After a decade on the air, MBC’s beloved musical variety show The King of the Masked Singer will officially conclude the current season by the end of this year. According to JTBC Entertainment News on October 23, the final episode will be filmed in December, with plans already underway for a renewed season that will air in 2026 after a short hiatus.
An MBC official confirmed, “After running continuously for the last 10 years, King of Mask Singer will take a short break and return next year in a more revamped and evolved form.”
Originally launched as a pilot project in February 2015, the show became a permanent fixture in April of that year. Its unique format, which pits celebrities from all fields against each other in anonymous singing battles while wearing elaborate masks, quickly earned it a place as one of MBC’s flagship weekend programs.
Over the past decade, the show has reintroduced numerous talents into the spotlight. In particular, Guckkasten’s Ha Hyun Woo, Touched’s Yoon Min, and Jeong Joon Il gained wide acclaim after achieving nine consecutive wins. The success of the format has spread globally, making money The king of the masked singer a reputation as a leading exporter of the K variety. The show has been remade in over 58 countries, including China, the United States, France and Germany.
With 2025 marking its 10th anniversary, producers pondered the show’s next steps and ultimately chose to pause and retool the format. Inspired by how many of its international counterparts operate on a seasonal basis, the next version of The King of the Masked Singer is expected to adopt a seasonal structure, which will likely incorporate various updates while maintaining its core concept.
As anticipation grows, fans can expect a reimagined yet familiar version of The King of the Masked Singer to return in 2026, continuing its legacy as one of Korea’s most iconic musical variety shows.
Sources: Daum
