MAMAMOO brought its full four-member lineup back to the stage at UBS Arena in Elmont on August 12, marking the first time Solar, Moon Byul, Wheein, and Hwasa have performed together in more than three years and kicking off the group's 2026 US tour on Long Island. The Belmont Park arena, which the K-pop quartet also played in May 2023, hosted a set built around fresh material and old favorites, arriving as the group celebrates its 12th anniversary since debuting in 2014.
The reunion followed each member completing individual solo goals across separate agencies, according to amNewYork, which reported that getting all four back together required years of schedule coordination. All four members currently maintain successful solo careers, and the outlet noted the group recorded its parts for its new album separately because of busy individual schedules before coming together for the tour.
Wheein told amNewYork that the members' solo styles blend together when they perform as a group, while Moon Byul said she wants to share the four members together on stage and revive memories of MAMAMOO's music for fans. Hwasa said returning to MAMAMOO felt natural and familiar after the hiatus, and Solar said the group's visuals and overall entertainment have improved significantly since its last US tour.
A Reunion Album Years in the Making
The full-group comeback centers on 4ward, released digitally on June 4, which the group has described as symbolizing the members moving ahead together after their individual paths. The single album includes the experiences and unique styles of all four members and features five tracks, including an introductory song titled Blooming and the lead single 4 Flowers, plus acoustic and Latin remixes, according to ABS-CBN Entertainment.
The album release led into the group's 2026 4WARD World Tour, which began in Seoul at Olympic Hall with a three-day run from June 19 to June 21, timed to start on the exact date of MAMAMOO's 12th debut anniversary, per JoongAng Ilbo. From there, the tour crossed the Pacific to open its US leg in Elmont, with the setlist for New York fans expected to include 4 Flowers alongside older hits like Mr. Ambiguous and Piano Man, the group's so-called moomoo fanbase turning out for familiar songs performed with what amNewYork described as renewed energy.
Back at the Same Long Island Arena
UBS Arena was not a new stop for the group. MAMAMOO previously played the same venue on May 16, 2023, during its MY CON World Tour, which marked the act's first-ever US arena tour across nine American cities, according to MELODIC Magazine. That earlier run stands as the group's last full US tour before the three-year gap that just ended in Elmont.
The Belmont Park venue, which opened in November 2021 with a concert capacity of up to 19,000 guests and acoustic design built for live music, per Populous, has increasingly become a go-to Northeast stop for major K-pop acts. Hoodline previously reported that the arena hosted multi-night stands from TWICE in February 2026 and has aespa booked for September, cementing its role as a primary Metro New York destination for top-tier Korean pop tours.
From Solo Paths Back to One Stage
Reuniting the full group meant navigating years of separate contracts. Wheein ended her exclusive management deal with RBW Inc. in June 2021 but signed an extended agreement to continue group activities through December 2023 before moving into solo management, according to GMA News Online. Hwasa parted ways with RBW in June 2023 and signed with PSY's label, P Nation, notably signing the papers live on stage during a concert, as reported by Koreaboo.
Even during the years apart, the group kept a joint musical presence alive. Solar and Moonbyul formed MAMAMOO's first official sub-unit, MAMAMOO+, debuting in August 2022 with the single Better featuring BIG Naughty, per Bandwagon. MAMAMOO remains represented by RBW Inc. as a group even as individual members operate under different labels.
What Comes Next on the Road
After the Elmont kickoff, MAMAMOO will continue its US tour through Chicago, Fort Worth, Cedar Park, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Kent, according to amNewYork. The current run follows a career that stretches back to the group's 2019 single HIP, a dance-pop hit that reached No. 1 on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart and later earned platinum certification from the Korea Music Content Association in November 2020 after surpassing 100 million streams, per the Asia Artist Awards.
For a fanbase that has watched four solo careers unfold across four different labels, the Elmont show offered something the group's members themselves framed as overdue. Moon Byul's stated wish to revive memories of the group's music on one stage, paired with Wheein's sense that their individual styles now blend together as a group, gave the UBS Arena crowd a reunion twelve years and three years apart in the making.
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