This year marked the second year for KPOP MINNECON at the Saint Paul RiverCentre. Produced by local K-pop event organizer, MNKPOPCONNECT, the convention brought many fans to Minnesota. KPOP MINNECON celebrates everything K-pop. From performances to KPOP Random Play dances to vendors selling kpop albums, gifts, etc., there was something for everyone to enjoy.
With popular snack brand Calbee was the sponsor for this year, the festival was bigger and longer! The event was expanded to two-days and offered a star-studded lineup. This year’s performers are JTR, AIDEN, and Hohyun. Justin Park headlined for day one and ICHILLIN’ headlined Day 2. Alan Lee (voice of Mystery Saja) and Samuil Lee (voice of Romance Saja) from KPOP Demon Hunters attended the event as panelists and hosted a fun panel together. Fans were able to hear behind stories and ask questions. Calbee also provided free snacks for attendees! Attendees were able to try some of their new gummy snacks that they had just released.
Let’s get to know the artists!
JRT is a three-member group that came together because of their love of music. The group consists of Ramiro Brave, TOSHI, and Chang Hee Kim (also known as JJANG.E). They performed for Day 1 of KPOP MINNECON. Ramiro is a Texas-based R&B indie artist. He performed last year at KPOP MINNECON 2025. He got candid with the crowd as he discussed how last year’s performance he was at one of the lowest stages of his life. He learned the day of his KPOP MINNECON performance that he was getting a divorce. He thanked the crowd for helping him get through a dark time of his life. Ramiro has been steadily growing his following and foot in the music industry since his first tour last year and has been able to perform in many states, events, and venues. JJANG.E is a short-form content creator and fashion influencer. He was born in South Korea and lived there for a few years before moving to the states. During his performance, he performed an upbeat trot song that the audience loved and a ballad song in dedication to his family member who recently passed away. TOSHI is the leader of JTR. He is an independent artist that has more rock-influence in his music. Although all three had uniquely different personalities and music genres, they came together to share their love for music and their friendship. They ended their performance by doing a performance together. The crowd cheered as Ramiro ripped open JJANG.E’s shirt.
AIDEN is a solo artist based in Seoul, South Korea. He was a previous member of K-pop band ATEEN and pre-debut group B.I.T. He is currently signed with DIPBLU. AIDEN made his solo debut in 2023. Since his debut, he has been working hard on producing his own music and finding his sound. KPOP MINNECON was the last stop of his US tour and he performed on both days. He also performed at the Panda Festival and K-PLAY! FEST in Orange County. During this performance, he mentioned that he had briefly stayed in the US and it was nice to be back. He also included a short Q&A session with the fans on both days of the convention allowing fans to get to know him better.
HOHYUN is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter who has been steadily making a name for himself. He performed on both days of KPOP MINNECON, treating audiences to the calm, introspective sound he’s known for. HOHYUN has worked hard to promote his music on social media, and his song “SUNSET BOULEVARD” has already earned thousands of streams on YouTube. Originally passionate about filmmaking, he doesn’t stop at writing and producing his own songs. He also directs his own music videos. Drawing on his personal experiences, HOHYUN writes lyrics that are honest and emotionally deep. During his set, he opened up about his own experience with depression and spoke about the importance of talking openly about mental health. On and off stage, he was just as dedicated to connecting with fans. He went down into the crowd, tossed free snacks to the audience, signed merch, and even filmed TikTok videos with fans. Check out his hit song “SUNSET BOULEVARD” below!
Justin Park headlined Day 1 of KPOP MINNECON, capping off a remarkable rise that began when BTS member Jungkook shared Park’s song “On the Low” on social media and sang it during a livestream. The exposure transformed Park’s career almost overnight. The song climbed the charts, and he quickly gained a wave of new listeners, views, and followers. At KPOP MINNECON, he brought along a few special guests to make the night even more memorable. Popular dancers Jonny Tran and Mark Tullen made surprise appearances, joining Park on stage for high-energy choreography, and artist LETEVEON also took the stage to perform a few songs with Park. The collaborations showed off Park’s range as a performer and gave the crowd a set they won’t soon forget. For an artist whose big break came from a single viral moment, his headlining performance proved that he has the talent and stage presence to keep his momentum going long after the spotlight first found him. Justin ended his night with an after party at Unison Restaurant and Banquet.
ICHILLIN’ is a seven-member girl group that debuted under KMEntertainment in 2021. They previously visited the US as part of the US KPOP BREAKOUT Tour in 2024. Though they are based in South Korea, members Joonie and Jackie grew up in California and are fluent in English. The other members are E.JI, Jiyoon, Chaerin, Yeju, and Chowon. A translator was provided for artists who did not speak English and everyone was able to communicate with fans. ICHILLIN’ held a special meet and greet stage on Day 1. Fans and the organizers celebrated Yeju’s birthday by preparing a surprise gift for her. Fans also brought flyers to celebrate the special day. After their meet and greet stage ended, fans were able to head downstairs to do fan events with the ICHILLIN’ members. On Day 2, ICHILLIN’ headlined the evening concert and held fan events throughout the day. They did fansigns, took selfies with fans, and did a short preview for their upcoming performance for the night. They performed many songs like “XL (Extra Love)” and “La Luna”.
Fans Got Closer to Artists Through Fan Events
Many of the artists and panelists also held fan events throughout the day. Fans were able to buy artist merchandise, participate in artist fansign, and take photos with the artists. These fan events were held during the convention as well as after the evening concert.
Dance the Night Away
One highlight attendees always look forward to is the KPOP Random Play Dance (RPD), hosted by MNKPOPCONNECT. Many fans love it so much that they attend nearly every event MNKPOPCONNECT puts on. At an RPD, the community comes together to dance to short snippets of K-POP songs, usually the chorus or the most iconic part. Fans stand in a U-shape, wait for a song to start, and jump in if they know the choreography. It’s a chance to show off their dance style, perform to their favorite songs, and hang out with friends. Occasionally, a song calls for an impromptu duet, and dancers pair up with random partners on the spot. That unpredictability is what makes RPDs so much fun.
This year, Elite Family Dance also hosted dance workshops, and dancers and non-dancers alike joined in to learn new routines. Elite Family Dance is a local Minnesota-based dance company that offers lessons in hip-hop and breaking. As the official partner of MNKPOPCONNECT, they also served as judges for this year’s dance competitions, and a team from the company opened the competition on both days.
Between the spontaneous energy of the RPD and the hands-on learning of the workshops, dance was at the heart of the convention. Whether attendees were seasoned performers or simply there to try something new, they had plenty of chances to move, connect, and celebrate their love of K-POP together. These moments showed what makes the MNKPOPCONNECT community so special: a welcoming space where everyone is invited to join the circle.
Outside of the random play dances, the event also holds dance competitions. Talented dancers compete to win the grand prizes. This year, the event held two competitions: Group performances for Day 1 and solo performances for Day 2. The community and many of the performer’s friends and family came to show support.
