LE SSERAFIM and BTS take the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival in K-pop relay
BTS closed night one at T-Mobile Arena on Sept. 18; LE SSERAFIM followed on night two — the only two K-pop acts on the lineup.
BTS closes night one, LE SSERAFIM picks up night two
BTS and LE SSERAFIM split the 2026 iHeartRadio Music Festival across two nights in Las Vegas. BTS closed September 18 at T-Mobile Arena. LE SSERAFIM took the stage on September 19. The lineup also featured Cardi B, Snoop Dogg, and Benson Boone—but no other K-pop acts.
For BTS, it was their first U.S. major festival performance in six years. They closed the first night as the final act, running a set that pulled from the 5th studio album ARIRANG—title track SWIM and album cut 2.0—alongside MIC Drop and FYA. Before the show, the group addressed ARMY directly:
"You are the best fans in the world, and it is amazing how you sing along to all the Korean lyrics."
LE SSERAFIM (Kim Chaewon, Sakura, Huh Yunjin, Kazuha, Hong Eunchae) made history as the first K-pop girl group invited to the festival. On September 18, before their own set, the group posted a photo with BTS on their official SNS.
The backstory behind the relay
They're not strangers. In 2024, Huh Yunjin appeared on a track from j-hope's solo album. j-hope returned the favor with a feature on LE SSERAFIM's SPAGHETTI. That cross-group collaboration has been the foundation of their ongoing musical exchange.
iHeartRadio Music Festival is hosted by iHeartMedia, the largest radio broadcast network in the U.S., and is known for booking mainstream pop acts with proven radio airplay.
LE SSERAFIM's wider 2026 run
The group's North American push is part of a broader global schedule that includes Summer Sonic 2026 in Japan, the main stage finale of Blizzcon 2026 in the U.S., and three appearances on The Jennifer Hudson Show. (Three Jennifer Hudson Show slots for one group is not a small ask.)
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