MAMA is the abbreviation of Mnet Asian Music Awards, the largest music awards ceremony in Asia organized by Mnet. Along with Seoul Music Awards, Golden Disk Awards and Melon Music Awards, MAMA is one of the four important annual awards, given to Asian artists who have achieved great achievements in the year.
The MAMA awards ceremony is usually held in November and December every year and always receives the attention of music lovers in general, and Korean music lovers in particular, all over the world.
Those who follow the awards ceremony all know that MAMA traditionally lasts from 2 to 3 days in different countries such as Japan, the United States, Singapore, Vietnam, Macau... However, during the past 7 years, many fans may have forgotten that Hong Kong used to be the "home ground" of this awards ceremony.
MAMA used to be a cultural "specialty" held annually in Hong Kong from 2012 to 2018. After a 7-year absence, this prestigious Asian Music Awards Ceremony officially returned to Hong Kong, marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Mnet television channel.
The 2025 event was announced to take place on November 28 and 29 this year at the main stadium of Kai Tak Sports Park - a new, modern venue with a capacity of up to 50,000 seats, promising to attract about 100,000 spectators for both shows.
This return is not only symbolic but also expected to create a strong boost for the local tourism and economy, in the context of Hong Kong seeking to recover from the pandemic. The venue has also been upgraded from the previous AsiaWorld-Expo to the newly inaugurated main stadium of Kai Tak Sports Park, adding to the appeal and scale of the event.
In particular, although the list of performing artists will be announced as early as October, Kpop fans have high expectations for BTS's explosive comeback to the stage of this awards ceremony after 3 years of absence due to military service.
Although there has been no official confirmation, the prospect is likely to happen when the 5 members of the group will complete their military service in June. BTS is also predicted by experts to soon return to the music race in the second half of this year.
A grand stage with elaborately staged performances, vibrant music and choreography, and a harmonization of the 7 BTS members are things that fans have been waiting for since the last time they performed live on the MAMA 2019 stage.
Not only that, the last time MAMA was held in Hong Kong was in 2018, which was also an impressive moment in the career of BTS members when they burst into tears while sharing their difficulties and stories of re-signing at that time. BTS's impressive return and MAMA in Hong Kong evoked many memories of not only ARMYs but also Kpop fans.
On the other hand, the MAMA awards ceremony is always the center of gathering the most famous names in Kpop and Asian music. The performances here are not only entertaining but also become iconic moments.
G-DRAGON, leader of BIGBANG, once made the MAMA stage explode when he returned after 9 years, performing with Taeyang and Daesung with a series of hits such as Bang Bang Bang, Fantastic Baby and the new song Home Sweet Home.
Last year, the audience also witnessed Byeon Woo Seok's transformation into Ryu Sun Jae - the main character in the hit K-drama "Lovely Runner", as well as the rare collaboration between Rosé (BLACKPINK) and Bruno Mars with the global hit APT.
With its grand scale, famous stars and the expectation of BTS's reunion, MAMA 2025 will definitely be the center of attention of global fans in the second half of this year.