Something for Everyone
Even if you were not a dancer, you could still explore the convention and have fun. This year, there were many different kinds of vendors. Some were selling K-POP albums, keychains, or photo cards. Others were selling things like press on nails, candles, and fun trading cards and nicknacks. There was also a karaoke area set up where fans could showcase their talents and have fun with their fans. We got to see some really talented singers in this area. Fans could watch and participate in the panels or watch the RPD’s. Fans and attendees also had the opportunity to attend the meet and greet with ICHILLIN’ and get to know them more through their Q&A session. Due to construction in the area, there were no food trucks this year and attendees could eat the concession food that the venue offered or step outside to get food and come back.
It was great seeing all the K-POP fans gather and celebrate together! We are excited to see how KPOP MINNECON continues to grow. It’s awesome that Minnesota is finally getting events and opportunities to celebrate their love for Korean music, culture, etc. together. Thank you to MNKPOPCONNECT, the artists, volunteers, dancers, judges, fans, etc. for all of their hard work to make this year’s convention come to life.
Last year, I had the opportunity to attend SF9’s US Tour. It was their first US tour since COVID. I had previously listened to SF9 a lot — I loved their song “O Sole Mio”, “Good Guy”, and “RPM”. I found that SF9 had a lot of catchy songs and I found myself listening to them often as a causal listener. When they announced their US Tour, I was immediately interested. However, their tour stops were too far away and too expensive so I decided I wasn’t going to attend. But then they announced that they were having a sale on tickets! So I started contemplating and wondering if I should attend the concert again. I ended up buying VIP tickets (not on sale) last minute and drove out of state to catch a show that was on the weekend.
It ended up being one of the best concerts I have ever attended. I think what contributed to the concert being such a great one was:
The concert was super organized. It could have been the stop, as each stop had different volunteers and are ran slightly different depending on the venue, staff, volunteers, etc. But I had a super great experience. Everything was ran smoothly and explained to us really well! Check out my previous post to read the full concert experience.
The setlist was amazing! I didn’t realize how many SF9 songs I knew until I was attending the concert and was jamming to almost every single song on the list! It was an amazing experience!
SF9 was experienced… and funny! They were so natural on stage. They did skits, made jokes, and MC’d their concert so so so well! And they were super talented. Each person had their own talent and specialization but when they came on stage to perform, they balanced each other out really well! I found myself watching
Inseong when he sung (he has such a stable and clear voice),
Jaeyoon when he sung (he had such a beautiful and delegate voice),
Youngbin when he danced and rapped (He was so consistent and put in so much effort in each and every song. He also had a very unique higher pitch rap!),
Hwiyoung when he rapped and danced. (Hwiyoung immediately took everyone’s attention when he was center stage. He had a way of drawing the attention to him.),
Chani when he rapped and danced. (Chani has such a unique lower tone voice!)
I think what made the concert so good was the setlist. SF9 could have gone so many ways with the setlist. However, as a casual listener, I thought it was one of the best setlist I have ever seen. They played a lot of their popular older songs like “Good guy”, “O Sole Mio”, “Enough (예뻐지지 마),”etc. They had solo stages where each member (except for Chani) performed a solo song. I really loved Youngbin’s solo song “Someday” and Hwiyoung’s cover of Sombr’s “Back to Friends”. Then they played other hit songs like “Trauma”, “Tear Drop”, and “WARARU”, and ended with happy songs like “Round And Round(돌고 돌아)”, “MAMMA MIA“, and “My Fantasia”.
The entire performance was perfect and each segment was so well prepared and done. Each segment encapsulated songs that had a different feeling. I think SF9 really knew and understood their audience when planning the stages for this tour. They hadn’t done much promotions in the US and knew a lot of new fans were coming to the concerts. So they played a lot of their popular title track songs. And they were able to really showcase their talent and musical style through those songs.
It wasn’t just the stages that were good. The commentary segments helped the artists and fans get closer to each other. Fans were able to interact with the artists as they asked questions to the crowd. And fans could see the individual member’s personality through their commentary and interactions. Inseong brought out laughter as he showcased his humor on stage. He made jokes like telling fans to sell their house and joked about Not going home and staying in the venue with fans. They asked fans what their favorite SF9 songs were and made the crowd laughed when they said, “I know, I know. You like sexy songs.” The members also tried incorporating Chani after the solo stages. As he didn’t perform a solo stage, the members asked Chani whom he thought the best performance was for the night. He said he thought Youngbin performed the best tonight because Youngbin’s performance made him dance back stage. And Hwiyoung brought laughter as he started barking with fans during one of their commentary segments.
The concert was so so so fun! I found myself falling in love with and seeing songs in a different light. Before, I really liked “O Sole Mio” and “Good Guy” because the songs were super catchy. But after the concert, I found myself drawn to other songs like “Tear Drop”, “Trauma”, and “비보라 (BIBORA)”. The performances really influenced it. The lighting, seeing the songs performed live, really changed how I saw the songs. And I really found myself loving their upbeat songs! I never heard of them before this concert so I was so happy to have found fun songs like “Round and Round” and “My Fantasia”.
After the concert, I went from being a casual listener to becoming their fan. I started to listen to their songs more often. Especially their newer songs that I found from this concert. I started listening to their full albums—not just their hit songs. And I started to buy their physical albums! This was something I had never done before!
This experience made me realized how important a good concert setlist was. And it made me more conscious of the artists’ setlist every time I attend a concert. I started asking questions like,
For the first time in over a decade, BTS brought their world tour to Toronto, headlining two sold-out nights at Rogers Stadium on August 22nd and 23rd. Since debuting in 2013, BTS has grown into the biggest K-pop act of all time, and their Toronto stop was proof of just how far that influence reaches. From attending their first American Music Award to selling out stadiums across the globe, the group has left a lasting mark on today’s pop music landscape. Their last Toronto performance was back in 2016, marking this long-awaited return all the more significant for Canadian fans.
To mark BTS’s homecoming, the City of Toronto temporarily renamed Yonge Street in North York as “BTS Boulevard,” and celebrations rolled out across the city all week long. Fans lined up for pop-ups celebrating the group’s latest album release, sampled BTS official drink, ARIH, at the Korean Toronto Festival, shopped limited-edition merchandise at the official BTS pop-up store, and stopped by cafes to collect cup sleeves.
Fans traveled from all over Canada and around the world to attend the 2-day concert at Rogers Stadium. It was their only Canada stop on this tour. Due to the number of events taking place on the same weekend, all hotels in nearby vicinity were sold out and flight tickets were expensive. Other events taking place over the weekend include Ed Sheeran’ concert at the Rogers Centre, the Toronto Korean Festival at Mel Lastman Square, and the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE).
Rain or Shine: BTS Powers Through Toronto Storm to Deliver Unforgettable Rogers Stadium Shows
Rain was no match for BTS and Army, the name for the band’s devoted fandom. Storms rolled out all weekend, and on day one, thunder and lightning began around 4PM, forcing the cancellation of other outdoor events, like the Toronto Korean Festival. As the skies darkened and thunder light up the skies, many fans feared the BTS concert might be next.
