Shocking lineup alert: SM Entertainment just unveiled an aggressive 2026 comeback roadmap while reporting strong Q1 results, signaling a wave of major returns and tours from its top artists.
In its May 6 earnings release, SM Entertainment reported consolidated revenue of 279.1 billion KRW and operating profit of 38.6 billion KRW for Q1 2026.
In Q1, SM’s flagship IPs — including Super Junior, NCT DREAM, aespa, RIIZE, and NCT WISH — hit the road on global tours. Notably, rookie girl group Hearts2Hearts, which debuted last year, scored big with their hit single 'RUDE!', with about 85% of streams coming from overseas. The track achieved the highest ranking this year among K-pop girl group releases on Spotify’s 'Global Top 200' chart.
SM plans to keep the momentum going in Q2 and Q3 with a flood of comebacks. Q2 will see full-length albums from NCT’s Taeyong, aespa, and NCT WISH; mini albums from SHINee, RIIZE, and Hearts2Hearts; and a new single from Ryeowook. Rolling into Q3, releases include full-length albums from Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon and NCT 127; mini albums from Super Junior-83z, Red Velvet, and WayV; plus new music from Yesung, Minho, and U-Know Yunho.
On the touring front, a brand-new world tour from aespa will kick off in Seoul and expand to North America and Europe, alongside EXO’s tour concerts and solo shows from TVXQ’s U-Know Yunho and Red Velvet’s Irene.