KCON LA 2026 Recap: All of the Best Performances, Booths, Activities, Events, and More!

Another summer, another KCON! KCON LA 2026 concluded another successful year with 142,000 fans and 36 acts across three days at Crypto.com Arena and the Los Angeles Convention Center, from August 14-16, 2026. This is my fourth year covering KCON LA, and it’s the event I look forward to the most every single summer. Being surrounded by fellow K-pop fans, seeing so many of my favorite artists, and just engrossing myself in the Korean culture is always such a treat and what keeps me coming back to KCON every year.

This year’s KCON LA operated under the theme of “K-SOUL CITY”, turning downtown LA into a vibrant cultural destination inspired by the energy and spirit of Seoul, showcasing the best of K-pop, K-food, K-beauty, and K-content. A total of 144 brands and companies also joined the festival over three days, while fans also enjoyed the festival worldwide via digital platforms that reached more than 250 regions. 

Since there is so much to do, everyone’s KCON experience is different, but read on to find out what I get to check out this year, my favorite performances, highlights from the convention floor, and much more!

The Convention

The layout of this year’s convention floor was different from previous years (although I feel like I say that every year. They’re always keeping us on our toes!) This year, the booths were split up between two different areas, South Hall and Kentia Hall. Upon entering the convention center on the first day, I checked out South Hall first, which has always served as the main location for convention activities, to get my lay of the land. 

One of the highlights of the South Hall convention floor was the Toyota Music Den stage. Throughout the three days of the convention, various artists took the stage to showcase performances, give talks, and play games. On day one, I check out One Pact’s showcase, and they did not disappoint! They performed several energetic songs and really kicked off the weekend for me. In fact, the same group also closed the Toyota Music Den stage on the final day of KCON LA 2026, and I checked out that performance as well. It was definitely fun to have the same group bookend my time at the convention, especially when it’s a group that always gives such fun performances.

I got to watch several other performances on the Toyota Music Den stage throughout the weekend, including Modyssey, a group I have been following since they debuted from the survival show Planet C: Home Race (a spinoff of Boys II Planet). I actually got to catch Modyssey several times on the convention floor, as they made several appearances at various stages and booths. For a rookie group just a few months old, they really know how to command the stage and perform at the same level as their seniors. I’m really excited to see what’s next for them, and hope to see them at a future KCON LA!

Also located in the South Hall was the Olive Young Festa LA section, which was a massive area with many booths showcasing various skincare and beauty brands. Each booth had either products for sale, freebies you can get by completing a task, games or activities. While the lines for these booths were massive, I got to check out a few of them and came home with some amazing products that I can’t wait to try.

South Hall also featured a Sanrio booth, where fans could meet iconic characters like Hello Kitty and Kuromi, and got freebies for completing a survey. For fans of K-dramas, the K-Story Zone highlighted Korean drama content, recreating the vibe of Korea’s summer tradition of watching movies outdoors, like along the Han River.

Moving on to Kentia Hall, this is where the K-Food Zone was located, recreating the vibe of a Korean night market, complete with string lights, and all of the street food you could want! The area also included several K-beauty booths, as well as the MNet booth, where artists appeared throughout the day to give performances, or where fans could take part in Random Play Dance events.

Kentia Hall featured the Sanrio Dance Stage, another stage where fans could catch some of their favorite artists doing dance challenges and playing games. I got to see the groups H//PE Princess, cosmosy, and Modyssey on this stage throughout the weekend. The layout for each group was the same, and included an elimination-style Random Play Dance featuring the group’s members, and a section where the members taught a part of one of their own dances and then fans could come on stage and dance with them. 

Also in Kentia Hall, several artists had their own booths, including Modyssey, Rescene, and One Pact. The groups would appear at their booths at random times throughout the convention days, and if fans were lucky enough to catch them, they’d be treated to games with the members, giveaways, and mini fanmeetings. I stopped by to play rock-paper-scissors with Rescene and Modyssey, and watched as One Pact members handed out signed posters to eager fans.