The show, however, went on. As conditions worsened, fans flooded social media platforms like TikTok with live updates from Rogers Stadium. VIP fans were already indoors – watching sound check. However, sound check was paused because of the storm. Fans who were still waiting to be let in sought refuge anywhere they could. After riding out the thunderstorm, BTS was able to finally come back on stage and finish sound check.
Fans were overjoyed the concert wasn’t cancelled. They packed into the stadium as BTS delivered a full set despite the downpour. With rain pooling across the floor seating area, many concertgoers found themselves standing ankle-deep in puddles, joking that they were “swimming” as BTS performed their newest hit, “Swim.”
Day two brought more of the same weather, with heavy rain lasting until around 5PM. The skies cleared up just before soundcheck, and by 6PM, the sun and blue skies had returned, allowing the concert to proceed as normal. BTS mostly performed songs from their newest album, Arirang. They also sprinkled performances from some older songs like “Mic Drop”, “Fire”, and “Dynamite” into the set. As part of a recurring tour tradition, the group also performs two surprise songs each night, chosen at random by the DJ. In Toronto, those picks were “Outro: Wings” and “Dope” on day one, and “00:00 (Zero O’Clock)” and “Outro: Tear” on day two.
Canada’s largest Korean cultural celebration just got bigger — and rainier. The Toronto Korean Festival 2026 took over Mel Lastman Square from August 21st to 23rd, drawing hundreds of fans from across Canada and around the world for three days of K-pop performances, Korean street food, and traditional culture. This year’s festival didn’t just meet expectations — it shattered them, upgrading from a single headliner to a four-act lineup that included rising boy groups, a rock band, and a genre-bending “Guk Pop” act.
Here’s your complete recap of Toronto’s biggest K-pop festival, including who performed, what went down, and why 2026 was the festival’s most ambitious year yet.
What Is the Toronto Korean Festival?
Held annually at Mel Lastman Square, the Toronto Korean Festival is a free, three-day Korean culture festival featuring K-pop performances, dance and singing competitions, Korean food vendors, and a traditional Hanbok fashion show. It’s widely recognized as the largest Korean festival in Canada, pulling attendees from across the country and internationally.
In previous years, the festival typically booked just one K-pop act. In 2026, organizers went all in, bringing four Korean acts to perform across all three days: NouerA, ASC2NT, CATCH THE YOUNG, and GRANADA.
GRANADA (그라나다) is a unique band that blends traditional instruments with pop. They’ve coined their music genre as “Guk Pop”. The band incorporates dancing, traditional and pop music, and traditional instruments into their songs. Although the lineup has changed a few times since debut, the current members include Seo Jeni as the main vocalist, Lee Dayeong and Kim Hyogyeong on the Korean traditional instrument called Haegeum, Lee Subin on the Gayageum, and Lim Jaehee on the Daegeum (traditional flute-like instrument). Plus, they even brought one of their dancers from Korea to perform on stage with them!
Their Toronto set spanned genres and moods, delighting the crowd with everything from an upbeat cover of ‘Uptown Funk’ to the slow ballad ‘아로새기다’ to a fan-favorite rendition of “IDOL” from K-pop Demon Hunters. Jeni expertly hosted their stage by introducing her members and letting them showcase their talents. She talked about how much they loved Toronto. They ended their set each day with a fun DJ set.
CATCH THE YOUNG: Korea’s Up and Coming Rock Band
Debuting in 2023 under Evermore Entertainment, CATCH THE YOUNG (캐치더영)is a up and coming band that consists of vocalist Namhyun, drummer Jungmo, pianist and vocalist Junyong, guitarist Kihoon, and bassist and sub vocalist Sani. They are steadily growing and becoming more well-known in Korea and abroad. When they first debuted, they used to do a lot of street busking. However, now you can see them performing at large festivals like the Sound Planet Festival. Catch the Young will have a Latin America tour in September. Some of their most popular tracks include “Sail,” “Footsteps,” and “Amplify”.
During the first day of the festival, CATCH THE YOUNG leaned more towards covering other artists’ songs. They performed covers of popular English songs like Avril Lavigne’s “Sk8er Boi” and Bryan Adam’s “Summer of 69”. They also mixed some of their tracks in the setlist, like “Amplify”. Their second day performance was cancelled due to the rain and thunderstorm. On the third day of the festival, they rocked the stage with a slightly different setlist, performing one of their newest hit, “Sail”.
ASC2NT: A Band with Many Experiences
ASC2NT (어센트), a five-member group managed by NEWWAYS COMPANY, features members Karam, Jay, Reon, Kyle, and Hyowon. Three members — Karam, Jay, and Hyowon — previously competed on the Korean survival show PEAK TIME. This show aim to spotlight lesser known k-pop boy bands. The bands compete with each other to be the final team that won the chance to promote and create a new album. This show was before ASC2NT was formed. Karam and Jay were previously group mates from the boy band Xing and The Boss (later renamed DGNA) and Hyowon was previously a member of JWiiver.
After the show ended, ASC2NT was formed. Karam, Jay, Injun, Reon, and Kyle were the original line up of the group. They debuted with the title track, “Love Me Do.” Injun later left the group and Hyowon joined — creating today’s lineup.
The band’s international appeal runs deep: Kyle was born in Indonesia and can speak the language, Karam and Jay promoted for a long time in Japan as part of the group DGNA and is well-versed in the language, and Reon and Kyle can speak English. With such a unique background, they are able to easily and successfully promote abroad. They have also been growing a large international fan base.
ASC2NT previously performed in Canada in 2024 for their “EXPECTING TOMORROW” tour. The Toronto Korean Festival marked a huge milestone for Hyowon as this would mark his first time in Canada. During their 2024 tour, he was not part of the group yet. He told the crowd he was excited to be there and Reon said that Hyeowon prepared a lot for his first Canada stage.
Some of the songs ASC2NT performed includes “Still Rose,” “Don’t Move,” and “Green Light, Yellow Light, Red Light”. They also performed a cover of BIGBANG’s “Fantastic Baby”.
NouerA: A New Era is Coming
NouerA (누에라, pronounced “new era”) is one of K-pop’s newest breakout acts. Formed on the survival competition MAKE MATE 1 and debuting in 2025 with “N.I.N (New is Now),” the seven-member group — Fan, Lin, Miraku, Gihyeon, Junpyo, Hyunjun, and Yuseop — has just claimed their first two music show win with the song “.exe”.
NouerA wrapped up the Canadian leg of their first World Tour with a three-day performance at the 2026 Toronto Korean Festival. Fans from China, Japan, and Quebec came to show support. The group performed a dance-heavy and energetic setlist. Pausing only briefly to sip water and greet fans before launching into their next song. Their stamina matched their skill, making it clear that NouerA is a boy band worth watching out for.
