K-pop girl group TWICE is set to make history on Sunday, April 12th, by becoming the first K-pop band to perform at an arena in Minnesota. Debuting in 2015 under JYPEntertainment, the nine-member girl group consists of Jihyo, Sana, Momo, Tzuyu, Dahyun, Nayeon, Chaeyoung, Jeongyeon, and Mina. TWICE has become a cultural asset in the K-pop industry. As one of the biggest and most influential K-pop girl groups in K-pop history, they have released many hit songs, including “TT,” “Cheer Up,” “What is Love?,” “Signal,” “Feel Special,” and “Fancy.”
This is a special tour, as it is the first time a K-pop group has embarked on such an extensive tour. The tour has been running for months and spans multiple countries and states, with over 20 stops in North America alone. This tour also features a special 360-degree stage, transforming the concert experience for fans.
Minnesota marks the the third to the last stop on TWICE’s 2026 THIS IS FOR Tour. After performing in Minnesota, they will perform in Denver, Colorado then end their North American tour in Austin, Texas.
The tour is ran by Live Nation and features a diverse selection of seats, VIP options, and merchandise. Tickets can be purchased from ticketmaster.
AMPERS&ONE will become the first K-pop band to perform at the Mall of America. Concert promoter LEO PRESENTS announced via Instagram that AMPERS&ONE will be holding a free performance stage at the Huntington Bank Rotunda at the Mall of America on Saturday, May 16th, 2026. AMPERS&ONE is a 7-member boy band that debuted under FNC Entertainment. The members consists of Kamden, Brian, Jiho, Siyun, Mackiah, Kyrell, and Seungmo. They will be going on their 2026 U.S. tour with LEO PRESENTS in May.
The free performance includes upgrades that allow attendees to pay to interact with the artists after. The paid tickets tiers include:
$25 – Hi-Touch
$75 – VIP Group photo High Touch after the show Priority floor access
$100 – VVIP Group photo High Touch after the show Priority floor access Fan Sign
$200 – Everything Ticket (Sold Out) Group photo High Touch after the show Priority floor access Fan Sign Seven Selfie Tickets You+
Other Add-Ons $20 – Selfie Ticket (Take selfie with one member) $75 – Selfie Bundle (seven selfie tickets) $75 – You+ (Solo photo of you and the group)
KCON recently announced their KCON LA 2026 lineup and fans were not disappointed. Many K-pop fans announced their excitement at this year’s line up. KCON is a yearly 3-day event in LA where some of the biggest K-pop artists come to the US to perform. In the day time, KCON hosts a convention that gives fans an opportunity to interact with K-pop idols, discover Korean brands, and see their favorite artists perform. In the evening, the fans can attend a popular K-pop music broadcast called M Countdown.
For this year’s line up, fans can see many returning artists (ex. TXT, NCT 127, izna, ALLDAY PROJECT, JO1, MEOVV, from20 & HELLO GLOOM, and P1HARMONY) and some new artists (ex. &TEAM, So!YoON, ONE PACT, KEYVITUP, RESCENE, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, and KickFlip). &TEAM has performed at KCON Japan before but this will be their first time performing at KCON LA. It will also mark their first official performance in the US. Usually more artists are announced as the date draws closer. So, if you are disappointed because your favorite artist has not been announced, don’t give up! There may still be a chance that they may attend KCON LA.
The official schedule has yet to be released. Usually, this is released a week or two before the convention begins. However, KCON did announce their first round of artists which stages they will be performing at.
This year, it looks like KCON has three stages. The three stages are the X Stage, Artist Stage, and M Countdown. Last year they had the Busking Stage outdoors. They have not announced the stage so their may be a possibility that there is no Busking Stage this year.
The X Stage is a stage in the convention where newer artists can perform. This stage is meant to give exposure to newer or up-and-coming K-pop bands. Strategically placed in the heart of the convention where attendees are walking around and waiting in line at the booths at the convention, this stage allows fans to find and see new artists. The artists rotate to and from this stage.
The Artist Stage is usually for artists from bigger companies. This stage is more like a festival stage where artists perform the entire day in ~45 minute sets. With upgraded tickets, convention attendees can go to the front stage access area. With GA, convention attendees can watch the stages from behind the premium ticket holder’s location. Artists like &TEAM, YEONJUN, P1HARMONY, ALPHA DRIVE ONE, ILLIT, izna, etc. will be performing here.
And lastly, the M Countdown Stage is held at the Crypto.com Arena (right next to the LA Convention Center). It is the celebration that ends the day. Fans can watch their favorite artists perform live on a big stage. There are various types of seats available for all fans to watch and enjoy the performances. From standing pit to sitting sections, fans from all ages can watch and enjoy the performances of their favorite artists.
Which artist are you excited to see at KCON LA 2026 this year?
