Reports say MBC’s idol sports entertainment program, the Idol Star Athletics Championships, will not be scheduled as a 2026 Chuseok special. TenAsia and Sports Today reported the news on August 14, 2026. According to the reports, a broadcasting-industry source explained that scheduling would be difficult because the Asian Games period overlaps with the Chuseok holiday.
The Chuseok Holiday Overlaps with the Asian Games Schedule
The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute lists Chuseok in 2026 as September 25, with the Chuseok holiday running from September 24 to 27 under the five-day workweek calendar. The 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will take place from the opening ceremony on September 19 to the closing ceremony on October 4.
The entire 2026 Chuseok holiday falls within the Asian Games period.
| Schedule | Dates |
|---|---|
| 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games | September 19–October 4 |
| 2026 Chuseok holiday under the five-day workweek calendar | September 24–27 |
What Has Been Confirmed About This Announcement
The reports confirmed so far concern the 2026 Chuseok special schedule. They should therefore not be interpreted as evidence that the Idol Star Athletics Championships has been canceled or permanently discontinued. MBC’s official program page records that the 2025 Chuseok special Idol Star Athletics Championships aired from October 6 to 9, 2025.
Those who want to watch clips related to the program can refer to past competition clips on the official MBCentertainment YouTube channel. However, those videos are program-related materials and do not directly confirm the 2026 schedule.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/NsOhHBkAI94?rel=0&playsinline=1" title="Official Idol Star Athletics Championships competition clip from MBCentertainment" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen></iframe>
What to Watch for Next
- The information currently confirmed is the exclusion of the 2026 Chuseok special from the schedule.
- No independent official 2026 scheduling announcement from MBC has been confirmed.
- The broadcast schedule may change later.
Sources checked: [TenAsia report](https://www.tenasia.co.kr/article/2026081389724) · checked August 29, 2026, 07:22 UTC; [official OCA schedule for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games](https://oca.asia/games/111-aichi-nagoya-2026.html) · checked August 29, 2026, 07:22 UTC; [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute 2026 calendar information](https://www.kasi.re.kr/kor/post/newsMaterial/32031) · checked August 29, 2026, 07:22 UTC; [official MBC 2025 Idol Star Athletics Championships page](https://m.imbc.com/program/1006841100000100000) · checked August 29, 2026, 07:22 UTC.