What do you mean we’re already in the last month of the year and just a few days away from 2026? Time really flies. Being this close to the end of the year also means one exciting thing: year-end shows!
Every year, South Korean broadcasting stations present the biggest year-end shows from three major industries: dramas, music, and entertainment. This is why we get to see our favorite actors, idols, and entertainers all in one place. And the best part? KOCOWA+ is live-streaming these major year-end shows in real time, so we don’t have to worry about where to watch and can simply enjoy the moment!
The Drama Awards
As K-Drama fans, I think we can all agree that this year has been amazing for K-Dramas. We were introduced to many genres, from historical and thriller to rom-com, mystery, sci-fi, and more. The year-end awards are a way to show appreciation to our favorite stars, directors, writers, and everyone behind the scenes who made us happy and entertained throughout 2025. It’s also fun to see our favorite actors and actresses interact at these events. These moments are rare, since we get to see their personalities on camera without them being in character for a K-Drama!
“2025 MBC Drama Awards”
*Will be streamed LIVE on KOCOWA+
Date: December 30, 2025
Hosts: Kim Sung Ju, Lee Sun Bin
Drama lineup:
- “Motel California”
- “Undercover High School“
- “Crushology 101“
- “A Head Coach’s Turnover“
- “Oh My Ghost Clients“
- “Mary Kills People”
- “To The Moon“
- “Moon River”
- “Desperate Mrs. Seon Ju“
“2025 KBS Drama Awards”
Date: December 31, 2025
Hosts: Jang Sung Kyu, Nam Ji Hyun, Moon Sang Min
Drama lineup:
- “My Merry Marriage“
- “Catch Your Luck”
- “Marie and Her Three Daddies“
- “Cinderella Game“
- “Queen’s House”
- “A Graceful Liar“
- “Who Is She!“
- “KickKickKickKick“
- “Villains Everywhere“
- “Pump Up the Healthy Love
- “The First Night with the Duke”
- “My Girlfriend Is the Man”
- “Iron Family“
- “For Eagle Brothers“
- “Our Golden Days“
- “Twelve”
- “Walking on Thin Ice“
- “Last Summer”
The Music Festivals
Now, this one is for K-Pop fans! One of the things I look forward to most every year is watching my favorite idol groups perform at year-end music festivals. These festivals are not your usual music shows like Inkigayo, they’re on a whole different level. We get special stages, collaborations between different K-Pop groups, and performances we don’t usually see, along with fun interactions between our favorite idols.
“2025 KBS Song Festival”
Date: December 19, 2025
Hosts: Jang Do Yeon, Moon Sang Min, ILLIT’s Minju
Artist Lineup:
- CNBLUE
- 10CM
- Roy Kim
- Park Seo Jin
- JANNABI
- Lovelyz
- Dayoung
- NCT DREAM
- KISS OF LIFE
- n.SSign
- EVNNE
- CLOSE YOUR EYES
- THE BOYZ
- fromis_9
- Lee Chan Won
- P1Harmony
- STAYC
- aespa
- LE SSERAFIM
- tripleS
- and more+
“2025 MBC Music Festival”
*Will be streamed LIVE on KOCOWA+
Date: December 31, 2025
Hosts: SHINee Minho, Hwang Minhyun, ALLDAY PROJECT’s Annie
Artist Lineup:
- aespa
- ALLDAY PROJECT
- ATEEZ
- BEATPELLA HOUSE
- BOYNEXTDOOR
- CORTIS
- HANRORO
- Hearts2Hearts
- IDID
- ILLIT
- ITZY
- IVE,
- izna
- LE SSERAFIM
- TXT
- LUCY
- MEOVV
- Minho
- NCT DREAM
- NCT WISH
- NEXZ
- NMIXX
- PLAVE
- RIIZE
- Stray Kids
- THE BOYZ
- TREASURE
- TWS
- ZEROBASEONE
- And more+
The Entertainment Awards
One of the funniest and most anticipated year-end events is the entertainment awards. What makes these shows special is that they don’t feel too formal, since the entertainers always find a way to keep the atmosphere light, fun, and entertaining. It’s a time to celebrate the variety shows that made us laugh all year, along with the hardworking people behind them.
“2025 KBS Entertainment Awards”
*Will be streamed LIVE on KOCOWA+
Date: December 29, 2025
Hosts: Lee Chan Won, Lee Min Jung, and Moon Se Yoon
Program Lineup:
- “2 Days 1 Night“
- “The Return of Superman“
- “The Seasons: Cantabile of Park Bo Gum“
- “Immortal Songs“
- “Music Bank K-Chart“
- And more+
“2025 MBC Entertainment Awards”
*Will be streamed LIVE on KOCOWA+
Date: December 29, 2025
Hosts: Jun Hyun Moo, Jang Do Yeon, SHINee’s Key
Program Lineup:
- “Home Alone“‘
- “Radio Star“
- “Show! Music Core“
- “Idol Star Athletics Championship“
- “The King of Mask Singer“
- “The Manager“
- And more+
I’m really excited for all these year-end shows, not only for my K-Drama heart, but also for my K-Pop and K-Variety heart! Don’t forget that these shows will be available for streaming on KOCOWA+ with multiple subtitle options!