SF9 recently announced that they will be releasing a special album on March 25th, 2026. This album marks 10 years since their debut. SF9 is a Korean boyband that debuted under FNC entertainment on October 5th, 2016. Known for their rock bands like F.T. Island and CNBLUE, SF9 is FNC Entertainment’s first dancing boy band. Their name is an abbreviation for “Sensational Feeling 9”. The members consist of Youngbin, Inseong, Jaeyoon, Zuho (not participating in this comeback), Dawon, Taeyang (currently on hiatus as he is serving his military service), Hwiyoung, and Chani. Originally debuting as a 9-member boy band, member Rowoon left the band to pursue acting in 2023.
During their recent US tour, member Inseong mentioned that SF9 will try their best to make 2026 filled with SF9. Fans can see their hard work and efforts to meet their fans this year as the members have already been participating in many things:
Inseong recently released his first solo album, ‘Crossfade:’ and has been performing at festivals.
Youngbin is currently participating in his first musical. He is starring as Lee Hae-rang in the Musical ‘Secretly Greatly: THE LAST’.
Dawon returned from his military service and held a successful fan meeting with his fans.
Taeyang had a fan meeting with his fans and SF9 members before going on hiatus to fulfill his military service.
Chani celebrated his birthday and released a cover of ‘yours’ by Damons year. Jaeyoon participated in this cover song by singing the chorus and directing the special YouTube video for this cover.
And in two days, SF9 will be releasing their new album titled, ‘About Love’. Fans are especially excited as this will be the first comeback with Dawon since he has returned from his military service.
Quite different from their ‘Love Race’ concept, ‘About Love’ features all ballad tracks and a more sophisticated and mature image. The SF9 members can be seen wearing darker colors, giving Fall/Winter romantic vibes, and strolling the streets of Seoul. FNC Entertainment and SF9 has been teasing the release by releasing instrumental teasers of upcoming tracks, releasing the album concept photos, doing YouTube live broadcasting with Fantasy (name for SF9 fans), and posting a playlist recommended by SF9 members.
ANKR Entertainment, WAY BETTER, andRed Crownrecently announced the upcoming cities and dates for the North American tour “Global Warming“. The tour will feature artists from20, HELLO GLOOM, and KANG YUCHAN from WAY BETTER. WAY BETTER is an all-male music label that was created by artists from20 and HELLO GLOOM. They both originally debuted as K-pop idols from the bands BIGSTAR and IMFACT. After they left their previous company, they started the label WAY BETTER. Since starting their own label, they have released many catchy songs like “MAMACITA”, “Blue”, “Chemical”, and “WEOL”. They have been working hard on creating their own music and producing other artists. Many fans are thankful to WAY BETTER as they have been signing other Kpop idols like KANG YUCHAN from A.C.Eand LIM SEJUNfrom VICTON.
Outside from their promotions in Korea, WAY BETTER came to the US last year for KCON LA 2025. KANG YUCHAN and LIM SEJUN was scheduled to attend and perform. But, due to health-related reasons, KANG YUCHAN and LIM SEJUN had to pull out of the festival. Even though WAY BETTER lost half of their performers, the audience could still feel and see how much talent and fun the artists were having. By the end of the festival, the WAY BETTER artists had large crowds following them from the X Stage to the Busking Stage. Fans can be seen dancing and singing along to their songs throughout their performances. from20 and HELLO GLOOM also performed at the M Countdown Pre-Show Stage on Day 2 of KCON LA 2025.
Since their KCON performance, from20 has released the song “Social”. This features a more sexy and mature feel. KANG YUCHAN has released his first EP ‘REBEL’ featuring his title track, “Close to You”. And LIM SEJUN just released his digital single, “Pray For God” this week.
We are excited to be seeing WAY BETTER performing in the US again. The “Global Warming” tour will will begin in Houston, Texas and end in Los Angeles, California. There will be 12 stops to the tour and it will run from April 27th until May 15th.
KCON has officially announced the LA dates for 2026. This year, KCON LA will be taking place on August 14th– 16th. KCON is one of the most exciting K-pop events of the year. The three-day festival allows US fans to see the music program M Countdown live, interact with their favorite artists, and introduce K-pop fans to Korean brands. KCON usually brings some of the hottest artists in town so fans are always excited to see whom will be attending and performing each year. Artists for KCON LA 2026 have yet to be announced.
KCON Japan will be taking place on May 8th-10th. Some of the hottest and up and coming artists like &TEAM, CORTIS, Heart2Heart, and TWS will be performing. This year, ZEROBASEONE, JO1, and INI will be the headliners for KCON Japan 2026.
This morning, Big Ocean (빅오션) and KORUS Entertainment announced Big Ocean’s upcoming U.S. Tour on Instagram. Big Ocean is the first K-pop band where all members are hard of hearing. They recently completed their first U.S. Tour last year and will be releasing a new mini-album, <THE GREATEST BATTLE>, on March 3rd. Check out the teaser for their new song below.
The tour is set to begin on April 10 in Chicago, Illinois with the possibility of additional concerts dates added in the future. Minnesota will be the 3rd stop on the tour. Venues for the tour will be announced at a later date.
