The prestigious MAMA Awards is making its highly anticipated return to Hong Kong this November, marking the first time the ceremony will be held in the city since 2018. The two-day event, scheduled for November 28 and 29, will take place at Hong Kong's impressive new cultural landmark, Kai Tak Stadium, showcasing both K-pop's explosive global growth and the awards show's rich 26-year history.

Launched in 1999 by Mnet, a prominent music channel under CJ ENM, the MAMA Awards have grown alongside K-pop's rise to international stardom. Since hosting its first overseas ceremony in Macau in 2010, the awards show has become a traveling spectacle, bringing Korean pop culture to major cities including Singapore, Tokyo, and Los Angeles. Hong Kong served as one of the ceremony's longest-running international venues, hosting the event annually from 2012 to 2018.

The scale of this year's event represents a massive upgrade from previous Hong Kong ceremonies. Park Chan-uk, head of live entertainment at CJ ENM's music content division, highlighted the dramatic expansion during a press event at CJ ENM headquarters in Seoul's Mapo District on Tuesday. "In 2018, we held the show in a 10,000-seat venue," Park explained. "This year, we're hosting it at Hong Kong's new landmark, the Kai Tak Stadium, with over 70,000 seats, across two days."

Park described the upcoming 2025 MAMA Awards as "the most Korean yet most global" edition to date, emphasizing the organization's ambitious vision. "Our vision is to create a world united through music," he stated. "Under that vision, MAMA began holding ceremonies around the world – in Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and the U.S. – leading the globalization of K-pop." The ceremony will be broadcast live across more than 250 regions via Mnet Plus and other digital platforms.

This year's theme, "UH-HEUNG," creatively combines Korean onomatopoeia for a tiger's roar with the Korean word for excitement and joy. The concept symbolizes K-pop's mission to spread positive energy worldwide while transforming MAMA into a global music festival. Mnet producer Lee Young-joo elaborated on the theme's deeper meaning: "'Heung' represents the joy that rises when we sing and dance freely. It's a confident cry to live as your authentic self, transcending regions, races and cultures. This year's show will amplify that energy more than ever."

The star-studded lineup spans both nights, featuring an impressive roster of 27 teams ranging from promising rookies to K-pop legends. The first night will showcase performances by AlphaDriveOne, BABYMONSTER, BOYNEXTDOOR, ENHYPEN, Hearts2Hearts, i-dle, IVE, MEOVV, NCT WISH, Super Junior, TREASURE, and TWS. The second night will spotlight aespa, AllDay Project, Cortis, G-Dragon, izna, KickFlip, RIIZE, Stray Kids, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ZEROBASEONE, and additional artists. "We've brought together 27 teams, from promising rookies to K-pop legends, global stars and even artists from Hong Kong," Lee noted.

The hosting duties will be split between two acclaimed Korean actors, each bringing their unique appeal to the ceremony. Actor Park Bo-gum will host the first night, continuing his long-standing relationship with the MAMA Awards that began in 2017. Meanwhile, celebrated actor Kim Hye-soo will take charge of the second night, making history as the first actor to host the prestigious event. Adding international star power, Academy Award-winning actor Michelle Yeoh of "Everything Everywhere All at Once" will attend as a global presenter.

Producer Lee Young-joo expressed genuine excitement about Yeoh's participation, stating, "I'm genuinely excited just thinking about meeting her. As K-pop continues to establish itself as part of the global mainstream, her presence adds even deeper significance." This collaboration represents the growing recognition and acceptance of K-pop within Hollywood's elite circles.

The ceremony will feature several exclusive performances created specifically for this year's event. Producer Ma Du-sik revealed that BUMSUP from 'World of Street Woman Fighter' will perform alongside a surprise appearance by host Park Bo-gum. Additionally, BOYNEXTDOOR and Cortis will collaborate for a special joint performance that promises to highlight both groups' unique talents.

The second night will open with an impactful message performance featuring host Kim Hye-soo and Stray Kids member Felix. This will be followed by an innovative collaboration between ZEROBASEONE's Sung Han-bin and Japanese dancer Kyoka from 'World of Street Woman Fighter,' demonstrating the international scope of contemporary K-pop collaborations.

Perhaps most intriguingly, the producers announced the creation of "an original stage that blurs the line between animation and live performance through an official collaboration." Ma Du-sik revealed that a special partnership between the MAMA Awards and Netflix's acclaimed animated film 'K-Pop Demon Hunters' is in development. K-pop artists will bring the fictional animated K-pop bands Huntrix and Saja Boys to life during this segment, though the specific lineup for these roles remains under wraps. "The lineup for those roles is currently being finalized and we'll announce it very soon," Ma concluded with obvious enthusiasm for the innovative concept.