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.
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.
One of the best things about KCON is the exposure to many artists. When I go to KCON, I try to attend as many different artist stages as possible. Four of new artists that I was the most interested in seeing this year was: ONE PACT, KEYVITUP, RESCENE, and JO1. After seeing their stages, here are the songs I recommend.
1.) ONE PACT – Must Be Nice (좋겠다)
I have been obsessed with this song. It has a catchy chorus, beautiful vocals, and it was a super easy song to instantly listen to and like. Since I saw ONE PACT perform this song at the artist stage on Day 1 of KCON, I have been obsessed with it and listening to it nonstop. I just recently looked up the english lyrics to this song and it was super different from how I imagined the song to be. The song was titled “좋겠다” which means “Must Be Nice”. So originally I thought the song was about how it must be nice for a girl to get over a guy so quickly. But when I read the english lyrics, I was so surprised at how deep and specific the lyrics were. The song is from the perspective of the boyfriend. It seems like the boyfriend likes the girlfriend more. They try their best to please their girlfriend and she just doesn’t seem satisfied about anything that the boyfriend does. Some lines that stick out is about how the boyfriend is jealous because the girlfriend is always right and everything will always go her way. And the last two lines summed up the song really well, “I’m really jealous of you because you can change me however you want”. I think a lot of people who has been in a relationship before can relate to the lyrics.
I hate to recommend a song that is well-known but I really like this song. I don’t think enough people appreciate how good this song is! The chorus is so so so beautiful. I can’t believe I never heard of this beautiful song until they started hitting it big with their viral YouTube videos.
4. JO1 – WHATCHA DOIN’
I saw JO1 for the first time last year! But they didn’t really catch my attention. I took a few photos of them during their M Countdown stage and their fans thanked me for taking photos of the band. Since then, I became curious about them and this year, I made sure I attended their artist stage as well as watch their performance at the M Countdown Stage again. Their artist stage was so so so fun! They have so many great songs and was so good at performing! I went into the festival only knowing their song “BE CLASSIC”. However, after their performance, I started really liking “Sakura”, “Whatcha doin’”, and “Handz in My Pocket”. I thought about what song I should recommend from them. And the song that I think would be a good introduction is “WHATCHA DOIN’”. It is one of their newer song and it is a little easier to listen to for the first time compared to “Sakura”. “Sakura” is a great song to listen to and see live, however, I think it may be shocking and hard to listen to for people who have not listened to songs like it before. So enjoy “WHATCHA DOIN’” and eventually venture to their other songs.
5. TXT – Deja Vu
The last song is TXT’s “Deja Vu”. This is a pretty famous song and artist but seeing them perform this song at the M COUNTDOWN stage reminded me again of how good this song is! I haven’t really been listening to TXT because I have been listening a lot to some of the more recent artists that I have worked with/was going to attend their concerts. And being able to see them again at KCON made me start listening to all of my favorite TXT songs again! “Deja Vu” is seriously such a great song. The song is catch, the music and instruments are awesome, the hook is amazing… Seriously, just a master pience.
There were so many artists that I want to see but missed out on. I wish I was able to attend MODYSSEY’s stage, ZB1, NEXZ, cosmosy, etc. But I could only be at 1 place at a time. Maybe they will go on tour in the US next year!
Did you attend KCON? Please recommend us some songs/artists to listen to in the comments below!
&TEAM is a Japanese boyband that was created through the survival program &Audition – The Howling. The band consists of members K, MAKI, JO, Nicholas, YUMA, TAKI, Harua, FUMA, and EJ. They were the first boyband to debut under YX Labels, one of HYBE’s Japanese labels. The band consists of Korean and Japanese members.
&TEAM made their debut in December of 2022. Up until recently, they primarily focused on releasing Japanese songs and promoting in Japan. Through their promotions and album releases, they had already built a strong fan base in Japan and abroad. Much to the anticipation of K-pop fans, &TEAM made their official Korean debut last year. They debuted with the mini album, ‘Back to Life’ and promoted in Korea – attending music shows, etc.
As &TEAM has only promoted in Asia, many western fans were sad to not be able to see the group perform live. However, KCON LA 2026 will mark their first attempt at testing their popularity in the western market. The demand for &TEAM in the US can be seen by how fast tickets sold out and how many fans applied and participated in all the &TEAM fan events taking place during their upcoming trip to the US.
Below are some of the events &TEAM will be doing while on their US promotions for KCON LA 2026:
8.11.2026 (Tuesday) – HELLO82 82Summer with &TEAM & Fan Sign Event
One of HELLO82’s most popular events is their Employee of the Day event. In this event, a K-POP artist becomes a HELLO82 employee. They do things like help with the check out counters, help with directing fans, etc.
This even will also include a fansign. 30 lucky winners will get to do a private fansign with &TEAM. This is a raffle opportunity. The more albums you buy, the higher the likelihood that you will be chosen to attend the fansign. More information of the fansign can be found here.
8.12.2026 (Wednesday) – GRAMMY MUSEUM Performance – SOLD OUT
&TEAM will be holding a discussion and special performance with GRAMMY Museum. The even sold out before it was announced on social media. People subscribed to GRAMMY Museum were notified early of the upcoming event and it quickly sold out.
