ILLIT are once again closing out the year on Japan’s biggest stage. NHK revealed the lineup for the 77th ‘Kohaku Uta Gassen’ on November 13, and ILLIT were named to the red team for the third year in a row.
This time, ILLIT are the only K-pop act on the list. The group first appeared on the show in 2024, before they had even made their official Japanese debut. According to their agency, BELIFT LAB, ILLIT are now one of just three K-pop groups ever invited to ‘Kohaku’ three years running.
Airing every New Year’s Eve on NHK, ‘Kohaku Uta Gassen’ is widely seen as a measure of who truly made it big in Japan that year. The 2026 edition features 41 acts, 20 on the red team and 21 on the white team, including YOASOBI, Ado, Mrs. GREEN APPLE, and L’Arc-en-Ciel. HYBE’s Japan-based boy group &TEAM will also return for a second straight year.
On their official social media, ILLIT thanked GLLIT for making another big opportunity possible and promised a stage filled with gratitude for the fans who have always had their back.
Before New Year’s Eve, the group has a busy Japanese TV schedule lined up, with NTV’s ‘Best Artist’ on November 28 and Fuji TV’s ‘2026 FNS Kayo Sai’ on December 2. Back home, ILLIT are promoting ‘You’re Under Arrest,’ the title track from their 5th mini album, ‘BREAK EVEN,’ which came out last month. The 77th ‘Kohaku Uta Gassen’ airs on December 31 starting at 7:20 p.m. JST.
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