ZICO Becomes First Korean Male Solo Artist to Join COUNTDOWN JAPAN, Set to Perform December 27
October 28, 2026
Artist and producer ZICO will perform at COUNTDOWN JAPAN, one of Japan’s leading year-end music festivals, continuing his run of appearances for local fans following a solo concert and a summer festival set.
According to KOZ Entertainment, ZICO will take the stage at COUNTDOWN JAPAN 26/27 on December 27 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. He is the first Korean male solo artist to join the festival’s lineup and will perform on its second day.
Launched in 2003, COUNTDOWN JAPAN is a major fixture on Japan’s year-end music calendar. This year’s event will run for five days—December 26–27 and 29–31—with 179 acts. ZICO’s addition has raised anticipation for the performance he will bring to the festival.
The appearance builds on his ongoing live activities in Japan. In February, he held his sold-out solo concert, “2026 ZICO LIVE : TOKYO DRIVE,” at Keio Arena Tokyo. According to Sports Donga, he performed signature tracks including “Any Song,” “SPOT!” and “Artist,” drawing enthusiastic singalongs from the crowd.
ZICO also appeared at the major music festival a-nation 2025 last year. From summer festivals to solo concerts and now a year-end event, he has continued connecting with Japanese audiences across a range of stages. This year’s sold-out Tokyo concert will now be followed by his COUNTDOWN JAPAN debut.
He has remained active onstage in South Korea as well. ZICO performed his hits at WATERBOMB SEOUL 2026 in July and appeared at the KB Joy Olpark Festival 2026 in September. On the 24th, he headlined the opening day of Netflix Korea’s 10th-anniversary fan festival at Oil Tank Culture Park in Sangam, Seoul.
Alongside his music activities, ZICO is appearing on the SBS Plus and MBN variety show “Real Men’s Travel in Taiwan.” Following its premiere, the show spent two weeks in Netflix’s Top 10 in South Korea and ranked No. 1 for four consecutive weeks on Taiwanese streaming service friDay.
Active as both a solo artist and producer, ZICO will reunite with Japanese fans at COUNTDOWN JAPAN in December. His history-making appearance as the festival’s first Korean male solo artist is set to round out his live activities in Japan this year.