Beyond the Headliners: Bring on the Festivities
Outside of the headliners, attendees can watch local talent compete in the dance and singing competitions. Some songs performed at this year’s dance competition include &TEAM’s “Back to Life”, Hearts2Hearts “RUDE!”, and MEOVV’s “DDi RO RI”. Both the dance competition and singing competition was judged by industry professionals from SOURCE MUSIC and WakeOne. The main stage also housed the Korean Hanbok fashion show. The fashion show showcased both men’s and women’s hanbok.
The festival also include Korean food vendors, alcoholic drinks, and vendors selling various goods. Some food they had onsite included galbi, Jjolmyeon, grilled squid, Bibimbop, Korean fried chicken, Tteokbokki, etc. There was also ice cream waffle, mochi donut, sweet drinks, and churros for dessert. Attendees could pay $10 CAD to do the Hanbok experience. Hanbok is the Korean traditional clothing.
Rain, Rain Go Away!
Set to be three days, the festival hit a snag on Day 2 when heavy rain and lightning forced an early shutdown. It started raining right before NouerA’s stage. NouerA managed to perform in the rain before their stage was paused half way through so the volunteers and staff could wipe down the stage. After the pause, the rain lightened up and NouerA was able to come back on stage to complete the rest of their set. Then the heaviest of the rain (and later thunder) hit and the entire festival was cancelled for the rest of the day. ASC2NT’s and CATCH THE YOUNG’s evening performance was cancelled altogether and they were not able to perform on Day 2.
On Day 3, the festival was flexible and changed the schedule depending on the weather. Once the weather cleared up in the later afternoon, all of the headliners were able to perform and close the festival.
** Disclaimer. This is my experience for KCON LA 2026. Each person had their own experiences. Please feel free to leave a comment of your experience if you experience something different or would like to share something. **
KCON LA is the biggest K-pop event held in the US. The convention brings K-pop idols, Korean brands, and K-pop fans together in Los Angeles. A 3-day event, the event starts in the daytime with a convention held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Fans can explore new brands, see their favorite artists perform up close, and do fan events. At night, a concert is held at the Crypto.com Arena. As the biggest K-pop event in the US, the event also brings in town some of the most popular or up-and-coming K-pop bands. Some noticeable bands in recent times that participated in KCON early in their career before hitting it big include ATEEZ, ENHYPEN, and BOYNEXTDOOR.
Although KCON LA has been running for many years, every year is different. Every year, KCON changes benefits, how things are run, which hall the convention is in, etc. So although the essence is the same, many things can be different. Last year, for example, you can buy fan meeting tickets separately. This year, however, everything was combined into one (or both) of the premium ticket tiers so you had to buy the premium ticket in order to participate.
I think the hardest things to adjust to this year was the way each day was ran differently and the queue system. Every day, the security staff let people in differently — there was no consistency. On the first day, they let people in row by row. On the second day, they just let everyone go and it caused safety hazard because everyone started running as soon as it hit 10AM. On the third day, they let people go two rows at a time. And they let us in about 15 minutes or so early. I was in the middle of unboxing photo cards when they suddenly started letting us in. It was dangerous — especially since we had to go up the stairs in order to enter the convention.
I wished the queue system worked. In theory, it was a great idea. However, in practice, it did not go as expected. I queued for the Olive Young Booth all three days. On the first day, I didn’t get called until around 5:30PM. By then, the convention was almost closed, the queue line was still long and they were no longer letting people in. The second day, I wasn’t even called. The third day, I went to go and talk to them and they said they we didn’t have to queue. KCON announced on instagram that we HAD to queue if we wanted to do a booth that had the queue system. However, they did not follow that and many people went based on first come first serve. They let go of the rope, people literally ran in and one of the staff started yelling and chasing the people. Then they closed the booth again. Due to the stress of it all, I eventually gave up and ended up never getting to do the Olive Young Booth. I think KCON would have been better without the queue system. It was a complete failure. But I am hopeful it will go better next year! Last year, they introduced the fast entry and it did not go well. However, this year, it worked really well! So there is hope that it will go better next year if they decide to stick with it.
I spent most of my time at the Artist Stage. Since I bought Premium tickets for all three days of KCON, I wanted to make the most of the benefits for the expensive tickets. The Premium ticket allowed the attendee to stand in the second pit. VIP Premium had the inner pit that was right in front of the Artist stage. It was so fun to see all of the artists perform and seeing their fan’s reactions to them running through the crowd and interacting with each other. As I am older than all of the groups whom performed, I just had a lot of fun going there to check out new songs and take photos!
This year, KCON made a big change. They removed the fan meeting option and announced that they are combining the Artist stage with the fanmeeting. Since they were combining the artist stage, fan meeting, and high wave sessions, each session would be extended to 1-hour. And now, fans can spend 1-hour with their favorite artist. However, when attending the actual event, the artists ended up spending only around 35-50 minutes on stage– similar to last year. And there were little fan meeting events happening. The events held were also very similar to (if not the same as) the events held at the artist stage last year. So I am not quite sure how the fan meeting was combined into the artist stage. In other words, the Artist Stage was no different from last year. The only difference was that VIP Premium ticket holders were able to do a hi-wave session backstage after the artist left the stage. However, we didn’t see that and we can’t really consider that as part of the Artist stage.
Last year, fans could attend the artist stage, meet and greet, and M COUNTDOWN to see their favorite artists. This year, everything was shortened and the meet and greet stage was removed — making many fans feel as if they had little opportunity to see their favorite artist. Also, Premium ticket holders were expected to line up at 3:10PM for the M Countdown concert sound check. This meant many people who had Premium tickets would miss the last artist stage and the red carpet. This did not make any sense as only Premium and VIP Premium ticket holders had access to the red carpet. There was an exception — if you won a red carpet ticket, you can watch from the non-premium stands. But that was all the way at the back and very few people won this opportunity. So I am not sure why they decided to do what they did.
P1HARMONY members Keeho and Soul walking through the crowd looking for a fan to compete with for the staring contest.
Although the Artist Stage was not longer and better as they advertised, it still allowed fans to see their favorite artists perform. Some fan events held at the artist stage included a chance to do a dance battle, staring contest, participate in the call my name segment, or the treasure hunt session. Each artist had a different activity and the fan events varied. The fan events were held in between performances. Winners of the dance battle and staring contest won a special gift from the artist. The special gift included a signed album or a special one of a kind group selfie photo.
Each artists performed 1-3 songs in the walkway between the VIP Premium and Premium pits. The artists went through the crowd, threw signed balls, gave hi-fives, and some even took selfies with the fans. After each artist performed (excluding Yeonjun’s special stage), VIP Premium fans were able to do a hi-wave session with the artist backstage.
Last year, the VIP pit seemed too big. But somehow, this year, they managed to make it even bigger. The VIP pit was in the center right in front of the stage. Then there was a walk way that surrounded the outside perimeter of the VIP pit. This was where the artist walked during 1-3 of their songs. Then the Premium pit surrounded the VIP pit and the artist walk way. Since the VIP and Premium pits were so big and empty, general ticket holders were pushed all the way to the back perimeter of the room. They could barely see anything. Many people said that they were too far back, could barely see the artist, and the TV’s were too small so they couldn’t see anything on the screen either. After hearing these complaints, I went to the back of the GA pit and confirmed that I, too, could barely see the screen and the artist. I had to zoom in all the way on my phone to see the artist. And by then, everything was super grainy.
