aespa’s Karina and KISS OF LIFE became some of the biggest talking points from Waterbomb Seoul 2026, while attention is now turning to Seo In Young’s upcoming return stage after she revealed the efforts she made to prepare for the event.

Waterbomb Seoul 2026 opened on July 24 and 25 at the KINTEX Outdoor Global Stage, bringing together various K-pop artists and performers for the popular summer festival.

On the first day, artists including Simon Dominic, Taemin, Changmo, KISS OF LIFE, Lee Min Hyuk, Lee Young Ji, KickFlip, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, and MEOVV appeared on stage. The second day featured performances from Jay Park, Karina, Shownu X Hyungwon, Loco, GRAY, BIBI, H1GHR MUSIC, Zelo, and Billlie.

Among the first-day performances, KISS OF LIFE gained attention with their energetic stage. The group performed tracks including Who Is She, Midas Touch, Igloo, Lips Hips Kiss, k bye, Lucky, and Tell Me, showing their confident and lively performance style.

The group also surprised fans by previewing part of their upcoming third single track SWEAT before its official release. A performance moment between members Belle and Natty also drew attention from the audience.

On July 25, Karina once again became one of the festival’s most talked-about performers. After making her first solo appearance at Waterbomb last year, where she performed hits such as Next Level, Whiplash, Supernova, Spicy, and Up, she returned with another powerful stage.

Karina performed aespa’s popular songs while engaging with the crowd through water effects and the festival’s signature water cannon moments. Her stage presence and visuals received strong attention from fans.

The festival continued its momentum with more artists scheduled for July 26, including Zico, Park Jin Young, Rain, RIIZE, Sunmi, Taeyong, Dayoung, H1 KEY, and 82MAJOR.

Meanwhile, interest is also growing for Waterbomb Sokcho, which will take place on August 22, as Seo In Young is set to participate in the event.

Seo In Young will join the Orange Team alongside artists including Rain, Simon Dominic, Lee Young Ji, Nam Yoo Jung, and HAON. They will compete against the Blue Team, which includes (G)I DLE’s Soyeon, BIBI, Tiger JK, Yoon Mi Rae, and others.

The upcoming performance marks Seo In Young’s return to the stage after around 10 years. She revealed that she invested her appearance fee into preparing for the event and underwent a cosmetic procedure as part of her preparation.

On her YouTube channel, Seo In Young shared, "I had arm liposuction. I underwent surgery under general anesthesia," explaining her efforts ahead of the performance.

With Karina and KISS OF LIFE already creating memorable moments at Waterbomb Seoul 2026, fans are now watching to see what kind of stage Seo In Young will deliver for her long-awaited comeback appearance.