PLAVE, AHOF, nævis, RIIZE, NMIXX & more: MBC's unveils full lineup for first-ever Virtual Live Festival 2025

MBC has confirmed the full lineup for the MBC Virtual Live Festival, along with Coupang Play, to be held at Sangam Culture Plaza in Seoul from October 18 to 19, 2025. This event is the broadcaster’s first attempt at hosting a large-scale virtual live festival.

K-pop fans can catch virtual and real-life bands such as PLAVE, AHOF, nævis, RIIZE, NMIXX, and more together on stage over the two days of the festival. Promoted as the launch of the “NEXT K-culture”, the event is designed to highlight the past, present, and future of Korean music. It aims to blend technology and music, presenting both real and virtual artists on one stage.

Audiences can look forward to special collaboration stages where K-pop artists and virtual acts will connect. They will perform across real and digital spaces. In total, the festival will feature 23 teams, including Korea's top virtual acts, emerging K-pop groups, and iconic artists.

Full artist lineup revealed for MBC Virtual Live Festival 2025

The virtual artist lineup features some of Korea’s most prominent tech-driven acts. Leading the roster is PLAVE, the country’s first million-selling virtual boy group. They are joined by SM Entertainment’s AI-based solo artist nævis, ISEGYE IDOL, APOKI, IRISÉ, BRAZY, OFF EQUALS, LUVITA, Plan.B, and Virtual YB.

Adding to the spotlight, veteran rock band YB will adopt virtual technology for a new hybrid performance format. Alongside the virtual stars, the festival will host a roster of live performers, a mix of major groups and soloists. This includes RIIZE, NMIXX, KISS OF LIFE, tripleS, and more.

Here’s the full lineup:

Virtual Artist Lineup

PLAVE (Korea’s first million-selling virtual boy group)
nævis (SM Entertainment’s AI-based solo artist)
ISEGYE IDOL
APOKI
IRISÉ
BRAZY
OFF EQUALS
LUVITA
Plan.B
Virtual YB
YB (rock band adopting virtual technology for a hybrid stage)

K-pop Artist Lineup

RIIZE
NMIXX
KISS OF LIFE
tripleS
Xdinary Heroes
Choi Ye Na
izna
&TEAM
AHOF
KiiiKiii
USPEER
Koyote
John Park

MBC Virtual Live Festival 2025 to merge real and virtual stages, tickets open in September

The MBC Virtual Live Festival with Coupang Play will showcase K-pop’s biggest rising stars and virtual pioneers. It will also explore how digital technology can reshape live entertainment, as per Biz Enter and MBC Entertainment.

By merging performances across physical and virtual platforms, MBC aims to present a vision of the future of Korean music and global pop culture. The event will be livestreamed exclusively on Coupang Play, allowing global K-pop fans to enjoy the performances in real-time.

Further details, including stage highlights and behind-the-scenes updates, are yet to be released. Tickets for on-site attendance at Sangam Culture Plaza are set to go on sale through Coupang Play in September.

MBC Virtual Live Festival 2025 has already drawn significant attention from fans, standing out as both a K-pop showcase and a technology-driven entertainment event.

About the author

Adrija Chakraborty is a writer at Sportskeeda with a Master's degree in English literature, which provided her with a strong foundation in research, analysis, and writing. Currently, she covers all things K-drama trends. In school, Adrija served as an editor for her school magazine and has published many stories that received delightful responses.

Adrija's passion for pop culture, especially K-pop and K-dramas, developed during her university years. Writing blog posts and articles on these topics, which received positive feedback, helped her build a portfolio and opened doors to opportunities in the pop culture writing industry. This also allowed her to combine her academic background with her love for K-pop and K-dramas.

Accuracy is key for Adrija, and she maintains this by thoroughly researching and cross-verifying information from multiple credible sources.

Adrija loves BTS, whom she admires not only for their music but also for their resilience, passion, and dedication.
In her free time, Adrija enjoys watching K-dramas, reading books in different languages on various topics, singing, painting, and cooking.

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Edited by pratigya dhali