'Girls Planet 2027' Lands in Times Square as Applicants Top 40,000

Mnet is taking its next global girl group search to one of the most visible corners of the U.S. media landscape. The Korean music channel recently rolled out a billboard for Girls Planet 2027 on the electronic screens of Times Square in New York, part of a broader global push for the upcoming project.

The campaign arrives as applications for the show pile up at a record pace. Online applications for Girls Planet 2027 opened on May 1. According to Mnet, more than 40,000 people have applied so far, the largest applicant pool in the history of the network's "Planet" series. Roughly a third of those applications came from the Americas, including North America and Latin America.

The offline side of the search is ramping up next. Girls Planet 2027 will recruit contestants on-site at KCON LA 2026, held August 14 to 16 local time in Los Angeles.

During the convention, Mnet will also run a "Girls Planet 2027 Fast Track Audition in LA." Contestants will be evaluated on the spot, with results delivered to applicants at the venue rather than after the fact.

Girls Planet 2027 is open to applicants regardless of nationality or where they live, with the pitch aimed at anyone hoping to debut in a global girl group. The show is scheduled to premiere in 2027.