-Pop groups. Their songs "BANG BANG BANG" and "Fantastic Baby" are classics to even the most casual K-Pop listener.

In 2020, BIGBANG was announced in the Coachella lineup for Friday, making them the first K-Pop boy group invited to perform at the festival. As we all know, that year led to cancellations all across the board, including music festivals. When Coachella made its return in 2022, fans were disappointed to see that BIGBANG weren't included. They wondered what came up to take such a huge opportunity away from the group that earned its place on the global stage. Unfortunately, rapper T.O.P. left the group in 2023, leaving any hope of a reunion less than likely anytime soon.

BIGBANG's leader and main rapper, G-DRAGON, was gearing up to release his first solo album in 12 years in February 2025, leading to a series of solo promotional performances of the album's pre-release single "POWER." To keep the excitement going, G-DRAGON performed at the 2024 MAMA Awards in Japan. While he started the performance with some older and newer solo songs, audience had no idea it would end with the first BIGBANG stage appearance featuring all three in over nine years. The clearly enjoyed themselves, and the crowd couldn't have been any louder if they tried.

Why not continue this long-awaited reunion with the Coachella slot they deserved to enjoy years ago? If the group isn't interested as a whole, then why not allow G-DRAGON to headline on his own (and bring out Daesung and Taeyang for "BANG BANG BANG," maybe)?

3 aespa

The Girl Group Is Making Waves Worldwide

If you're at all aware of which K-Pop groups are popular at any given time, you'll recognize aespa. The four-member girl group from SM Entertainment was one of the biggest stars of 2024, somehow releasing three perfect title tracks, "Supernova," "Armageddon," and "Whiplash," all in the span of one year. They also won Group of the Year at Billboard's Women in Music celebration. Many agree that aespa is the most exciting girl group at the moment, and I strongly believe this is just the beginning for them.

aespa were featured in 88rising's Head in the Clouds Forever set at Coachella in 2022, where they performed a short setlist just two years after their debut. Since then, the group has undergone several impressive transformations. Not only have they released their best music in the last few years, but they've grown immensely as performers. At the start of their career, I watching their performances and feeling like something was missing. It's difficult for a group with so few to command a stage on their own, but something clicked recently to where I never question their stage presence.

At this precise moment in their career, I think it makes complete sense for the girl group to move into the festival scene. Songs like "Drama" and "Armageddon" were made to be performed in stadiums and shouted along to by massive festival crowds. BLACKPINK were the first K-Pop act to headline Coachella, so why shouldn't another killer four-member girl group be the second?

2 ATEEZ

Their 2024 Set Proved They Have What It Takes

ATEEZ are a boy group that have always had to prove themselves. Since their debut in 2018, they've faced hardships that any group under a smaller Korean entertainment company has faced, including having their music show performances cut down, being placed in less spacious dressing areas, and not being invited to the industry's biggest award shows for years. Despite all of this, and largely because of it, they've risen to the same heights as some of the industry's most influential groups through their blood, sweat, and tears.

ATEEZ weren't invited to perform at the annual MMA Awards until 2024, over six years after they debuted. Their performance (above) proved why they deserved their long-awaited invitation.

Every ATEEZ fan re where they were the day the Coachella lineup dropped for 2024. Prior to this, when any K-Pop fan thought of the groups that were most likely to perform at a festival of this caliber, they'd choose groups like TXT, Stray Kids, or NewJeans, groups with global festival experience under their belts thanks to the combination of influence from their companies and their own raw talent. It's not that I doubted that ATEEZ could ever perform at Coachella, I just never thought they'd be given the opportunity.

This time last year, ATEEZ blew away crowds filled with fans, casual listeners, and those in the Sahara Stage audience who had no idea that a K-Pop group was up next. They're a group widely known for their explosive stage presence, so everyone who knew them knew they'd bring the energy needed for a Coachella debut. Even so, no one could've predicted just how perfect that debut would be. Several standout moments, like Jongho's perfect "Wonderland" notes and their theatrical performance of "ARRIBA," went viral online, impressing even those who were miles away from the Coachella Valley.

As the first K-Pop boy group to perform at Coachella, ATEEZ left their mark on the stage. The pride they felt for themselves and their careers was palpable in each performance and in leader Hongjoong's brief speech to the crowd where he reminisced on what it took to get them there. In my humble opinion, ATEEZ more than deserve the honor of being the second K-Pop act invited back to Coachella, this time to headline in 2026.

1 BTS

Their 2025 Reunion Deserves All The Stops

By July 2025, all the of BTS will have returned from completing their mandatory military service. With this date looming closer and closer, fans speculate on what they should expect from the group in the second half of the year. At the time of writing this, Jin and J-Hope are the only who have completed their service so far, each releasing new solo music almost immediately after their return, and J-Hope is currently embarking on his first solo world tour. If this trend continues, we can at least expect solo music from the other this summer.

"It only makes sense that they'd save the achievement of the second Korean act to headline the festival for the most popular boy band in the world."

The official reunion of BTS is something that will be felt throughout the world. We can predict what might happen all we want, but I don't see the harm in waiting just a little longer for the to pour their time and energy into new music that they're proud of. If we're lucky, we might expect a group comeback by the end of the year, but I truly don't mind waiting for something that might be as incredible as "Run BTS," a song performed just once from their celebratory compilation album Proof.

All this is to say that if the booking team at Coachella is taking suggestions for next year's lineup, I think a BTS headline slot is well overdue. What better way for the group to celebrate their musical reunion and their dedication to fans in their 13th year together? If we let them take the time to create the music they want us to hear, I don't think it's too farfetched to hope for not only a new album by next year, but also a world tour, kicked off by their first appearance at Coachella, as headliners nonetheless.

Any of these artists/groups would make for an incredible headlining set at Coachella, but there's something to be said for BLACKPINK and BTS running the industry the way they have for so long. It only makes sense that they'd save the achievement of the second Korean act to headline the festival for the most popular boy band in the world.