Christmas Day turned into a full-blown K-Pop spectacle as the stars who defined 2025 came together for a show-stopping celebration.
On December 25, the 2025 SBS Gayo Daejeon lit up Inspire Arena under the theme Golden Loop, with IVE’s Ahn Yujin, DAY6’s Young K, and NCT DREAM’s Jaemin taking the stage as MCs. The year-end festival looked back on a milestone year in K-Pop while teasing an even bigger future, delivering nonstop performances that kept viewers glued. A total of 36 acts filled the night with unforgettable stages, led by veterans and rising stars alike.
The show opened with a dynamic joint dance stage by TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s Yeonjun and CAT’S EYE’s Yoonchae. Fresh-faced rookies followed with bursts of energy, including IDIT, AMP, AHOP, Baby Don’t Cry, HITZIS, and virtual idol group SKINZ.
Holiday-themed collaborations quickly became highlights of the night. BOYNEXTDOOR’s Woonhak and ILLIT’s Wonhee teamed up as the duo “Snowmanz” to cover IU’s Merry Christmas in Advance. TXT’s Hueningkai, ZEROBASEONE’s Zhang Hao, RIIZE’s Sohee, and TWS’s Shinyu delivered an emotional rendition of DAY6’s You Were Beautiful, perfectly setting the festive mood. Additional standout stages came from KIKI, Hearts2Hearts, KICKFLIP, CORTIS, ALLDAY PROJECT, IZNA, and MIYAO.
Part 2 raised the intensity as BABYMONSTER stormed the stage with We Go Up and Psycho. The powerhouse trio “Makgangz” — IVE’s Leeseo, NMIXX’s Kyujin, and LE SSERAFIM’s Eunchae — drew cheers with a bold cover of BLACKPINK’s Pretty Savage. Taeyong’s first post-discharge performance at Gayo Daejeon added an especially meaningful moment to the night.
With a whimsical Christmas Village concept, Part 3 delivered even more surprises. NCT WISH reimagined TWICE’s TT, ALLDAY PROJECT’s Woochan performed Home Alone, and THE BOYZ’s Sunwoo sang Love Comes Two Steps Behind. The momentum continued with TREASURE’s Haruto on 12:25 AM, ITZY’s Chaeryeong on Espresso, and ENHYPEN’s Jungwon on A Christmas Nightmare.
For the finale, generations of K-Pop icons and trendsetters — including U-Know Yunho, aespa, TREASURE, ENHYPEN, ITZY, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, THE BOYZ, ATEEZ, and Stray Kids — delivered explosive stages, with NCT DREAM closing out the night on a high.
The massive lineup also featured U-Know Yunho, Taeyong, NCT DREAM, THE BOYZ, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, ITZY, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, TREASURE, aespa, ENHYPEN, IVE, NMIXX, LE SSERAFIM, &TEAM, BOYNEXTDOOR, ZEROBASEONE, RIIZE, TWS, NCT WISH, ILLIT, BABYMONSTER, NEXZ, MIYAO, IZNA, KICKFLIP, Hearts2Hearts, KIKI, SKINZ, HITZIS, ALLDAY PROJECT, Baby Don’t Cry, AHOP, CORTIS, AMP, and IDIT — cementing the night as one of the most star-packed K-Pop events of the year.