It will feature immersive K-lifestyle experiences across upgraded festival grounds from May 8 to 10.
KCON Japan 2026 is only one week away, with the grand event set to happen from May 8 to May 10 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.
It aims to bring fans and artists together to celebrate everything Korean, whether its music, beauty, food, story, and lifestyle.
CJ ENM promises that an even “more immersive K-lifestyle experience” will be delivered across its upgraded festival grounds under this year’s theme, “Walk in Soul City.”
Fans who love Korean culture, who are called KLOVERs (K-Lovers), are invited to explore a vibrant city filled with K-SOUL, where every corner offers new discoveries of K-lifestyle and everyone can create their own “SOUL MAP.”
Attendees will be able to explore nearly 280 booths and immersive experiences spanning K-BEAUTY ZONE, K-STORY ZONE and K-FOOD ZONE.
The K-FOOD ZONE recreates the vibe of Korea’s nighttime streets and food alleys and will feature tasting corner offering a wide range of Korean street foods as well as K-desserts that are getting buzz in Japan—including Dujjoncoo (Dubai-style chewy cookies) and Crungji (sweet, crispy flat Croissant)—allowing visitors to enjoy a variety of popular Korean dishes.
Olive Young, South Korea’s leading beauty and wellness retailer, is bringing its signature Olive Young Festa to the global stage at K-BEAUTY ZONE, letting K-beauty fans enjoy the premier playground festival on-site and also explore interactive events linked to the Olive Young Global App and expert beauty tips.
The K-STORY ZONE is a new dedicated space will highlight Korean dramas and films through a 100-seat SCREENX THEATER, powered by CJ 4DPLEX’s three-sided panoramic screen technology.
Featured screenings include highlights from KCON JAPAN 2025 and 2025 concert films from INI and JO1.
On top of that, the K-CINEMA SHOWCASE will unveil how AI-generated films including The Sword:Rebirth of The Red Wolf, Gulf of Aden, OK!MADAM: BONVOYAGE, Dream Game, STAGE WINGS have incorporated the technology with directors Kim Han-min, Kang Yoon-sung, and Lee Cheol-ha.
Meanwhile, actors Park Seo Ham and Lee Chae Min will meet fans during BEYOND THE SCREEN and HIGHLIGHT SCREENING session.
At the Festival Grounds, in partnership with Korean government agencies, the special K-COLLECTION with KCON JAPAN 2026 will introduce 50 innovative small businesses looking to tap into the Japanese market.
Visitors can also explore a variety of official KCON merchandise including key rings and tote bags on site as well as on global K-POP content platform Mnet Plus.
This year, Sung Han Bin of ZEROBASEONE serves as the first-ever KCON global ambassador, who will amplify the vision and evolution of K-culture.
The highlight of the three-day event are, of course, performances by K-pop and J-pop stars, who will be doing so in a multi-stage format across M Countdown, Artist, X, and Dance stages.
This set-up will allow fans to enjoy a wide variety of performances and programming throughout the three-day festival.
The KCON JAPAN 2026 lineup includes: ALPHA DRIVE ONE, AxMxP, Baby DONT Cry, CHOI YU REE, CORTIS, DXTEEN, EVNNE, FLARE U, GAN (Takanori Iwata), Hearts2Hearts, hrtz.wav, H//PE Princess, INI, IS:SUE, izna, JO1, Keyveatz, KEYVITUP, KickFlip, KIM JAE HWAN, KISS OF LIFE, ME:I, MODYSSEY, NiziU, P1Harmony, PRODUCE 101 JAPAN SHINSEKAI, RESCENE, TWS, ZEROBASEONE, &TEAM and 8TURN.
Just a week before KCON JAPAN 2026 kicks off, fans can also get a sneak peek through a special collaboration pop-up at the Galaxy Harajuku in Tokyo, starting May 1.
Since its launch in 2012, KCON has pioneered an integrated K-culture convention platform that seamlessly blends K-pop performances with hands-on Korean cultural and lifestyle content.