PROJECT 1004

Tag: kpop in minnesota

  • TWICE Becomes the First K-pop Group to Perform at an Arena in Minnesota

    TWICE Becomes the First K-pop Group to Perform at an Arena in Minnesota

    St. Paul, MN

    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.

  • TWICE to Become the First K-pop Group to Perform in an Arena in Minnesota

    TWICE to Become the First K-pop Group to Perform in an Arena in Minnesota

    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 JYP Entertainment, 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.

  • Big Ocean Announces their 2nd US Tour <THE GREATEST BATTLE>

    Big Ocean Announces their 2nd US Tour <THE GREATEST BATTLE>

    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.

    Many fans have already expressed their excitement for this upcoming album and tour by posting comments and sharing the instagram posts.

    Are you guys excited in seeing Big Ocean in Minnesota again?

    Check out our other articles of their other US activities below:

    Big Ocean Kicks Off Their First US Tour with a Cafe Fan Event at Niko Niko Boba Cafe
    When Music Speaks in Every Language: Big Ocean’s Inspiring U.S. Debut
    Inside the 2025 Atlanta Korean Festival: K-Pop, Culture, and Culinary Delights

  • JUNHEE Concludes His First Solo U.S. Tour

    JUNHEE Concludes His First Solo U.S. Tour

    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 Postpones Their Concert in Minnesota

    1VERSE Postpones Their Concert in Minnesota

    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.

  • Minnesota Hosts Its First K-POP Convention at the RiverCentre

    Minnesota Hosts Its First K-POP Convention at the RiverCentre

    Minnesota celebrated a major milestone in its K-pop community with the first K-POP Convention in Minnesota. Held at the RiverCentre in downtown St. Paul, KPOP MINNECON was organized by the beloved local event organizer MNKPOPCONNECT. Best known for their energetic Random Dance Play (RDP) gatherings, MNKPOPCONNECT has continued to expand their influence — recently partnering with KORUS Entertainment to bring K-pop boy group Big Ocean to Minnesota for a café fan event at Niko Niko Café and a concert at the Uptown Theater.

    KPOP MINNECON was a celebration of everything K-pop. The convention offered a variety of booths where attendees could shop for albums, posters, handmade crafts, K-beauty products, stick-on nails, and more. Photo card trading tables allowed fans to connect and swap cards, while a large open area was reserved for an all-day RDP — a fan-favorite highlight. The event also featured community-led panels, where attendees could sign up before the convention to present on various K-pop-related topics.

    For food, the RiverCentre provided indoor concessions, while food trucks lined Rice Park offering a diverse range of options — from Mexican and Japanese dishes to desserts and refreshing sugarcane juice.

    After the dance lesson ended, fans waited to watch local talent compete for the K-POP dance competition. Ellen and Brian were the judges for this year’s show. The contest included solo performances and group performances. The winners took home a combined prize of $1,000. Many friends, family, and fans came to support the local talent.

    Originally, the headliner was set to be BE:MAX, but due to unexpected visa issues, the group was unable to travel to the U.S. Despite the last-minute change, the concert remained on schedule, with the other artists extending their performances to keep the energy going strong.

    During the convention, fans had the chance to meet and take photos with artists performing in the evening concert. Long lines formed at the artist booths as attendees waited eagerly for the opportunity to take photos with performers like Ted Park and Beomhan.

    When interviewing some attendees in line, many people mentioned that they were big fans of Beomhan. They had recently seen him perform in Georgia and flew to Minnesota just to see him again. Others mentioned that they were sad that they were not able to see BE:MAX.

    As the convention portion wrapped up, fans made their way upstairs to the concert hall. The evening show opened with a unique performance by Mimi Lee, who captivated the audience with K-pop covers on the cello. The night continued with high-energy sets from Ramiro Brave, LUC-iD, Alan Z, Ted Park, and Beomhan.