One Pact performing at the Toyota Music Den Stage.
This year, the X stage (previously known as the KCON Stage) was renamed to be the Toyota Music Den Stage. This stage is where up and coming artists perform. The stage was renamed because Toyota was sponsoring the stage this year. Compared to last year, it felt as if this stage was upgraded. There was now a large TV in the middle of the stage, making it super easy to see what was happening if you were not in the first few rows. And I am not sure if it was only me, but the sound for the stage also felt a lot clearer. This stage was accessible to anyone with a KCON convention ticket. Strategically placed in the main hall, this stage exposed the artists to anyone passing by. Some artists performing at this stage included ONE PACT,KEYVITUP, RESCENE, NEXZ, and MODYSSEY. They also held some events here this year like the K-FOOD Messenger Talk Show with Edward Lee and Matthew from Zerobaseone and and an event with Illit.
The first artist I caught at the Toyota Music Den Stage was ONE PACT. ONE PACT consists of former Ciipher member Tag and Boys Planet contestants Jay Chang, Jong Woo, Seongmin, and Yedam. They have already built a large international following before their performance at KCON. Notably, while waiting for One Pact to perform, I saw that many of the fans around me were fans from Japan. They were carrying ONE PACT’s photocard, had signs, and were excitedly talking about ONE PACT’s upcoming performance. ONE PACT also had a lot of US fans. They had previously toured the US in 2025 for their “THE NEW WAVE” tour. Jay Chang had also just finished his solo US tour before joining his members for KCON LA. ONE PACT was a band that I had been meaning to see live so it was cool to finally see them perform at KCON LA. They were really talented and I found myself really liking their song, “좋겠다”.
KEYVITUP performing at the Toyota Music Den Stage for KCON LA 2026.
The second artist I caught at the Toyota Music Den stage was KEYVITUP. KEYVITUP is a new boyband that debuted earlier this year. They were the first boyband to debut under Kim Jae Joong’s label, iNKODE. The members consists of Hyunmin, Taehwan, Sena, Jaein, and Rukia. Known for their stable vocals, I was super excited to see them perform. They performed their debut track, “KEYVITUP” and their second song, “Best One”. They also performed a cover of ATEEZ’s , “Adrenaline”.
If you wanted to check out booths other than Olive Young, Toyota, and the Kuromi booth, you had to go downstairs to Kentia Hall. Many people did not know this. There was a large sign on top of the stairs pointing out where the Kentia Hall was but I guess many people missed it? I thought it poorly label once we got downstairs. I, and multiple people, could not find the entrance. We all kept walking and eventually we found the entrance. It would have been nice if it was labeled like the exit doors or if there were people directing you to the entrance.
Cosmosy posing in front of their booth after signing their posters.
On the first day, it was almost completely empty downstairs. When talking with the vendors, they said that not many people have come downstairs yet so they were waiting for people. This also meant that many of the artists visiting didn’t have much visibility. I wanted to visit the Artist booths and check out the vendors so I went downstairs. I just happened to stop by cosmosy’s booth right before they were planning to visit their booth. Their staff told us that the girls were going to stop by soon so I wandered around a little bit then came back when the girls came out. They greeted the fans, signed the posters hanging at their booth, then did a hi-bye session before leaving. cosmosy is a four-member global girl group that just debuted at the end of 2024. The band consists of members Himesha, De_Hana,Kamion, and A’mei.
Other than cosmosy, I also kept running into RESCENE. RESCENE is one of the hottest girl group in South Korea right now. They became famous after their YouTube video for the “Garyu” trend went viral. Since then, their songs have risen on the charts and they have won their first music program win. They also just released a remake of KARA’s song, “Pretty Girl”. When I was walking around the Kentia Hall I kept walking into them. They stopped by each booth and talked to the vendors/took photos as they were the K-Collection official artist this year. If you participated in the stamp mission, you had the chance to win RESCENE merch! Last year I won HITGS merch! It was also really fun discovering new brands, beauty products, talking with the vendors, etc. I super recommend giving it a try next time!
RESCENE performing at M Countdown Stage.
The three hosts of M Countdown (Park Gun-Wook, So Jung-hwa, and Lee Kye-hoon) held a special stage performing “Rush Hour” originally sung by Crush.
After the convention ended, I made my way back to my hotel and dropped my things off, ate some food, and returned for the M Countdown Stage. The M Countdown stage is the big concert held every night at the Crypto.com Arena. M Countdown is the name of the famous MNET music program in South Korea. CJ E&M owns MNET. As CJ E&M is a big part of KCON, they also bring their music program to KCON. It is because of M Countdown that KCON is able to bring so many artists to to KCON. Many artists perform on the major music programs to get publicity for their bands and music. This year, I noticed that MNET made sure to bring the bands of the 3 hosts of the music program: Park Gun-Wook of Zerobaseone, So Jung-Hwa of Treasure, and Lee Kye-hoon of KickFlip. Because of this, Zerobaseone, Treasure, and KickFlip were all part of the KCON lineup.
Wanna One and &TEAM at M Countdown for KCON LA 2026.
The highlight of Day 1 was undoubtedly &TEAM’s stage, along with Wanna One’s comeback performance. A significant portion of the audience, myself included, attended KCON specifically to see &TEAM perform. I have followed the group since their formation on &Audition (and before that, I-LAND), and it has been rewarding to witness their growth and progress over time.
It was disappointing that they performed only two solo songs and one collaboration song at M Countdown. Given that &TEAM has primarily performed in Asia, fans in the US had been anticipating this opportunity for a long time, which made the limited setlist especially disappointing. I even met people who came from places like Australia and New Zealand just to see &TEAM at KCON LA!
I was puzzled by the choice to perform “Rush” for the M Countdown stage. I had expected “Back to Life,” given that it is their most recent release and marked their first Korean title track. It was also a super popular song with many Kpop cover dance groups covering the song. My best guess is that “Rush” was selected because it hadn’t been performed at a KCON M Countdown show, but with a catalog that includes tracks like “War Cry,” “Firework,” “We on Fire,” “Mismatch,” “Samidare,” and “Go in Blind,” the choice was still surprising and hard to comprehend for me. I wish they had performed “Rush” at the Artist stage and performed “Back to Life” or “Mismatch” at the M Countdown stage instead. Many of &TEAM’s newer fans got to know them because of “Back to Life” so I wish they had performed the song that the audience was familiar with.
As a long time K-pop fan, it was great to see familiar faces! We all screamed out as Wanna One took the stage. In university, I used to listen to “Energetic” all the time! Whenever I hear it, it reminds me of my long hours of drive to and from uni. And as a pre-debut NU’EST fan, it was great to see Minhyun again!
