KCON: The Ultimate Summer Fest Connecting K-pop Fans and Idols Returns to Los Angeles
- Aliyah Hinckley
- Jul 31
- 3 min read
The countdown is officially on! KCON, the world’s largest fan celebration of Korean pop culture and music, is just a day away from taking over downtown Los Angeles once again. Set at the iconic Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena, KCON 2025 is shaping up to be the must-attend event of the summer for K-pop lovers.
Since its debut in 2012 as a single-day event in LA, KCON has exploded into a multi-day, multi-city, and international sensation. Now held in cities such as New York, Tokyo, Bangkok, Paris, Abu Dhabi, and more, KCON has become a global stage for both mega-idols and rising stars of the Hallyu wave—South Korea’s cultural phenomenon that continues to sweep the world. Imagining the event as a one-day event today is unimaginable with all of the performances, booths to explore, and activities scheduled.
This year, the fan and artist festival is once again pulling out all the stops. Daytime programming includes immersive convention experiences, artist engagement zones, and multiple live performance stages, including the MEET & GREET STAGE, X STAGE, BUSKING STAGE, and ARTIST STAGE. The X STAGE is a brand new stage at KCON LA this year, featuring some of the rising rookie acts who have never performed before at KCON LA, including 82MAJOR, HITGS, NEWBEAT, and more. We had the pleasure of interviewing 82MAJOR ahead of their KCON debut. And for fans of dance covers and reinterpretations, the X STAGE is where artists pay tribute to their idols—expect explosive tributes to K-pop legends like BTS and ATEEZ, whose songs remain popular choices for performances. Whether you're catching your bias up close or discovering new artists, there’s no shortage of excitement.
KCON 2025 is presented by the title sponsor Olive Young, South Korea’s leading beauty and health retailer, which will give skin diagnosis and free giveaways like many brands attending. The convention floor will be lined with experiential booths, including beauty, K-lifestyle zones, food, and more, among brands like Buldak, Bibigo, TOUS les JOURS, and more.
Among the many exclusive first-time performances and collaborations are a special stage by Lee Young Ji and ZEROBASEONE’s Sung Han Bin, a solo performance from MARK, MONSTA X reuniting to perform “Beautiful Liar” together for the first time since completing their military service, and ZEROBASEONE performing their newest song “SLAM DUNK.”
Last year marked a major milestone when KCON made U.S. television history with the “first national primetime broadcast of a K-pop concert,” aired live on The CW Network. This year, fans worldwide can join the celebration via YouTube’s exclusive KCON livestream (available with channel membership) and on Amazon Music Presents on Prime Video and Twitch.
While many KCON ticket tiers have already sold out, limited passes are still available for fans looking to join the festivities.
Day 1: (in alphabetical order)
YIM Siwan (K-pop idol turned actor, recently seen in Squid Game)
Baby DONT Cry
IS:SUE
IVE
LEE YOUNG JI
NCT 127
NOWZ
P1Harmony
ZEROBASEONE
Day 2:
aespa
CHOIHOJONG
IDID
izna
JACKSON WANG
JO1
MONSTA X
NMIXX
Roy Kim
YUQI
Day 3:
ALLDAY PROJECT
CRAVITY
HWASA
HxW (subunit of SEVENTEEN)
i-dle
Kep1er
KEY
MEOVV
RIIZE
ZEROBASEONE (2x performance across the weekend! & special MC appearances from members)
KCON stage timetables are shown here on KCON’s Instagram page:
There will be plenty of opportunities to dance and perfect your covers with performances from local LA-based dance cover teams, presented by Jollibee, along with random dance plays and interactive workshops for all skill levels.
New this year, Mido Media will be covering the event for the first time, offering event day vlogs, exclusive fan interviews, and real-time social coverage. So come along with us as we experience KCON for the first time.
See you there, KCON-ers!
Who are you excited to see at KCON? What are you most excited to do at KCON? Let us know in the comments below or by reaching out to us on Instagram or X.
Edited by Martina Yee