G-Dragon to Headline K-SPARK 2026 in Malaysia

• G-Dragon's return act cements K-SPARK Malaysia 2026 as a prominent K-pop event in Southeast Asia.
• K-SPARK rebranded itself from K-Star SPARK to move towards a more comprehensive pan-Asian festival concept.
• The festival leans heavily on Malaysia's rapidly expanding live-concert industry.

K-pop icon G-Dragon has been confirmed to perform at the K-SPARK Malaysia 2026 music festival at Stadium Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 31, 2026, making it one of the largest K-pop live events in Southeast Asia this year. 

Apart from G-Dragon, the event will also feature performances by popular acts ITZY, Mamamoo's Hwasa, and America-based Korean artist DPR Ian. The organizers have also stated that local Malaysian acts such as DOLLA and 3P will also be appearing, adding to the lineup's regional cultural blend. Notably, the event rebranded itself from K-Star SPARK to K-SPARK in 2026, indicating a strategic repositioning to target a broader pan-Asian audience and achieve scalability. The event will be sponsored by Klook, a travel services company.

As reported by Oriental Daily, ticket price bands are estimated to be around RM388 to RM988 (~ $95.35 to $243.05 USD). However, seating and ticketing details are yet to be released. But, as noted by Klook, ticket prices for Thailand’s K-Star Spark, which was held in Rajamangala Stadium (Feb 22, 2025), ranged from roughly THB 1,800 up to THB 8,000 (~ $50 to $210) across seating tiers. According to Korean media outlet KBS World, G-Dragon and DPR Ian performed there as well, including performances from Daesung (with G-Dragon), along with (G)I-DLE member Minnie, GOT7's BamBam. 

G-Dragon’s Return Anchors Festival Demand

Fans in Malaysia are looking forward to G-Dragon's return, which comes about six months after his last appearance in his Übermensch world tour, marking one of the most commercially successful stages of his career. The 39-show tour drew around 825,000 people, setting a new record for a K-pop solo artist. Additionally, a report by Tenasia noted G-Dragon to be previously enthralling audiences throughout Asia, resulting in the GD Syndrome. The artist’s Bangkok concert sold out and dominated social media trends, while his June 2025 show in Vietnam, amid unexpected heavy rain, was hailed as “the hottest night in Vietnam concert history” by local media. In light of his recent achievements, excitement for his K-SPARK Malaysia 2026 act has reached an intense peak. Both critics and fans are optimistic about the event, ready to see how he will enhance his stage appearance this time around.

Live-event Growth Fuels Malaysia’s Concert Economy

Media outlets like The Strait Times and The Star noted that concerts were expected to contribute nearly RM1.7 billion (~ $418.2M) to Malaysia’s economy in 2025. As per government officials quoted by these publications, Malaysia is on its way to becoming a concert hotspot by hosting almost 450 concerts in a year, which is a steep rise from its previous figures of 104 in 2022, 335 in 2023, and 408 in 2024.

Reportedly, Bollywood playback singer Arijit Singh’s large-scale ­concert in November 2024, and 2025 acts of K-pop girl group Babymonster, G-Dragon, and Cantopop ­legend Jacky Cheung all contributed to the rise, doubling demand from the audience. Earlier shows by K-pop girl group BLACKPINK and British rock band Coldplay in 2023 also collectively contributed about RM200 million (~ $49.2M) to the Malaysian economy, covering hotels, transport, and logistics. 

Regional K-pop Expansion Backs Various Festival Scale-up

K-SPARK Malaysia's arrival coincides with a busy year for Korean popular culture abroad, with events such as the ASEAN-Korea ROUND Festival in the Philippines, where Korean-Filipino band Hori7on is among the early confirmed acts.

K-pop continues to prosper in Southeast Asia, with global tours consistently selling out and resulting in large travel, accommodation, and merchandise spending. Headliner G-Dragon's return demonstrates his great regional appeal, bringing fans together for a night of high-energy performances and cultural spectacle in one of Malaysia's most renowned locations. Additionally, the BIGBANG leader is scheduled to perform at Paris' charity concert Le Gala des Pieces Jaunes and hold his first solo fan meeting in Seoul in Feb 2026.