For over a decade, KCON LA has been a fixture in Los Angeles for “all things Korean culture,” including music, beauty, food, games, and film/TV. This year, the convention grew even bigger, taking up more space in the Los Angeles Convention Center.
From August 14 through 16, KCON LA featured a full K-culture expo on two levels of the Los Angeles Convention Center and held its M Countdown concerts at Crypto.com Arena. Under the theme K-SOUL CITY, KCON LA 2026 transformed into a Seoul destination, designed to resemble metro stations as visitors traveled from one section of the expo to another – one for K-beauty and story, and the other as a night market. With 144 brands and companies involved, the convention drew over 142,000 fans and featured 36 musical acts over the three days of the festival.
KCON has become a gateway to Korean beauty products, new artists, and content, helping expand the culture and small businesses globally. The convention’s music stages and concerts have also introduced fans to rookie groups, who can now say they were there “from the beginning.” Many K-pop groups have performed at KCON over its 14-year history (eventually becoming known globally), including BTS, SEVENTEEN, ATEEZ, TWICE, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, and more.
“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,” Harry H.K. Shin, head of Music Entertainment at CJ ENM, said in a press release. "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. We remain committed to being the global platform that brings artists, content and brands from every genre to audiences around the world.”
Here are some of the highlights for this year’s KCON:
Wanna One Reunion At M Countdown
During Friday’s M Countdown show, K-pop’s celebrity-filled group, Wanna One, reunited at Crypto.com Arena after nine years (they last performed at KCON LA 2017). The group's members, who disbanded in 2019, have each built successful careers, but took time out of their busy schedules to reunite. All dressed in white, the members – Park Ji-hoon, Lee Daehwi, Kim Jae-hwan, Ong Seong-wu, Park Woo-jin, Yoon Ji-sung, Hwang Min-hyun, Bae Jin-young, and Ha Sung-woon – performed their hits, “Energetic” and “BOOMERANG,” ending with their latest group project, “Spring Breeze, Again.”
Introducing Rookies On The Toyota Music Den Stage
Throughout the convention, several genre-based groups, newcomers, and rookies appeared on the Toyota Music Den stage, including KEYVITUP, KO1KEYZ, ONE PACT, RESCENE, cosmsy, MODYSSEY, NEXZ, and more. All the artists’ performances are available on the Mnet Plus app.
On Friday and Saturday, rookies KEYVITUP took to the stage, debuting only four months ago in April. The quintet performed tracks from their self-titled debut EP, “KEYVITUP” and “Legendary,” and also covered popular K-pop songs. On Friday, the group covered ATEEZ’s “Adrenaline,” causing the crowd to go wild. Then on Saturday, they paid tribute to Stray Kids by covering their hit song, “MANIAC,” which was another crowd-pleaser. The group later performed at the pre-show for the M Countdown Stage.
Rising starlets RESCENE also performed on Day 3 on the Toyota Music Den, the Artist Stage, and M Countdown Stage. Two years after their debut, the girls’ popularity has skyrocketed in Korea. Their success from a small label to global success is inspiring, and the crowd was ready for them as they performed “Glow Up,” “BLOOM,” and “Deja Vu” on the Toyota Music Den.
&TEAM and Santos Bravos channel BTS at M Countdown
HYBE brought out its global groups from Japan and Latin America for a collaboration that blew everyone’s minds. HYBE Japan’s &TEAM and HYBE Latin America /TRU’s Santos Bravos – both powerhouse performers – teamed up to do a BTS Mashup of “Hooligan,” “2.0,” and “Permission to Dance.” The groups worked so well together, and really just gave it their all.
The Hall Changes - Olive Young Festa & K-Food Zone
The Separation Between Olive Young Festa LA 2026 in the main South Hall and the K-FOOD ZONE in the Kentia Hall was a game changer – especially for those who have experienced the crowded convention in the past. At times, the crowds became unbearable, especially when an artist visited a booth. Massive – and dangerous – crowds would form, and people would rush the location, potentially harming people. Now, with both South Hall and Kentia Hall being used to spread out the vendors, booths, and stages, there was more room to breathe. In the South Hall main expo, the Olive Young Festa LA zone focused on beauty, but it also included the Toyota Den Stage, the Artist Stage on the side, and the K-Story stage. If an artist went to a booth, there was more opportunity for crowd control.
Downstairs, in Kentia Hall, the K-Food Zone housed the night market with food and merchandise vendors and rookie group booths. It also had the Dance Stage by Sanrio, where several artists showed up to perform and do some fun fan service. It was also very spread out, offering space for people to sit and chill on the side. Overall, the separation of the zones just felt safer.
The Return of NCT 127 on Night 1 of M Countdown
NCT 127 has experienced many changes this year with the return of members Taeyong and Jaehyun (and the loss of others – Doyoung and Jungwoo are currently in military enlistment), which made this performance more special as it's the first in the U.S. since they’ve reunited. The group performed their hits, “Lemonade,” “2 Baddies,” “Summer 127,” “TOUCH,” “Fact Check,” “Walk,” and the live debut of “Piñata.” The group also sang “Kick It” with their fans dancing alongside them as part of the Dream Stage. On Night 2, Taeyong also got to perform his solo set, showing his usual sexy side with his solo songs: “SHALALA,” “WYLD,” and “Skiii.”
It was a One Direction-Harry Styles Celebration
During Night 2 of M Countdown, rookie group MODYSSEY covered One Direction's “What Makes You Beautiful,” bringing cheers and tears from the crowd. For many, this was a crossover moment for One Direction fans entering the K-pop fandom, making it a wonderful connection.