At KCON, &TEAM will be participating at the Artists Stage at the Los Angeles Convention Center and the M Countdown concert at the crypto.com arena on Day 1. They will also hold a special stage performance with Santos Bravos.
8.15.2026 (Saturday) – KPOP NARA Fansign – Winners Announced
The KPOP NARA fansign event was the first fan event announced for &TEAM’s upcoming trip to the US. The fansign required for possible attendees to purchase an album and submit a creative video explaining why they should be allowed to attend the fan sign. The 50 lucky winners were announced.
Those were all the events that have been announced so far. If any more are announced, I will make sure to update this post. Outside of these fan events, &TEAM recently announced on WEVERSE that they will be having their second Korean album comeback. This mini album is titled ‘Mark on Me‘ and is expected to be released on September 8th, 2026. Fans are already excited to see how this new comeback will turn out. Hybe released a video teasing the comeback. The video can be found below.
KEYVITUP is a five-member boy group that made their debut this year under the label iNKODE. Even though it’s only been a couple of months since their debut, they’ve already earned recognition for their steady vocal skills and strong live performances. The group is made up of Rukia, Hyunmin, Taehwan, Sena, and Jaein, and they launched their careers in April of this year with the tracks “KEYVITUP” and “LEGENDARY.” They initially drew attention in the industry as the first boy group produced by K-pop legend Kim Jae Joong, and since then they’ve kept busy promoting their music, appearing at numerous events, and taking part in a variety of TV shows. Most recently, they took the stage at KCON JAPAN 2026.
ARAISE announced that they will be having a FANNECT with KEYVITUP on Thursday, August 13th, 2026. The event will be taking place at The Eastwood Mainstage at Eastwood Performing Arts Center. The event allows for fans to purchase a silver, gold, or diamond tier tickets. Each tier allows fans to do different things with the artist. More information about the event can be found here. This event will be taking place the day before KCON.
The second event that KEYVITUP will have with ARAISE will be a fanmeeting in LA. The event will be taking place on Monday, August 17th, 2026 — the day after KCON LA 2026 at KPOP BESTIE. Fans can do many things with the artists. From taking polaroid photos, photo booth photos, to doing a fansign, this event will be more interactive. More information can be found here.
KPOP NARA just announced on their social media that they will also be doing a fansign event with IZNA during KCON this year. The event will take place on Sunday, August 16th-the last day of KCON LA 2026. IZNA is the girl group that debuted in November 2024 through the popular singing survival program, “I-LAND 2”. They debuted with the song “IZNA”, which was produced by The Black Label’s Teddy. They recently just released the ‘SET THE TEMPO’ album with the title track “METRONOME”.
The KPOP NARA event information can be find here. The fansign will allow the first 50 people to get a chance to do a fansign with IZNA. Fans had to buy the album from the event page then fill out the form to confirm their spot in the fansign. The fansign quickly sold out.
They also made a surprise announcement that they will allow some fans to view the fansign. The first 50 people to purchase the viewing ticket were allowed to attend the event as viewers. These tickets quickly sold out as well.
There are a lot of announcements of K-POP artists holding fan events in Los Angeles. These artists will be in town for KCON LA — the biggest K-POP event in the US. The 3-day convention allows for K-POP Fans to see their favorite artists perform live. With many artists in town, this gives K-pop artists the opportunity to hold events and interact with their international fans. KPOP NARA had announced fan sign events with &TEAM,SANTOS BRAVOS, and TAEYONG of NCT. ARAISE announced their fan event with KEYVITUP. And just a week ago, MAKESTAR announced their fansign and fan event with KickFlip. MAKESTAR made another announcement, they will be holding a fansign and fan event with MEOVV. This event will be taking place on Monday, August 17th — the day after KCON LA.
MEOVV is under The Black Label (BLACKPINK’s Korean label). The band created lots of pre-debut buzz when it was rumored and confirmed that the band will include the famous child model Ella. Ella became popular online for her elegant looks and for looking like JENNIE of BLACKPINK. The band debuted in September 2024 with the song, “MEOW”. The band consists of members Ella, Narin, Sooin, Gawon, and Anna. Since their debut, they have been steadily building their fan base and releasing many popular songs with unique concepts.
Recently, they have released their EP ‘Bite Me’. The album features the title tracks “Ddi Ro Ri” and “Hit ‘Em”. The fun songs, iconic dances, catchy intro verses, and concept already has confirmed the EP’s uniqueness and popularity.
The MAKESTAR event will take place from July 13th to July 19th, KST. Fans can enter for a chance to be one of the lucky fans who get to do a fansign with MEOVV or take polaroids with MEOVV. More information of the event can be found here. The event allows for multiple entries and require fans to purchase albums to be entered into the event.
Outside of the fan event, this will be MEOVV’s second appearance at KCON LA. Last year, they participated in KCON LA 2025 by participating at the Artist Stage and performing at the M Countdown Stage. This year, they will be doing the same activities with their newly released songs.
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.
