K-pop has become a global phenomenon following the international success of groups such as BTS and Blackpink. Social platforms like TikTok have amplified the sensation with fan edits, dance tutorials, fashion, and more. So what is KCON exactly? On the official website, it states that it is “the world’s largest fan celebration of Korean culture and music”. Launched in 2012 in Los Angeles, it has since expanded to New York, Tokyo, Bangkok, Abu Dhabi, and more.
How does ticketing for KCON work?
As a first-time attendee to KCON, navigating the website and the content it has to offer was a bit daunting. KCON is one-part convention, one-part concert, and attendees are required to have tickets to each event individually. For the convention portion, it is $45 unless you want additional perks such as a hi-touch for a select artist (of your choice) or access to the red carpet. For the concert, tickets can be anywhere between $90 to $1,900 for prestige. Having a ticket for the convention does not guarantee admission to the concert and vise-versa. The convention portion takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Center while the concert is held at the Crypto.com Arena (within walking distance).
What you can do at KCON
There were tons of activities to do at KCON – special artist appearances, games, vendors, food, and plenty of photo ops. The layout was well spaced out so it never felt too cramp while walking around. Brands such as Bibigo, CJ ENM, McDonalds, and Toyota (official sponsor) had a huge presence. Fans can line up at these booth for freebies like food, swag, and photo ops. For those interested in kpop dance covers, there were booths like Toyota and Mnet where you can live out your kpop idol dream. Kbeauty had a huge presence as well, with brands like Olive Young and The Face Shop. If you’re all about that k-beauty skin care routine, it’s worth it to stand in line to play games at these booth to receive full size samples (yes, FULL SIZE).
There are also plenty of panels at KCON, including major industry influences such as Kevin Woo, Amber Liu, Reiner Acuario, David Suh, and more. Or visit workshops to learn how to create your own cupsleeve or DIY keychains.
The Concert Experience
There are two nights of concerts during KCON, with a different line up each night. Night one includes artists like Ateez, Cravity, Enhypen, INI, Itzy, Kepl1er, Lightsum, and Stray Kids. Night two consisted of LOONA, Nmixx, NTC Dream, P1harmony, Stayc, TO1, The Boys, and WJSN.
It was great to have the opportunity to see so many different artist in just one night. At Friday’s concert, Ateez opening the show with a performance of “Poppia”, the official theme song of KCON and it was the perfect way to start the show. The energy was high through the entire night, with Stray Kids closing the show. One of the big surprise of the night was seeing Bebe Rexha appear on stage to perform “Break My Heart Myself” with Yeji and Ryujin of ITZY.
Is KCON Worth It?
If you love k-pop and k-content, KCON is the best place to immerse yourself in the pop culture. Aside from seeing your favorite artists up close, it allows your to explore k-beauty, food, and connect with fellow kpop fans. While the ticketing process can feel a bit intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of it, you can customize the experience to your own liking. As a fan of k-pop, I enjoyed KCON very much and look forward to its return.
For more information on KCON, visit https://www.kconusa.com