EVAN showed up on the M Countdown Stage on the third night, only two months since his solo debut, to perform his two EP tracks, but surprised the crowd with a cover of Harry Styles’ “As It Was.” The singer was dressed for the part too, wearing denim bellbottoms similar to Styles’ signature look.
ZEROBASEONE brought “SexyBack” on M Countdown
ZEROBASEONE may be the Kings of KCON with their many roles in the convention scene. The group’s leader, Hanbin, has consistently been the MC of the event; members have performed as units or with other artists on stage; and they headlined both KCON Japan and KCON LA this year. But what stood out most was their cover of Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack,” which Hanbin, Matthew, and Gunwook performed very well.
HELLO KITTY and KUROMI dominated the convention
Sanrio had their own booth – filled with goodies – and Dance Stage at KCON LA, even having Kuromi performing on both the Dance Stage and on M Countdown’s pre-show on Night 3. Fans could meet and greet with Hello Kitty, Kuromi, and Hello Kitty creator Yuko Shimizu.
TOMORROW X TOGETHER and YEONJUN made their debut at KCON LA
TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT) finally made their debut at KCON LA. The group headlined the final night of KCON, and with no surprise, performed beyond expectations with their hits, “OX1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You),” “Back For More,” “Danger,” “Good Boy Gone Bad,” “Deja Vu,” ” “Anti-Romantic,” “LO$ER=LO♡ER,” and “I’ll See You There Tomorrow,” which the group danced with select fans on the Dream Stage. Yeonjun performed his solo set on both the Artist Stage and Night 2 of M Countdown, where he opened the show with “Coma.” During his Artist Stage, he sang “Vanilla,” “Let Me Tell You,” “Do It,” “Long Way Long Ride,” and “Ice Cream” – as well as did some fan service fun. On M Countdown, he performed “Coma,” “Fxxking Star” (Explicit Version), “Talk To You,” and “Ice Cream.”
K-STORY let fans meet their Favorite Korean Film/TV Stars
Korean drama stars Lee Jun Hyuk, Park Eun Bin, and Sangheon Lee were at the K-Story Booth to talk about their professional journeys in film and television. It’s really rare for these actors to be in Los Angeles, as their main acting hub is in Seoul, so fans of these stars showed up in full force.
J-Pop’s Dominance On M Countdown
Japanese groups &TEAM and JO1’s sets on the M Countdown stage were so intense. Both groups – &TEAM on Night 1 and JO1 on Night 3 – were electrifying – and even viral. There were many fans going on social media to find who and where these artists were from. Both groups showed an incredible set, showcasing their talent and charisma.
At one point, JO1’s SHO was trending on X, with photos and videos of him and his arms circulating the interwebs. JO1 also showcased some of their new songs from their upcoming English album, ANIMAL.
GIRLS PLANET 2027 Auditions
As with previous years’ BOYS II PLANET and PRODUCE 101 JAPAN: SHINSEKAI, Mnet Plus and CJ ENM hosted the audition for the next global group survival series, GIRLS PLANET 2027, set to launch next year. Girls from all over came to audition for the show.
KCON's Dream Stage on M Countdown
It’s always exciting when fans get to meet their idols, but dancing with them is a whole other experience. KCON LA’s Dream Stage had fans submit their dance videos for the chance to audition to join their favorite artists on stage during M Countdown. This year's lineup included NCT 127's "Kick It," ILLIT's "It's Me," and TOMORROW X TOGETHER's "I'll See You There Tomorrow.” It’s always so fun to see the fans’ ending fairy as well as they take in that moment with their idol. That said, a few recognizable faces from previous Dream Stages were there, which is great for the fans on stage but can feel a bit unfair to those who have auditioned multiple times and were never given the opportunity.
So many organizations and companies!
With the different sections – K-BEAUTY ZONE, K-FOOD ZONE, K-POP, K-STORY, and K-COLLECTION, there was something for everyone. K-Collection featured about 40 Korean small businesses selling Korean beauty, music, lifestyle, and food. It also let fans check out smaller brands and companies, including Dr. ROSA, herg, WellDerma, haming, and Kocostar.
The K-Food Zone offered yummy goodies to check out, including foods from ODONORI, SEOWONDANG Food, and more. TOUS les JOURS were also in the area, offering the best photo ops with giant soft plushes of food and drink items.
Korean tourism, small businesses, and major companies were also on hand to showcase their companies and their partnerships with Korea, including Chi Sparkling, Viki, Loop Earplugs, RETURNITY, I.st, Hanmi Bank, KOREA GINSENG ASSOCIATION, Paramount, Mattel, Gyeongsangbuk-do Culture and Tourism Organization, and Korea Paralympic Committee.
At the Olive Young FESTA LA, KCON LA did a scavenger hunt for audiences to visit each booth for a stamp to earn a few freebies. There were so many great K-Beauty booths, including manyo, Tirtir, Torriden, Colorgram, VT Cosmetics, S. Nature, CLIO, and more.
Opportunities to See Your Idols Up Close at Booths
Several booths, including MATTEL, bibigo!, Toyota, and more, held fan events where idols visited to say hello to fans. Izna visited the Mattel booth, an official sponsor of KCON LA 2026, to highlight Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters toys. Global ambassadors ALPHA DRIVE ONE visited the bibigo! booth to say hello to their fans. They also stopped by the Mnet Plus booth, as former competitors on the survival series, BOYS II PLANET. So!YoON!, From20, and HELLO GLOOM stopped by the Toyota booth. Fans had so many opportunities to see their favorites up close.
KCON LA 2027 is set to take place Aug 13-15 at Crypto.com Arena and the Los Angeles Convention Center.