JUNHEE recently completed the U.S. leg of his first solo tour, Into the Ocean. The tour included nine stops, beginning in Dallas, Texas, and concluding in San Francisco, California. JUNHEE (formerly known as JUN) is a solo artist who debuted as the leader of the K-pop boy group A.C.E. After the group’s contract with their former agency ended, the members began pursuing individual activities under different companies. However, A.C.E has not disbanded, and the members hope to reunite for future performances. Fans can often see the members supporting one another through TikTok Lives or by attending each other’s solo events in Korea.
Since launching his solo career, JUNHEE has been steadily building his musical identity. He established his own label, HNP Entertainment, and has released two projects so far: a digital single titled “Supernova” and a mini album, The First Day & Night. The album showcases a wide range of sounds, featuring fun and upbeat tracks like “Too Bad (15:00),” a heartfelt ballad such as “Night (2:00),” and addictive songs like the title track, “Umbrella (10:00).”
JUNHEE encouraged attendees to dress according to the concert theme via his Instagram story. The theme of his 2026 world tour, Into the Ocean, was embraced by fans throughout each stop and many fans arrived in creative, beach-inspired outfits. Some incorporated fishing nets into their looks, while others wore clover-shaped hair clips, or dressed like mermaids. During the shows, fans expressed excitement at seeing JUNHEE perform live. Many were longtime A.C.E fans who had attended previous group concerts, while others were new fans who had recently discovered his music. These newer fans shared their excitement about attending the tour and enthusiastically talked about the songs that made them fall in love with his music.
One of the most memorable segments of the tour was the food testing portion. At each stop, JUNHEE sampled a local specialty from the state he was visiting. In Minnesota, he tried the infamous Juicy Lucy, earning the nickname “Juicy JUNHEE” from fans. While attempting to share fries with the audience, he accidentally dropped them, prompting laughter as he jokingly commented that he makes mistakes sometimes. In Chicago, he sampled deep-dish pizza, much to the crowd’s delight. Local audience members recommended JUNHEE to try Chicago’s other popular dishes next time: hot dogs or sandwiches.
The concert concluded with an encore featuring several of A.C.E’s hit songs, sending fans into a frenzy as they sung along and cheered with joy.
JUNHEE will continue his Into the Ocean tour in Asia, with upcoming performances in Seoul on February 1, Taipei on February 28, and a European tour scheduled for March.
** Special thanks to KORUS Entertainment, Oppang, and HNP Entertainment for the opportunity to attend and photograph JUNHEE during the Minnesota and Chicago stops of his tour.
1VERSE has announced that they will be postponing their upcoming concert in Minnesota due to safety concerns for artists and fans. 1VERSE is a five-member boyband that was created by Singing Beetle Entertainment. They debuted in July of 2025 and just recently release their song “WABIF (‘Wide Awake before I Fall’)”.
The band consists of five members—Hyeok, Seok, Nathan, Kenny, and Aito. Member Hyeok is currently on a personal and health hiatus right now and will not be participating in the tour.
1VERSE was scheduled to perform at Granada Theater in Minneapolis tomorrow night. However, the concert has been postponed due to the political unrest happening in Minneapolis. Tomorrow will mark 1 week since the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti and today will be second General Strike in Minnesota.
The concert has been postponed to March 25th, 2026.
Read the full announcement of the postponement below.
** UPDATE: Due to Visa issues, the LA and San Francisco stop of the tour has been moved to after the Chicago stop. For full information, please check out the official announcement from Oppang: First Announcement & Announcement of change of dates **
Solo artist JUNHEE (previously JUN of A.C.E) recently announced his first US solo tour, <INTO THE OCEAN>. The tour will begin in San Francisco, California before making his way through Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New York, Minnesota, and ending in Chicago, Illinois. The tour is ran by oppangofficial and KORUS Entertainment.
JUNHEE began his career as a contestant on episode 7 of the hit Korean variety show <I Can See Your Voice 4>. He later debuted as the leader of the K-pop idol group A.C.E under Beat Interactive. In 2024, A.C.E embarked on a U.S. Tour and participated in K-CON LA 2024. Their contract ended after the tour and the members of A.C.E decided to pursue solo careers under different companies.
Since starting his solo career, JUNHEE has established his own label, H&P Entertainment, is actively working on his music, and continues to connect with fans through live broadcasting platforms. He recently released his solo single “Supernova” and the mini album “The First Day & Night.”
He also released a singing cover of the hit song “Your Idol” and “Free” from the popular Netflix animated film KPop Demon Hunters after many fans requested it. Many fans noted that the character Jinu sounded and looked similar to JUNHEE. Fans celebrated when JUNHEE released a surprise cover of the songs.
We are looking forward to seeing JUNHEE performed in Minnesota on January 13th at the 7th Street Entry at First Avenue. Tickets for the Minnesota stop can be purchased on AXS.
Outside of the tour, JUNHEE will also be holding a Video call and Photo Event in Seoul on 12.25.2025 (KST). The chance to apply for these events can be purchased on inmyroom.co.kr with a purchase of his album.
