Spanning everything from music and beauty to food, story and lifestyle.
Last August 14 to 16, the KCON LA 2026 was held in Los Angeles, California and under the theme “K-SOUL CITY,” the event transformed the downtown of the metropolis to a vibrant cultural destination inspired by the energy and spirit of Seoul.
According to the statistics provided by organizers, CJ ENM, 142,000 fans attended the three-day event that saw 36 acts perform and a total of 144 brands and companies participate.
The activities mounted at the Crypto.com Arena and the Los Angeles Convention Center helped cement KCON LA’s place as the world’s largest K-Festival, with fans also watching the event through worldwide streaming via digital platforms that reached more than 250 regions.
Now in its 14th year in the U.S., KCON has become a global gateway to K-lifestyle, with facets spanning K-pop, K-food, K-beauty, and K-content. Moreover, it m also served as a launchpad for Korean small businesses expanding overseas.
True to KCON’s legacy of showcasing new K-pop talent to a worldwide audience, the event also had multiple stages to give fans a chance for fans to see the biggest stars, but also new bands that have just debuted.
Acts like BTS, SEVENTEEN, ATEEZ, TWICE and more all having graced the KCON stage over the years, making it the venue for major K-pop stars before ascending to superstardom.
“KCON LA has always been the heart of the KCON journey. It is where it all started in 2012, and it’s where K-pop history was made,” said Harry H.K. Shin, head of Music Entertainment at CJ ENM said. “Starting with music, and expanding into beauty, food and lifestyle, we’ve really seen the power of soft power as people around the world embrace the Korean lifestyle in their everyday lives.”
Shin also expressed the group’s continued commitment to being the global platform that brings artists, content and brands from every genre to audiences around the world.
The M COUNTDOWN stage carried the weekend’s biggest moments each night, with headliners NCT 127, ZEROBASEONE and TOMORROW X TOGETHER performing hour-long sets, exclusive performances, covers and collaborations.
The project boy band Wanna One also returned to KCON LA for the first time in nine years, where they debuted their latest track Spring Breeze, Again and led singalongs of their hit songs.
World-renowned beatboxer WING also joined K-pop artists for a standout collaboration.
The night’s highlight was KCON’s signature DREAM STAGE, where artists perform alongside dozens of fans onstage with performances including NCT 127’s Kick It, ILLIT’s It’s Me, and TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s I’ll See You There Tomorrow.
Elsewhere, the ARTIST STAGE by OLIVE YOUNG FESTA featured 12 acts across three days, each delivering concert-length sets.
The SHOWCASE, presented with Toyota Music Den, spotlighted rookie artists and genre-spanning performers to connect with global fans.
The DANCE STAGE by Sanrio then brought everyone’s favorite mischievous but super cute Sanrio character, Kuromi, in live performances throughout the weekend.
Beyond the stages,the FESTIVAL GROUNDS brought the streets of Seoul to life across three zones.
In the K-BEAUTY ZONE, South Korea’s leading beauty and wellness retailer OLIVE YOUNG showcased its signature OLIVE YOUNG FESTA LA 2026 for the first time, drawing massive crowds throughout all three days.
The vibrant atmosphere of Korea’s night markets was captured at the K-FOOD ZONE, while the newly-added K-STORY ZONE highlighted Korean dramas and K-pop content—recreating the vibe of Korea’s summer tradition of watching movies outdoors, like along the Han River.
The K-COLLECTION with KCON LA 2026 showcased 40 Korean small businesses across beauty, lifestyle, and food.
Meanwhile, at the booth of global K-pop content platform Mnet Plus, fans got to engage with IP from original content like SUMBAKKOKJIL 2 and Mnet’s global K-pop girl group debut project GIRLS PLANET 2027‘s audition booth was swarmed with applicants.
Since its launch in 2012, KCON has pioneered an integrated festival that seamlessly blends K-pop performances with hands-on Korean cultural and lifestyle content – bringing fans and artists together to create the ultimate K-festival.
In 2027, KCON LA 2027 is set to take place Aug 13-15 at Crypto.com Arena and the Los Angeles Convention Center.
