ILLIT Announces PRESS START Encore Tour After Sold-Out Shows Across Asia
ILLIT will return with the PRESS START Encore Tour in Korea and Japan after sold-out concerts and the success of I Got Your Back.
ILLIT's rise shows no sign of slowing down. After packing venues across Asia on their first concert tour, the five-member group is heading back to the stage with a newly announced encore run that reflects just how quickly their global fanbase has grown. Every stop of their inaugural PRESS START♥︎ tour drew overwhelming demand, and now fans who missed out are getting another chance to see one of K-pop's fastest-rising acts in concert.
Belift Lab confirmed on July 27 that ILLIT LIVE 'PRESS START♥︎' ENCORE will take place following the explosive response to the original tour. The announcement arrived through the global fan community Weverse, setting the stage for another major chapter in the group's live journey. The encore begins on October 17 and 18 at Incheon Inspire Arena before moving to Japan for four performances at Chiba Lara Arena Tokyo Bay on December 23, 24, 26, and 27. It is another clear sign that demand has stayed strong well beyond the group's debut momentum. When ticket sales move this quickly, you know the excitement is real.
ILLIT has announced their 'PRESS START♥︎' ENCORE concerts in Korea and Japan, with two shows at INSPIRE Arena in Incheon on October 17–18, followed by four shows at LaLa arena TOKYO-BAY in Tokyo on December 23–24 and December 26–27, 2026!#ILLIT #아일릿 pic.twitter.com/MCYooV8d7d
— ILLIT NEWS (@theillitnews_) July 27, 2026
The original PRESS START♥︎ tour turned into one of the year's standout success stories. Every performance across Seoul, Hong Kong, and five Japanese cities sold out, pushing organisers to open restricted-view seats and even add an extra Hong Kong show to satisfy demand. By the final curtain, the tour had expanded into 15 performances across seven cities. That kind of response rarely happens by chance. It reflects a group building genuine momentum through strong performances and a growing connection with audiences who keep showing up in bigger numbers.
The encore announcement arrives as ILLIT continues to gather speed on the music front. The group released the digital version of its second Japanese single, I Got Your Back, on July 26, and the title track wasted little time climbing to the top of local music charts. During the Tokyo concerts, ILLIT also unveiled the live performance of the song alongside Jisoo and Momoka from Japanese group HANA, who featured on the release. The collaboration added another memorable moment to a tour that already delivered plenty of highlights and showed the group's willingness to keep pushing creatively.
The schedule ahead leaves little room to stay put. ILLIT will continue promoting in Japan with appearances on NHK's Utacon on July 28 and Fuji TV's Mezamashi TV on July 29 before taking the stage at major summer events, including Mezamashi WANGAN Festival and Lucky Festival 2026 in August. Those appearances place the group in front of even larger audiences at a time when their popularity is clearly reaching another level.
For ILLIT, the encore is more than an extra set of concerts. It is the latest proof that the group's early success was no flash in the pan. Sold-out arenas, chart-topping releases, expanding tour schedules, and a packed promotional calendar paint the picture of an act moving with confidence. Every new milestone hits differently because it builds on the last one, and fans have responded every step of the way. If the original PRESS START♥︎ tour introduced ILLIT as one of K-pop's brightest new names, the encore run looks set to confirm that they are here to stay.