    To end the night, fans had the option to purchase access to fan sign events, offering a more personal moment with the performers. Many fans mentioned that they came out to support KPOP MINNECON because they were avid KPOP fans. They hope that the event will grow larger next year and someday become multi-days like KCON LA. Many fans also hope that more artists participate next year.

    ** A special thank you to MNKPOPCONNECT for having me as a photographer for the event! **

  • Loossemble Brings Fans to Uptown Theater for Their 2024 Up_Link US Tour

    Loossemble Brings Fans to Uptown Theater for Their 2024 Up_Link US Tour

    Hundreds of fans lined up at Uptown Theater in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to see K-pop girl group Loossemble (루셈블) perform for their Up_Link Station Tour. The band consists of members Hyunjin, ViVi, Go Won, Hyeju, and Yeojin. Yeojin is currently on a health hiatus and did not attend the US Tour. They debuted in 2023 with the song, “Sensitive”. The members are former members of girl group LOONA. After leaving their previous agency, they signed with CTDENM to form Loossemble. “Loossemble” stands for “LOONA Assemble.” Throughout the concert, you could hear long time fans cheering “LOONA” in the crowd.

    Last month, Loossemble released their 3rd mini album “TTYL” (short for “Talk to You Later”). It features their title song “TTYL”. This is one of their most popular songs as many fans have performed dance covers/dance challenges to this song. Throughout the tour, the girls could be seen making short videos and performing the songs at local landmarks. In Minnesota, Loossemble member Hyeju filmed a dance challenge for “TTYL” at the Spoonbridge and Cherry. Hyeju also taught the choreography to concert goers and filmed a short video for their social media pages.


    Some other popular songs that the girls performed include fan favorite “Cotton Candy” and “Confessions”. The girls ended the concert with a high wave event / group photos with VIP, VVIP, and VVIP Wonder ticket holders.

    October 25Th, 2024

  • K-POP Hopefuls From Around the Midwest Travel to Minnesota to Compete at the 2024 Midwest K-pop Festival at the Mall of America

    K-POP Hopefuls From Around the Midwest Travel to Minnesota to Compete at the 2024 Midwest K-pop Festival at the Mall of America

    With the rising global influence of K-POP, it is no surprise that K-POP has become a major cultural phenomenon. Millions of people from around the world collect their albums and photo cards, feature K-POP songs in TikTok videos, and sell out their world tours. This global phenomenon has also given rise to vibrant fan cultures — one of the most prominent being dance cover performed by fans.

    The Midwest K-POP Festival (MKF) is the largest K-POP Festival in Minnesota, drawing participants from across the Midwest to compete for a chance to represent the U.S. at the prestigious KBS Changwon K-POP World Festival in South Korea. The competition includes multiple rounds, featuring both dance and vocal categories. Supported and hosted by the Korean government, the grand prize is an all-expenses-paid trip to South Korea to learn more about Korean culture and compete on the global stage. The Changwon K-POP World Festival also includes performances from K-POP idols. So, if you get the chance to compete in Korea, you might be able to see your favorite band!

    MKF is usually hosted by MKDC (Minnesota K-Pop Dance Crew) and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chicago. MKDC is a local cover dance team that started at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. They participated in the festival in the early years and won various times. Now, they work more on the back end by organizing and assisting with the event. During the show, MKDC can be seen performing various times during the event to keep the crowd entertained and let the contestants rest. This year was a little special as MKDC teamed up with Axis, a popular Chicago dance team to showcase performances between competitions.

    Other than the performances, the competition also featured an excellent MC and past MKF participants and music producer Rino—who has worked with major labels like YG Entertainment—as part of the judging panel. The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chicago also attended the event and can be seen showing his support by giving an opening speech. He thanked the participants for their love of K-POP and Korean Culture and for the participant’s months of hard work and dedication to making this a successful event.

    It was a great competition with many talented groups. Prism Kru from Chicago won the competition this year. They later went to compete in Changwon. The full video from the performance can be watched on YouTube.

    June 1st, 2024