For the first time in more than three years, K-Pop sirens MAMAMOO are returning to the stage as a complete group.
The celebrated quartet, Solar, Moon Byul, Whee In, and Hwa Sa, will kick off their 2026 U.S. Tour at UBS Arena on Aug. 12, celebrating their first official reunion after years devoted to acclaimed solo careers and marking their 12th anniversary as one of K-pop’s most respected vocal groups.
MAMAMOO has built a reputation as one of K-pop’s premier performance acts since debuting in 2014. This summer, the group reunited for its first full-group release in more than 3½ years, 4WARD, released June 4, marking a new chapter after an extended period in which each member found success as a solo artist.
Ahead of the UBS Arena kickoff, amNewYork spoke with the quartet about returning to the stage together, celebrating with MOOMOO, their devoted fandom, and why 4WARD is a homecoming instead of a comeback.
For the members, this tour is a love letter to MOOMOO and celebrates everything the group has become over the past 12 years.
“I think you’ll be able to see a more mature side of MAMAMOO,” Solar said. “Our last U.S. tour was already three years ago, and I believe the visuals and overall entertainment have leveled up significantly since then.”
The K-pop group MAMAMOO is kicking off their world tour at UBS Arena.Photo courtesy of RBW Inc.
“Rather than showing a completely new look, I want to share the four of us together on stage and bring back fond memories of MAMAMOO’s music over the years,” Moon Byul added.
Whee In promises familiar songs presented with renewed energy.
“We’ve prepared with enough energy to make even familiar performances feel brand new, and the special trot arrangement stage is going to be so much fun,” she said.
“I think you’ll get to see a mature side and new charms that only the MAMAMOO of today can show,” Hwa Sa added.
While Whee In and Hwa Sa are especially excited to revisit early hits like “Mr. Ambiguous” and “Piano Man,” Solar and Moon Byul say simply sharing the stage together again is the greatest reward.
“Every single song feels that way to me,” Solar said. “I’ve always dreamed of singing and performing on stage as MAMAMOO again, so I’m beyond happy to finally show everyone this side of us.”
“More than any specific song, I’m just thrilled about every single performance on this tour simply because we get to do it together,” Moon Byul said.
Very few K-pop groups remain active after more than a decade, and even fewer have members who have all established successful solo careers while maintaining their group identity. Looking back, the members say that’s what makes MAMAMOO’s journey so meaningful.
“Being able to go on a world tour like this is something I’m deeply grateful and happy for,” Solar said. “Every time we perform, seeing MOOMOO enjoy the show even more passionately than we do gives me so much energy. Also, fans prepare special events for us at every single stop, and I know that’s never an easy thing to do.”
The K-pop group MAMAMOO is kicking off their world tour at UBS Arena.Photo courtesy of RBW Inc.
“Seeing how much heart and care they put in just for us leaves me with feelings that words can hardly express. I truly believe MAMAMOO was able to come this far all thanks to MOOMOO,” she said.
“I believe I exist today because we were all together, not alone,” Moon Byul said. “Every single moment becomes a memory and a piece of history that we can treasure together.”
“What makes me proudest is that we’ve earned the title of a group with strong, solid careers both as MAMAMOO and as individuals,” Whee In added.
“The fact that we’re moving forward healthy and with unwavering sincerity — that alone is more than enough,” Hwa Sa said.
Although each member spent recent years releasing solo music and embarking on individual tours, stepping back into the recording studio together felt surprisingly natural. The creation of 4WARD evokes a feeling of returning home to family.
“It actually felt quite natural while recording,” Solar said. “But after we finished, hearing all four of our voices together in one song made me feel so genuinely glad and surprisingly emotional.”
“Excitement was the biggest feeling,” Moon Byul said. “Because of everyone’s busy schedules, we each recorded our parts separately, but listening to the completed track made me feel right away, ‘This is true MAMAMOO.’”
Whee In said the reunion became real once they gathered again.
“Seeing the lyrics sheet marked with each member’s name made me really curious about how it would all come together. Coming together for our first shoot was just filled with excitement,” Whee In said.
For Hwa Sa, nothing had changed.
“Even after a fairly long hiatus, being back together felt as natural and familiar as if we’d just seen each other yesterday. Home is home, always unchanged.”
The K-pop group MAMAMOO is kicking off their world tour at UBS Arena.Photo courtesy of RBW Inc.
The members say this reunion wasn’t spontaneous. Behind the scenes, it took years of coordinating schedules and waiting for the right opportunity.
“We’d been doing solo activities for so long, and I think MOOMOO were really wishing for MAMAMOO to get back together,” Solar said. “I sincerely wanted a reunion just as much.”
“Rather than thinking right now was the ‘perfect time,’ we’d actually been making plans and adjusting all four of our schedules for a while,” Moon Byul explained.
Whee In shared that the reunion happened naturally after each member completed her individual goals.
“After each of us did our best in our own spaces and wrapped up our solo work, we naturally found ourselves at this moment.”
“It takes an enormous amount of preparation,” Hwa Sa added, “but we were finally able to create this opportunity because we all brought our hearts together.”
After over three years apart, MAMAMOO says it only strengthened their bond and skills on the global stage.
The K-pop group MAMAMOO is kicking off their world tour at UBS Arena.Photo courtesy of RBW Inc.
“Doing solo activities taught me so much,” Solar said. “Since I had to fill the entire stage on my own, I had to pay much closer attention to every detail.”
Moon Byul said performing as a group now feels liberating.
“Group work feels a bit less burdensome because I’m sharing it with my members. It allows me to enjoy the performance even more.”
“As our solo activities picked up, each of our distinct styles became much clearer,” Whee In said. “Those individual colors blend together seamlessly when we perform as a group. That balance makes us feel even bigger and stronger as MAMAMOO than before.”
“Unlike my solo work, I focused on adjusting my rhythm to sync with MAMAMOO as a team,” Hwa Sa added.
With their album aptly named 4WARD to represent this new era for them, its name carries a different meaning for each member, but all agree it represents moving ahead together.
Solar calls the album “another major turning point,” saying it reminded her that “before I am Solar, I am part of MAMAMOO.”
Moon Byul views it as “another new beginning” after years of solo activities.
The K-pop group MAMAMOO is kicking off their world tour at UBS Arena.Photo courtesy of RBW Inc.
For Whee In, 4WARD symbolizes “relying on each other, facing the same direction and continuing to move forward together” alongside MOOMOO.
Hwa Sa says the album defines who MAMAMOO is today rather than looking back on the past.
“Everyone’s individual experiences and unique colors naturally merged into this album, making it a truly meaningful milestone.”
When New York fans hear the new music live for the first time, the members unanimously point to “4 Flowers” as the song they are most excited to perform, with Hwa Sa promising the entire concert will feel like “one continuous song.”
MAMAMOO hopes that fans enjoy their tour, and after waiting years for this reunion, they leave fans with these messages:
“I’m sorry, and I love you,” Solar said.
“As long as you stay by our side, we want to be with you anytime, always,” Moon Byul added. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart for waiting so long.”
“MAMAMOO 4EVER,” Whee In said.
“Words honestly can’t express how grateful I am to MOOMOO,” Hwa Sa said. “I poured my absolute whole heart into this.”
Following New York, the tour will continue through Chicago, Fort Worth, Cedar Park, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Kent.