I really enjoyed TREASURE’s stage! It was filled with so much energy! I felt as if they were really living in the moment. Their stage was really interactive and did a great job with the 360 stage. It was my first time seeing them perform live! I have been to iKON’s concert before (it was also where I first saw TREASURE! They were sitting right in front of me!), and TREASURE’s performance reminded me a lot of their concert. It made me realize that the way they perform, use the stage, etc. is a unique style of YG.
An artist that I kept running into was MEOVV. MEOVV (pronounced meow) is a five-member girl group from The Black Label. They debuted in 2024. I just so happen to have a very MEOVV day during Day 3 of KCON. I was at their Artist Stage, their sound check, and then I saw them at M Countdown. If I was a MEOVV fan, I think it would have been the best day ever. It was so fun to see their stages. I really liked their most recent comeback and think they are really talented. It was so cool to see how much they have grown from last year.
Something that really confused me this year was the Pre-show. I can only recall one artist performing. On the third day, I was expecting ONE PACT, MODYSSEY, cosmosy, and So!YoON! to perform. However, only ONE PACT performed. And on the first day, only from20 and HELLO GLOOM performed. That really surprised me. Last year, all the small font artists performed for the Pre-show. Since only one artist performed, it was really disappointing. I think the artists missed out on the opportunity to perform to a large crowd and get their music known by a wider audience.
An artist that many fans were excited to see was EVAN (previously Heesung of Enhypen). He shocked the entire K-pop industry when BELIFT LAB announced unexpectedly that he would be leaving Enhypen and starting a solo career. They also announced that he would be changing his name from Heesung to EVAN. First introduced to the world through the highly popular and successful survival show, “I-Land,” fans were devastated when it was announced that he would be leaving Enhypen. As this marks his first solo performance and events in the US, many fans were curious to see how he would perform on stage as a solo artist. A few of the people around me in the pit were EVAN (and Enhypen) fans. They said that they came out to support EVAN as they are huge fans and saw him when he was still a part of Enhypen. Although he has left the group, they still wanted to show support to EVAN and give him strength.
EVAN performed three songs. He performed his solo tracks “Ride or Die” and “Overflow”. he released these two songs right before KCON. He also did a cover of Harry Style’s “As it was”. He channeled his emotions through the song and did his best to convey the messages during his performance.
One of the artist that I was really looking forward to seeing this year was JO1. JO1 is a Japanese boy band that was formed through the first season of Produce 101 Japan. Last year, I saw them perform and they didn’t stick out to me much. However, this year, I was really looking forward to seeing them and hopefully getting good photos of them. Their fans thanked me for taking photos of JO1 last year and it made me really curious about JO1 and their music.
I ended up really liking their songs, “Sakura”, “WATCHA DOIN’”, “ANIMAL”, and their entire set during the artist stage! Their performances were so good, their english was really good, their energy was awesome, and I felt like I really got to see their personalities this time! Did I get photos of JO1? No, I was too busy vibing and cheering them on.
This year, the most talked about headliner was definitely TXT. TXT is short for Tomorrow X Together. They were the first boy band to debut under Big Hit Entertainment after BTS and drew a lot of attention for this fact alone. Debuting in 2019, they have grown a lot since their debut days. Originally debuting with a young and youthful image, TXT has involved to have more complex and mature songs like “LO$ER=LO♡ER”, “Deja Vu”, “0X1=LOVESONG (I Know I Love You) feat. Seori”, and “Good Boy Gone Bad.” This marked their first appearance and performance at KCON LA. Being a popular group that usually performed and headlined their own concerts, many fans were surprised that such a large group was announced as the headliner for KCON this year. You could feel the tension and excitement in the room change as soon as they announced that TXT was the next performer taking the stage. Fans were so busy cheering for TXT that they didn’t even let the MC finish their introduction and speech. You could definitely feel that a majority of the people attending M Countdown Day 3 was there for TXT. People screamed, sung along, and shouted out the fan chants throughout TXT’s entire performance. It was surreal experience. I can’t believe I got to see TXT up close! And only for $200! Thank you to the people who sold me the tickets on StubHub!
Some other notable performances that I saw included Santos Bravos, ALLDAY PROJECT, KO1KEYZ, Hiipe Princess, KickFlip, and NEXZ. Santos Bravos was one of the artists that people were really looking forward to seeing. I missed their Artist Stage because I went to see the Toyota Music Den first but I finally got to see them at M Countdown. Many of the people sitting around me was there for Santos Bravos. It was cool to see them perform and do a collaboration stage with &TEAM! They performed it so well and it really felt cohesive. KO1KEYZ really surprised me! They were so in sync and their performance was awesome! Good luck to them! I am definitely interested in what kind of music they will produce in the future. Last year, I saw ALLDAY PROJECT from the nose bleeds. This year, I saw them up close! And Bailey came to my section a few times. It was really cool to see their aura. I hope they get to release more songs soon.
My favorite thing about KCON LA this year was the fans that I met. I was able to meet so many awesome fans. If you are scared about attending KCON alone, don’t be! People were really kind! I met a few really nice TXT fans while waiting to be let in. I also met some really nice Alpha Drive One fans from China. They were also super sweet. They were trying to teach me how to be a barricade fan. It was so sweet of them and I really appreciate them showing me Chinese barricade concert culture. I also met a really sweet P1HARMONY fan. She taught me about the band and was so sweet to explain everything to me. It made me more interested in learning more about the band. I think these interactions was what made KCON amazing.
That pretty much summed up my KCON LA 2026 experience. It was a festival of little to no sleep, lots of waiting for artist stages to begin or in line for things. The queue system that KCON implemented this year was a complete failure for me. And I really hope they get rid of it. But I really appreciate that they actually honored the fast pass this year. Last year, they did not and general tickets were let in earlier than fast pass attendees. I also appreciate that we were let in at 8AM to line up and let in at 10AM sharp. For most part, I had a great experience. However, some things could be improved. Like, make the VIP premium and premium pits smaller so fans and artists can see and interact together. And include more food lines. It was nice that the food was indoors this year. However, it does not make any sense that there were literally only two lines for thousands of people. I was not able to try any of the food because the line was so long. This year, I just hung around the artist stage because I had premium tickets for all three days and I wanted to make the most out of it. But if I get to attend next year, I would try to explore the convention more.
The large crowd surrounding Huntington Bank Rotunda at the Mall of America got louder as it got closer to 6PM. Everyone was waiting for the first K-pop band to ever perform at the Mall of America. Debuting in 2023 under FNC Entertainment, AMPERS&ONE is a 7-member boyband that consists of Kamden, Brian, Jiho, Siyun, Mackiah, Kyrell, and Seungmo.
Who is AMPERS&ONE?
AMPERS&ONE combines “ampersand” (&) and “one” to represent the group’s mission: uniting together to achieve their dreams. Even before their debut, they were already making waves in the industry, thanks in part to popular Boys Planet contestants Brian and Kamden. Since then, the band has continued to grow steadily.
What sets AMPERS&ONE apart is their remarkable international makeup. Kamden and Kyrell are from Seattle, Brian is Chinese-Canadian, Jiho spent a year living in Massachusetts, and Mackiah has Australian roots. This global background gives the group a unique advantage — they can connect and communicate comfortably with fans all around the world.