The final and largest part of the convention floor is the Artist Stage. This area features a large-scale stage where fans can see their favorite artists perform full sets, including in the cost of their convention ticket. This year’s layout of the viewing area unfortunately left a lot to be desired. It was very hard to see unless you were in the front VIP Premium section, and even then, I heard a lot of fans had issues. However, I got to watch KickFlip, ILLIT, and Yeonjun’s sets, which were all so fun. Yeonjun, who is a member of the group Tomorrow X Together, was definitely the highlight for me; it was so exciting to see his first solo performance at KCON. 

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The Concert

Each year, KCON LA consists of two separate events, the convention and the concert, which is called M Countdown. The concert portion takes place after the convention ends, at Crypto.com Arena, located right next door to the convention center. Fans are able to choose to go to either just one or both events, with ticket tier options available for each.

I was lucky enough to get to catch all three days of the concert this year, and had a blast. The stage layout changed from year to year, and I have to say I wasn’t a fan of this year’s setup. The stage felt too small, and one side had stairs where artists could go down and interact with fans, and the other side had a small platform. Nowhere was it advertised which side of the stage was the “front” so it felt like fans on one side were unfairly favored more than the other. There is always a “front” and “back” to the KCON LA stages, with the venue being set up in the round, but in previous years, the stages were symmetrical, which made it seem more fair to fans on all sides. 

It was also advertised that the headlining groups each day would get a one-hour set time, but each one was closer to around 40 minutes. Regardless, the performances did not disappoint. However, I just wish the KCON organizers would be a bit more transparent and stick to what is advertised.

The lineup for day one of the concert was headlined by NCT 127 and also included KickFlip, Santos Bravos, Treasure, &Team, H//PE Princess, KO1KEYZ, Wanna One, and WING. As a big NCTzen, the highlight of this day for me was of course NCT 127. With members Taeyong and Jaehyun finally back from their mandatory military service, it was such a treat to see them on the KCON LA stage.

Wanna One also reunited for the first time in 9 years to give a special performance on the KCON stage, including their iconic song “Energetic.” I will admit, their initial debut and subsequent disbandment happened before I was a K-pop fan myself, so I do not have the emotional connection to them that so many fans do have. However, I can definitely appreciate the feeling of having a favorite artist reunite who you thought was gone forever, and I could feel the excitement during their stage.

The headliner for day two was ZeroBaseOne, and the lineup also included ILLIT, izna, P1Harmony, Taeyong of NCT, Yeonjun of Tomorrow X Together, and Modyssey. This was my personal favorite day out of the three, lineup-wise. The performances just all felt like bangers, one after another. I can’t choose one specific highlight from this day, but Yeonjun’s performance of his song “Fxxking Star” was definitely a standout. Modyssey performed a cover of One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful” which brought the house down. I hope more people will tune into them after the buzz this performance generated!

ZeroBaseOne took the KCON LA stage for the first time as a five-member group, previously performing as nine members at every other KCON LA since 2023. As a fan of ZB1 since they debuted from Boys Planet, this was a bittersweet moment. 

The third and final day featured headliner Tomorrow X Together, as well as AllDay Project, Alpha Drive One, JO1, MEOVV, Evan, NEXZ, Rescene, and WING. I can’t lie, I was most excited to see Evan this day. Formerly known as Heeseung, a member of the group ENHYPEN, Evan has now debuted as a solo artist under the new name. This marked his first U.S. performance as a soloist. He performed the two songs from his debut, “Overflow” and “Ride or Die” as well as a cover of Harry Styles’ “As It Was.” I have always loved Evan’s performance style, vocals, and energy, and it was so exciting to see him command the stage as a soloist. I can’t wait to see what he does next, and to watch him continue to grow.

Of course, TXT were another highlight of day three, performing for what seemed like the longest set time of the three headliners. I have seen TXT perform many times now, and always have a blast. Their energy is amazing, their songs are all so fun and catchy, and they just have boundless talent. I find them to always be a highlight of any stage they’re on.

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In Conclusion

I will always recommend KCON LA to any K-pop fan, whether you’re a lifelong devotee or just getting into the genre. It is truly an unmatched celebration of Korean culture, music, food, beauty, and style, that fans from around the world can appreciate. 

KCON LA has already announced the dates for next year’s event, which will take place August 13-15, 2027. I know I will be there, will you?

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Photo Credit: CJ ENM

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