Illit returns to Japan's FNS Music Festival for third year

Girl group Illit will perform at Japan's FNS Music Festival for the third consecutive year, its agency Belift Lab announced Tuesday.

The five-member group will appear on the first night of Fuji TV's 2026 FNS Music Festival, scheduled to air Dec. 2.

First held in 1974, the FNS Music Festival is one of Japan's major year-end music programs, bringing together prominent Japanese and international artists.

Illit made its first appearance on the show in 2024, before releasing its first Japanese album, and has returned annually since. The group also appeared on the program's summer special earlier this year.

The invitation comes amid Illit's growing commercial success in Japan, where the group has achieved strong streaming figures, chart rankings and concert ticket sales.

Earlier this year, Illit's debut single "Magnetic" and its first original Japanese song "Almond Chocolate" received triple platinum and platinum streaming certifications, respectively, from the Recording Industry Association of Japan, recognizing more than 300 million and 100 million streams.

The group also ranked No. 34 on Billboard Japan's Artist 100 chart for the first half of 2026, the highest position among international female artists during the period.

Its fourth EP's lead single, "It's Me," released in April, has maintained a strong position on Japanese charts. More than six months after its release, the song ranked No. 9 on Oricon's weekly streaming chart dated Nov. 2 and No. 13 on Billboard Japan's Hot 100 dated Oct. 28.

Illit's second Japanese single album "I Got Your Back" earned a gold certification after shipments surpassed 100,000 copies within three days of its July release. Its title track peaked at No. 2 on Billboard Japan's Hot 100.

The group also drew approximately 60,000 concertgoers during its first Japanese tour, "Illit Live 'Press Start' in Japan," which sold out all scheduled performances.

Illit is set to return to Japan in December for encore concerts at LaLa Arena Tokyo-Bay in Chiba.

Meanwhile, the group is building momentum with its latest Korean release.

"You’re Under Arrest," the lead single from its fifth EP, "Break Even," ranked No. 6 on Bugs and No. 12 on Melon's weekly charts for Oct. 26-Nov. 1.

The song has also climbed on Apple Music's Top 100 Global chart, rising from No. 67 on Oct. 27 to No. 12 on Nov. 1.