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ADOR Is Searching for Its First Boy Group Across 11 Cities Worldwide
HYBE label ADOR launches the 2026 Boys Global Audition across 11 cities. Open to males born 2007 or later with no category restrictions — raw talent wanted.
March 9, 2026
ADOR is building its first-ever boy group, and the search is going global. The HYBE-owned independent label, which created NewJeans, announced the 2026 ADOR Boys Global Audition on March 3, an open call across 11 major cities on four continents. What makes this one different: ADOR is explicitly not looking for polished technique. They want raw talent with something real to say.
What ADOR Is Actually Looking For
The audition is open to any male born in 2007 or later, with zero restrictions on application category. Applicants can submit singing, dancing, rap, acting, songwriting, composing, vlogs, photography — anything that showcases who they are. The application is online, and every person who submits will receive an invitation to attend an in-person audition in their city.
ADOR made the philosophy behind the search explicit in their official statement: "Rather than focusing on technique or trends, we aim to discover raw talents who possess their own natural charm and potential." For a label that built NewJeans around a distinctly unforced, ultra-natural aesthetic, that framing is not marketing language. It reflects how they actually work.
The Audition Schedule: 11 Cities, Four Continents
In-person auditions begin in Korea before moving through Asia, North America, and Australia:
- March 21 — Seoul, South Korea (Seoul Youth Center)
- March 22 — Busan, South Korea (Suyeong-gu Youth Center)
- March 28 — Singapore (DF Academy)
- April 4 — Osaka, Japan (OSM)
- April 5 — Tokyo, Japan (TSM)
- April 10 — Vancouver, Canada (MAMAKEISH)
- April 10 — New York, USA (ILD Studios)
- April 12 — Toronto, Canada (Dream Makers Music Academy)
- April 12 — Los Angeles, USA (STAGE X STUDIO)
- April 18 — Sydney, Australia (IMI Entertainment)
- April 19 — Melbourne, Australia (O2 Studios)
Online registration closes three days before each city's audition date. That means Seoul applicants need to be registered by March 18. The label confirmed that all online applicants will be allowed to attend in person — there is no pre-screening elimination round before the live auditions.
Why This Matters for K-Pop in 2026
The K-pop landscape is shifting. After several years when girl groups led the conversation, with NewJeans, IVE, aespa, and BLACKPINK dominating culturally and commercially, 2026 is shaping up as the year boy groups push back to center stage. SM Entertainment, YG, and now ADOR have all signaled new male debut projects this year.
For ADOR, the stakes are meaningful. The label built its entire identity around NewJeans. A boy group launch is a genuine expansion of the label's creative territory, not a revenue hedge. The same team that crafted one of K-pop's most distinctive aesthetics in recent memory is applying that sensibility to a new act, and doing it with a genuinely global search.
ADOR unveiled a short animated campaign video alongside the announcement. The animation follows an idea as it passes through ADOR's creative laboratory, takes human form, and steps through a door into a new world. The four symbolic elements, Lab, Door, Key, and Human, map directly onto the letters of the label name: All Doors One Room.
How to Apply
Applications are submitted online via the official ADOR Boys audition site. There are no genre restrictions, no nationality requirements, and no prescribed format for submission content. Online registration must be completed at least three days before your chosen city's audition date. Every applicant who registers online is guaranteed an in-person audition slot, with no preliminary cuts before the live event.
