K-Festival KCON Continues for 14 Years... 140,000 Gather in LA

NCT 127, ZEROBASEONE, and TXT Headline the Event
Wanna One Returns to KCON LA After 9 Years
Debut of 'K-Story Zone' Featuring Korean Actors
A Total of 36 Teams Perform, with 44 Companies and Brands Participating

Scenes from "KCON LA 2026" held from the 14th to the 16th (local time) at the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena in the United States. Provided by CJ ENM

The K-culture festival "KCON," which has been held since 2012, wrapped up its three-day event this year in Los Angeles (LA), United States.

According to CJ ENM on August 18, a total of about 142,000 people attended "KCON LA 2026," which was held from August 14 to 16 (local time) at the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena.

This year’s event featured 36 teams of singers and actors, and the venue included 724 company and brand booths. Concerts and major programs were streamed to more than 250 countries and regions around the world through digital platforms.

KCON is a K-culture event that CJ ENM first launched in Irvine, California, in 2012, and has since expanded to 14 regions worldwide. This year's event was held under the theme "K-SOUL CITY," recreating Seoul's streets, night markets, and Hangang River outdoor screening spaces within the venue. Following the event in Japan last May, this was the second KCON of the year.

The LA Convention Center venue was designed as a space where visitors could experience not only music, but also beauty, food, and content. The "OLIVE YOUNG FESTA LA 2026," held for the first time in the U.S. this year, featured 55 K-beauty brands. Spaces modeled after major Seoul districts such as Myeong-dong, Hongdae, Seongsu, and Gangnam were also created.

The "K-COLLECTION with KCON LA 2026," a program supporting Korean small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in entering the U.S. market, saw participation from 40 companies in the beauty, daily goods, and food sectors. CJ CheilJedang introduced ramen, dumplings, sauces, and gim (dried seaweed) at its Bibigo booth, while Tous Les Jours also operated a separate experience space.

The National Hangeul Museum introduced the sijo collection "Cheongguyeongeon" and presented K-pop content that offers a modern interpretation of classic Korean poetry. Companies such as the Gyeongsangbuk-do Culture & Tourism Organization, Korea Paralympic Committee, and Korea Ginseng Association also took part in the event.

Through its music platform Mnet Plus, CJ ENM operated experience spaces related to its original content "Hide and Seek 2" and the upcoming "Girls Planet 2027" girl group debut project. Auditions for "Girls Planet 2027" participants were also held on-site.

Scenes from 'KCON LA 2026' held from the 14th to the 16th (local time) at the Los Angeles (LA) Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena in the United States. Courtesy of CJ ENM

The festival also expanded spaces dedicated to content beyond K-pop. The newly established "K-STORY ZONE" featured appearances by actors Park Eunbin, Lee Junhyuk, Lee Sangheon, and director Yoon Youngbin. Programs were held where actors and audiences could watch scenes or discuss works such as the tvN drama "Spellbound," TVING’s "Even First-Place Lotto Winners Go to Work," and Netflix’s "XO, Kitty."

The main event, the concert, was held for three days at Crypto.com Arena. This year, NCT 127, ZEROBASEONE, and Tomorrow X Together served as headliners on different days, each performing nearly one hour-long sets.

Wanna One, returning to KCON LA for the first time in nine years, gave the first-ever performance of "Another Spring Breeze" and sang songs like "Energetic" and "Boomerang." Beatboxer Wing and K-pop artists also gave collaborative performances. On the first day, Im Siwan and Lee Junhyuk greeted the audience, on the second day Park Eunbin, and on the third day Lee Sangheon took the stage to introduce the lineup.

The "DREAM STAGE" allowed fans to join artists on stage. Audiences had the opportunity to directly participate in NCT 127's "Kick It," ILLIT's "It's Me," and Tomorrow X Together's "I’ll Be Waiting for You in Tomorrow" stages.

The "Artist Stage" featured four teams each day, for a total of 12 teams, and the showcase introducing rookie and diverse-genre artists was joined by "TOYOTA MUSIC DEN." This is the first time Toyota Music Den has participated in a K-pop festival.

KCON LA has continued to expand partnerships with U.S. broadcasters and platforms. In 2024, the American CW Network aired KCON concerts during prime time, and last year Amazon Music broadcast the festival live to North and South America, as well as Europe. Recognizing KCON’s ongoing presence since 2012, the City of LA designated August 1 as "KCON Day" last year.

Shin Hyungkwan, Head of Music Content Business at CJ ENM, said, "We have witnessed people around the world enjoying Korean lifestyle and culture, from music to beauty and food. Moving forward, we will continue to serve as a platform that introduces diverse artists, content, companies, and brands to global audiences."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.