They recently released their fourth mini album titled, Definition. This mini album features six songs led by their title track, “GOD”. The title track showcases a more mature side of the group, telling a story of rising from the ground, overcoming doubt, and being ignored to finally claiming their place at the top. It also incorporates traditional Korean instruments in the song and has an addictive and repetitive melody. The album has a diverse mix of sounds, from the upbeat pop song like “All Eyes on You” to the heartfelt ballad track like “Tears in Your Smile” and upbeat hip hop dance track like “What you Talking About”. The members also participated in writing the songs in the album.
Performance at Mall of America.
AMPERS&ONE held a free performance at 6PM. Although the show was free, fans had the opportunity to purchase upgrades to get closer floor seats to watch the show and interact with the idols. Some of the VIP events were held before the concert. However, the High Touch Event and the You+ and Selfie events were held after the show. The full schedule can be seen on the Instagram post below:
Before the show started, many people could be seen crowding around the Huntington Bank Rotunda. The lucky few who were able to get upgrades or claimed floor wristbands were able to stand by the stage to watch the performance. Everyone else was encouraged to watch the performance from the balcony from the other floors.
AMPERS&ONE opened their show with their newest title track, “GOD”. The performance started at 6PM and ended at 8PM. Throughout their entire performance, the boys could be seen giving 100% of their energy. From dancing vigorously on stage to interacting with the crowd, every second was filled with entertainment and energy. Fans could be seen singing along to the songs, shouting fan chants, and dancing throughout the entire performance. Some of the members even stepped off stage to interact with the fans.
Outside of their songs, AMPERS&ONE prepared special unit stages for the fans. Kamden and Jiho performed a dance cover to “Fever” by Enhypen; Brian and Kyrell sung a cover of “Love Story” by Taylor Swift; and Mackiah, Seungmo, and Siyun prepared a cover of “Drag Me Down” by One Direction.
During their short commentary breaks, the members mentioned how excited they were to be back in Minnesota again. They were here last year for their 1st US tour. Member Kamden mentioned that it was his dream to perform at a big mall. He thanked everyone for making his dream come true. They also talked about how they came a day early to rehearse and set up and were able to ride the log and SpongeBob rides at Nickelodeon Universe inside the Mall. Throughout the night, the members also thanked Mall of America for allowing them to have their concert there. In good FNC style, Mackiah ended the night by telling fans to attend their other stops if they wish to see AMPERS&ONE perform again.
AMPERS&ONE is currently on their <BORN TO DEFINE> U.S. Tour with LEO Presents. They are about halfway done with their tour. They are visiting 17 U.S. cities for this tour. After their Minnesota show, they will be heading to Des Moines, Iowa then to Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and ending their tour in San Jose on June 2nd. The tour features lots of merch that fans and concert attendees can purchase. The prices and items can be seen below.
After a year’s wait, Minnesota Pados were able to see Big Ocean perform in Minnesota again. Big Ocean performed at the Fine Line in Minneapolis on April 14th. Pado is the name for Big Ocean’s official fandom. Big Ocean is a three-member K-pop band that debuted under Parastar Entertainment in 2024. All members are hard of hearing. Since their debut, they have grown a large and dedicated global fanbase. The three members are PJ, Chanyeon, and Jiseok.
Minneapolis holds a special place in Big Ocean’s heart. Not only has Minnesota fans showed their love for Big Ocean by attending multiple Big Ocean events to show their support, but because Minnesota was also their first stop when they were on their first U.S. Tour last year. The members mentioned on Tuesday night that they were super excited and happy to be back in Minnesota again.
The concert started at 7PM. VIP fans were allowed into the venue at 5:30PM to do fan engagements. They were able to do a fan sign, high touch, take group photos, and attend sound check with Big Ocean. General ticket holders were able to enter the venue at 6PM.
Last year, Big Ocean radiated youthful energy on stage, but this year their performances carried a sense of experience and maturity. They ran through both newer tracks and beloved fan favorites, making for a concert that felt exciting and familiar, yet refreshingly different.
One stand out moment came when member PJ complimented a fan by saying, “I love your smile.” The fans flushed and the fans erupted in cheers. Jiseok joked saying, “Ayyy, are you flirting?”.
Big Ocean prepared many new solo stages this year. PJ performed his solo track, “Sinking” with a twist. He brought a fan from the audience on stage to do a little role playing. Every time PJ reached out to the fan, the fan was expected to run away from him. Fans screamed as PJ caught her, gave her a hug and kissed her on the forehead at the end of the performance.
Chanyeon showcased a different side of himself by preparing a rap stage of the song, ‘Forest of Dreams’. In his previous performances, Chanyeon showcased dance-centered performances by performing ‘Jennie’ by BLACKPINK’s Jennie and a cover of ‘Troublemaker’. by HyunA and Hyun Seung. The audience couldn’t help but dance and jump along with Chanyeon as he utilized the entire stage.
Jiseok did a solo performance to their new track called, ‘Back’.
Big Ocean ended the night with a performance of their new title track, ‘The Greatest Battle’. They also performed fan favorite songs like ‘Slow’ and ‘End of Time’.
Big Ocean’s European tour, which was set to follow their US stop, has been cancelled due to safety concerns.
** A special thanks to Oppang for the opportunity to cover and shoot the show for the Minneapolis stop.
TWICE lit up Grand Casino Arena (previously known as the Xcel Energy Center) in downtown Saint Paul and became the first K-pop band to perform at an arena in Minnesota. They are currently on a long World Tour promoting their album, <THIS IS FOR>. Consisting of 9-members, TWICE debuted under JYP Entertainment in 2015. They have released many hit song such as ‘The Feels’, ‘Signal’, and ‘Likey’. Many fans were excited for this upcoming concert as it will be the first time a big K-pop group will be performing with a big production in Minnesota. Members Dahyun and Chaeyoung were missing from the concert due to health issues. Dahyun fractured her ankle and Chaeyoung hurt her back.
Twice brought concert-goers from all ages and united all generations of K-pop. Some fans were retired 2nd generation K-pop fans whom came out of concert-retirement to see TWICE perform. Others were newer 5th gen K-pop fans who loves TWICE’s newer concepts. Others were K-pop Demon Hunter fans who are exploring K-pop for the first time. No matter what generation K-pop fan you were, everyone was really welcoming, giving out freebies, and excited to celebrate the first K-pop arena tour in Minnesota.
A special part of this tour is its utilization of a raised 360-degree stage. The stage was placed in the middle and allowed more fans to attend the concert and get a closer opportunity to see TWICE perform. Fans had the options to get a seat and watch the performance or to stand in the pit and see TWICE perform closer. Whichever option you chose, it was a good view of their performance.
TWICE performed a wide range of stages. From their B-side tracks to their solo tracks and most popular songs, fans were able to get a full experience of their discography from this concert. Many fans knew the dances from the songs and you can see them dancing along with TWICE as they performed.
