The Morning Calm Post

ATEEZ has canceled its scheduled appearance at a K-pop festival in Poland. According to multiple reports on the afternoon of August 12, 2026, Korea time, ATEEZ's agency KQ Entertainment announced that the group would no longer appear at Sound in Colors K-POP EXPOSÉ, which had been scheduled to take place in Chorzów, Poland.

The key reason given by the agency was the organizer's failure to fulfill required obligations. KQ Entertainment said in effect that it had continued discussions with the organizer and made repeated requests for implementation, but that major contractual conditions had not been met, making normal performance preparation difficult. Reports also said the agency apologized to fans while explaining that the decision was unavoidable after considering the safety of the artists and staff as well as the quality of the performance.

The event was known as a K-pop festival scheduled for August 15 to 16, 2026, local time, at Silesian Stadium in Chorzów, Poland. In June, European outlet Euronews introduced the event and reported that ATEEZ, iKON, STAYC, AtHeart, MADEIN and The Wind were among the lineup. At the time, ATEEZ was introduced as one of the major acts.

However, the situation changed only days before the performance. According to multiple reports, not only ATEEZ but also iKON's side canceled participation in the event. ATEEZ's announcement did not cite a simple schedule change or health issue. Instead, the agency explained that the organizer had not met contractual obligations and that, as a result, it determined the performance could not proceed in a stable way.

Overseas K-pop festivals have expanded quickly in recent years. Large events built around K-pop artists are being planned steadily across Europe, North America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. These events give fans the chance to see artists locally. At the same time, the preparation process is complicated because several agencies, local promoters, venues, flight and lodging arrangements, and stage equipment contracts are involved.

For overseas performances in particular, contract fulfillment can connect directly to stage safety and audience service. Artist fees are not the only issue. Flights, lodging, on-site equipment, rehearsal time, security, insurance, local operating staff, visas and customs procedures can all become part of the same chain. If even some of those elements are unstable, both the quality of the stage and safety management can be affected. KQ Entertainment's statement that normal performance proceedings had become difficult can be read with that context in mind.

For fans, the confusion is inevitably significant. Overseas festivals involve not only ticket prices, but also flights, hotels and local transportation costs. When the absence of a major act is announced only days before a concert, the loss and inconvenience for audiences can grow quickly.

Below is an English rendering of KQ Entertainment's official notice.

Full Notice From KQ Entertainment

Notice Regarding the Cancellation of ATEEZ's Appearance at SOUND IN COLORS × K-POP EXPOSÉ

Hello.
This is KQ Entertainment.

We inform you that ATEEZ's appearance at SOUND IN COLORS × K-POP EXPOSÉ, scheduled to be held in Poland from August 15 to 16, 2026, has been canceled.

We have continued discussions with the organizer to ensure the smooth operation of the performance. However, because the organizer's contractual obligations and other essential matters required for the performance have not been fulfilled, we determined that the scheduled performance could not proceed normally.

Accordingly, after comprehensively considering the artists' ability to perform smoothly and their safety, we have unavoidably decided to cancel the appearance.

We ask for the generous understanding of ATINY, who had been waiting for the performance, as we deliver this sudden and unfortunate news.

Ticket refunds and related procedures will be announced through the organizer, so please check the organizer's official notices for details.

Thank you.

Summary Points

• ATEEZ announced on the afternoon of August 12, 2026, Korea time, that it had canceled its appearance at a K-pop festival in Poland.
• KQ Entertainment said it determined that normal performance proceedings would be difficult because the organizer had failed to fulfill obligations.
• The event was known as Sound in Colors K-POP EXPOSÉ, scheduled for August 15 to 16, 2026, local time, in Chorzów, Poland.
• According to reports, some other acts, including iKON, also canceled their appearances at the event.