SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – AUGUST 18: CORTIS attends CORTIS’s 1st mini album ‘Color Outside The Lines’ media showcase at Blue Square SOL Travel Hall in Yongsan-gu on August 18, 2025 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by The Chosunilbo JNS/Imazins via Getty Images)
ImaZins via Getty Images
CORTIS is headed to Singapore. The five-member group has been confirmed as the sole K‑pop act on the opening night of the 2026 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, taking the Padang Stage on the first day of the race weekend. They will share the bill with Janet Jackson, JJ Lin, Zara Larsson, James Arthur, Mark Ronson, DJ Snake, Major Lazer Soundsystem and Goo Goo Dolls throughout the three‑day event at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
CORTIS At The Singapore GP: What To Expect
CORTIS will open the F1 weekend on October 9, sharing the Padang Stage with JJ Lin, Spacey Jane, Borderline, Shingo Nakamura, Split Enz, Major Lazer Soundsystem, DJ Snake, TOKiMONSTA and additional acts. Located in Zone 4, the Padang Stage is open to all race‑ticket holders, so anyone with a Friday pass can catch the performance. Access to the Wharf Stage, where Janet Jackson headlines on Sunday, requires a Zone 1 ticket. Friday‑only tickets begin at SGD 198 (approximately USD 150).
The Singapore Grand Prix ranks among Asia’s premier sporting spectacles, attracting a cumulative 6.7 million fans during the 2025 Formula 1 season. For CORTIS, which debuted in August 2025 and is still under a year old, sharing the stage with Janet Jackson and Mark Ronson at this magnitude marks one of the group’s most prominent non‑K‑pop appearances to date.
CORTIS’ Rapid Rise
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – APRIL 20: Members of CORTIS, Martin, Juhun, Geonho, Seonghyeon and James attend the showcase for the group’s second mini album ‘GREENGREEN’ and title track ‘REDRED’ at YES24 Live Hall on April 20, 2026 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by JTBC PLUS/Imazins via Getty Images)
ImaZins via Getty Images
CORTIS — made up of Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon and Keonho — launched under Big Hit Music and Republic Records in August 2025, becoming the label’s third act after BTS and TXT. The members range in age from 16 to 20, and the group’s name stands for “Color Outside the Lines,” a motto that also guides their creative process. They participate in songwriting and production, with James additionally handling choreography. Their debut EP, Color Outside the Lines, landed in September 2025 and entered the Billboard 200 at No. 15 — the second‑best chart‑entry for a K‑pop act. Within ten months they followed up with a second EP, embarked on a world tour, played at two major international showcases and earned a spot at one of Asia’s most prestigious yearly festivals.
Their second EP, GREENGREEN, topped the Billboard Top Album Sales chart and moved 2,313,291 units in its opening week, ranking CORTIS among the K‑pop acts with the swiftest first‑week sales since their debut.
Beyond streaming numbers, CORTIS has been deliberately branching into non‑K‑pop global platforms earlier than most peers at a similar career point. In February 2026 they became the first K‑pop act to headline the NBA Crossover Concert Series’ opening night during All‑Star weekend. The group is also slated to appear as an official after‑show performer at Lollapalooza, and their inaugural world tour — dubbed “Put Your Phone Down” — will visit nine cities across South Korea, North America and Japan from July through September 2026.
The October 9 Singapore GP appearance slots neatly between CORTIS’s Incheon and Seoul domestic shows and their Kanagawa, Japan leg in September, fitting smoothly into an already busy international calendar.
They also made history as the first K‑pop act to headline the NBA Crossover Concert Series’ opening night during All‑Star 2026. Being announced as the lone K‑pop performer on the Singapore GP’s opening night — sharing the bill with Mandopop star JJ Lin instead of another K‑pop group — underscores CORTIS’s cross‑genre, cross‑market strategy, setting them apart from acts whose overseas work remains largely within the K‑pop tour circuit.