Outside of their performance, TWICE had short commentaries with the fans. They did a dance battle with some of the fans and learned a new “meme” (slang) from the audience. The audience taught TWICE the “clock it” gesture. Jihyo had the most fun with the new slang as she quickly picked up the meaning and used it throughout the concert.
TWICE ended the concert by giving fans the choice to choose the last song. Although there were many songs that fans requested, the chosen song was ‘Signal’ released in 2017. Fans screamed with joy as TWICE performed their hit song. During the performance, TWICE walked around the stage, interacted with fans, and greeted everyone.
TWICE will be performing in Denver, Colorado on April 14th then ending their North American tour in Austin, Texas on April 17th. They will fly to Europe and start the European Tour in May.
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.
It’s been a while since I attended a concert as a fan. Recently, I have only been covering concerts as a concert photographer / journalist. I debated a lot whether I should attend the SF9 concert. When the concert was first announced, I was shocked because of the VIP benefits, admissions ticket, and everything was sold separately. To be honest, it was just way too expensive and far away. So I decided to not attend the concert even though I really like SF9.
However, fans started circulating that there was a sale on the tickets. And after much thought, I ended up buying last minute tickets to see SF9 live in Kansas City, Missouri. VIP tickets for the stop was 50% off if you use the code FANTASY. Regular GA tickets for the show was 80% off if you use the code FANTASY80 so it was a great deal! You could attend the concert with GA tickets for ~$15!
It was so shocking to see VVIP and VIP set up the way it was. VVIP had group photo with the artist and VIP had fansign with the artist. Usually, VVIP had more benefits than VIP (ex. group photo AND fansign). But this one was split and you had to choose between one or the other. I guess the only thing you were paying for if you got VVIP was earlier access to choose your seats. After much debating, I decided to go with the VIP experience because I would rather have a signed poster than a photo with the artists since I already planned to do the snapshot option.
For as shocking as the ticket prices and benefit system was, the experience itself was super great and well organized. It was one of the best concerts and concert experiences I had ever had. Check in was super quick and easy. I arrived at around 2:45PM, was able to quickly check in and get my VIP lanyard, premium concert admission wristband, and snapshot tickets. I was in and out within 5 minutes.
Studio PAV had a queue system (like they do in Korea) and “No-Line” rule, so your entrance queue number was based on your ticket tier and how early you bought the tickets. Since I bought my tickets last minute, I was at the back of the VIP line. But, thankfully, that wasn’t too bad for this concert and venue because we were at an seated auditorium.
VIP Experience
I thought the VIP experience was really well done. Since we were in a seated auditorium at a community center, they didn’t really have a room to split VVIP from VIP. We all entered the venue based on our tier and queue number and was organized to sit in the chairs in front of the stage. Once we were all seated, the staff quickly told us what was going to happen and what to expect. The directions were loud and clear. VVIP was seated in the rows before us. They will go up on stage based on their seats and wait in line on the left side of the stage. Each person must have their phones ready. When it was their turn, they handed their phone to the staff member, sat in the chair in front of SF9 and got their photo taken. It was fun to watch because most people had a pose they wanted to do with SF9. So it was funny, cute, and exciting to see what each fan had planned for their 1 For All photo.
After the VVIP’s finished their last photo, the boys went backstage. The staff quickly set up some tables, chairs, and markers for the VIP fansign. Then VIP’s were instructed to stand up and line up in our correct order. SF9 came back out. When we got on the stage, we got a poster and went up to the table where SF9 was sitting. I think the order for the fansign was Chani, Hwiyoung, Inseong, Jaeyoon, and Youngbin. The fansign goes by really fast. I really just wanted to say hi to each member and look them in the eye because I wasn’t able to do that with ONEWE (I was too nervous). Inseong surprised me by asking for my name. I was shocked and all I said was my name. I don’t even remember saying “hello” or “thank you” to him.
After the fan sign ended, the boys went backstage again. Then we had sound check and the boys performed 3 songs for us. The seating for soundcheck was how we were sat when we first came in. After soundcheck ended, we were organized into our seats for the show.
Seating
How did seating go? We were moved to the top seats after sound check. They separated us as Premium or General Admission. Then they started calling out numbers for VVIP + Premium Admission ticket holders. The order went as below:
VVIP + Premium Admissions
VIP + Premium Admissions
VVIP + General Admissions
VIP + General Admissions
Non-VVIP/VIP fans came in after all of VIP was seated. They were lined up outside and came in as following:
Premium admissions
General admissions
I think the only other thing that was shocking was that merch was closed during the concert. If you needed to pick up snapshot tickets or wanted to check out merch you had to wait until after the concert if you didn’t pick them up before the concert. When I checked with merch, they only had some photo postcards and no other merch. A lot of people bought last minute snapshot tickets. You could still buy tickets before the concert but you had to buy them online then show the QR code to the merch volunteers when you went up to pick it up.
Concert
The concert was so so so so good! SF9 debuted in October 2016 under FNC Entertainment. Their debut song is “Fanfare”. They just hit their 9th year anniversary. Happy anniversary! If you are looking for a boyband who is really good at interacting with their fans, has a great sense of humor, and has great songs, SF9 is the band for you! They have a lot of really great and popular songs like “O Sole Mio”, “Good Guy”, “WARARU”, and “Tear Drop”. They also just released the song, “LOVE RACE,” earlier this year. Check them out! You won’t be disappointed 🙂 You can watch a highlight of the concert below:
Snapshot Experience
After the concert ended, they gave people without snapshot tickets time to trickle out of the auditorium and into the lobby and for people to pick up their snapshot tickets if they have not yet. Then, we were all separated based on whose snapshots we had. If you had snapshots for more than one member, you just have to go to the back of the other member’s line after you finished taking your photos.
They called Youngbin’s line first so I got up and went to his line. When they finished organizing everyone, SF9 members came out and stood in front of their lines. We were asked to tell them what number pose we wanted to do with the member. I had snapshots with each member so I tried my best to be time efficient and went to the members with the shortest line after each photo. This was a great plan because I was able to successfully take photos with each members with no issue. When the line finishes for a member, a Studio PAV staff announces it and asks if there is anyone else with snapshot tickets for that member. If no one responds, the member goes backstage and rests.
The members were so sweet. I really thought it would pass by super quickly and I wouldn’t get to say anything to the members except for “hi” and “bye” but I was really shocked when Youngbin, Hwiyoung, and Chani spoke to me. Thank you for the kind words. It was a really great experience. Since I am usually a festival and concert photographer staff, I am usually taking photos of these fan interactions. But this was the second time I attended as a fan so it was really nerve wrecking for me. It helps me relate to how fans feel.
It was a really great experience. If you guys have the chance, I really recommend attending one of their other stops before the tour ends. They still have a few stops in Texas and California left. 🙂 Thank you Studio PAV for the great organization and experience!
![[Concert Recap] Attending my first Studio PAV Concert as a Fan (SF9 LOVE DAWN Tour – VIP + Snapshot Experience)](https://project1004.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/BlogImage.jpg)
