KCON LA 2024 Presented by Samsung Galaxy celebrated its 12th anniversary from July 26-28, 2024, marking its most successful event to date. With a record-breaking 5.9 million fans in attendance both online and onsite at the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena, KCON also made its mark in K-Pop history as the first festival to be broadcast on U.S. national primetime television via The CW Network on Sunday evening, July 28, 2024.
Presented by Samsung Galaxy and produced by leading entertainment company CJ Entertainment, KCON brought a wide spectrum of multigenerational illustrious acts this year. From the 1st generation legendary g.o.d. and prominent 2nd generation K-Pop acts like TAEMIN and HYOLYN, to newly debuted groups like ME:I and KATSEYE, there was something for everyone. With one of the longest lineups to date, K-Pop fans had the opportunity to see AleXa, A.C.E., APOKI, BIBI, BINI, BOYNEXTDOOR, CRAXY, DRIPPIN, DXMON, ENHYPEN, g.o.d., HYOLYN, INI, Isaac Hong, Jeon Somi, Jo Yuri, Kep1er, KATSEYE, Kim Soo Hyun, LOREN, ME:I, NCT 127, NMIXX, P1Harmony, Park Min Young, POW, STAYC, TAEMIN, TWS, Tiger JK, ZEROBASEONE, and ZICO at this year’s festival.
KCON USA first launched back in 2012 with only an attendance of 10,000. Since then, Korean culture and music have boomed throughout North America, gaining widespread popularity. The event invites fans from around the world, a variety of musical acts, and Korean entertainment professionals to the Los Angeles Convention Center and the Crypto.com Arena to connect.
For a welcomed change, KCON moved their convention to the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center this year, granting more space for both attendees and exhibitors to spread out. While the K-Lifestyle booths, K-Collection booths, Marketplace, and Fan & Artist Gallery remained landmarks within the convention halls, the Meet & Greet Stage was also added to the main exhibit hall floor, allowing all KCON convention ticket holders to attend and watch. In addition to the traditional coveted artist interactions, the Meet & Greet Stage also held 30-minute showcases for visiting artists–like CRAXY, DRIPPIN, Isaac Hong, ME:I, and more–who did not require meet & greet passes to attend. KCON also introduced special fan meeting events for actors Park Min Young and Kim Soo Hyun.
Furthermore, this year included the addition of a new Connecting Stage where artists would play a variety of games, including a rebranded random play dance segment called “Drop the Dance.” The Connecting Stage provided an additional avenue for fans to learn more about their idols outside of their professional appearances.
Another very welcome change this year was the expansion of the KCON Stage. It was larger and featured a higher-quality stage production. The stage was set up as a mini concert hall, semi-separated from the rest of the exhibit floor but still accessible to all convention attendees. Fans were treated to full-fledged 30-minute performances held at the KCON stage. The artists also filmed their KCON Stage Self Cams for the KCON Instagram Reels, capturing precious memories with their fans using sponsored Samsung Galaxy phones. Interspersed with playful games and interactions with the idols similar to a fanmeet, KCON Stage was the highlight of many a fan’s day.
The KCON Stage also hosted the daily, signature Dream Stage auditions, offering the selected dancers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform alongside their favorite artists at the M COUNTDOWN Stage in the Crypto.com Arena. This year, the three Dream Stages were: TAEMIN’s “MOVE” on the 26th, ENHYPEN’s “Sweet Venom” on the 27th, and ZICO’s “New Thing” on the 28th. The first two hours of each day were dedicated to fans auditioning for this chance. This intensive audition has become a core KCON activity, drawing many from around the world, as it is the only festival officially offering fans the chance to perform with their idols. Arguably one of the best improvements to the KCON festival setup, many fans hope that the new KCON Stage setup will remain a staple in future conventions.
All the stages’ programming within the convention hall was scheduled and listed in the PlusCON app, allowing fans to plan their busy itineraries. Despite the scheduled appearances at the stages, however, there were still a plethora of surprise artist appearances at various artists and sponsor booths across the convention. For example, ZICO, ENHYPEN, KATSEYE, and more made special appearances at the Samsung Galaxy booth to demonstrate the new AI flexcam and experiment with the demo devices, often taking videos and photos with fans. STAYC appeared at the SHEIN booth to customize their very own photocard holders, and A.C.E. appeared at the Beat Interactive booth to hold a miniature meet & greet with fans. There was no time for KCONers to rest if they wished to catch all their favorite artists’ appearances.
This year’s convention floor boasted more interactive, hands-on activities than previous years, providing attendees with exposure to everything ranging from culture to entertainment, many attendees loved the variety for discovery. In the K-Lifestyle section, many vendors set up activities for fans to have fun and discover new products. Samsung Galaxy uniquely set up an escape room that utilizes Samsung Galaxy’s AI features, a karaoke booth, and a virtual dance cell among the usual photo booth, demo sections, and more. This year, attendees could check out the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6, Flip6, Watch7 Ultra, and Buds 3 Pro.
At Olive & Young, attendees explored over 100 exclusive products and enjoyed demonstrations for the Bring Green and Colorgram lines. SHEIN attracted fans with custom photocard holders, freebies, and a photo booth. TIRTIR showcased a variety of products, while Moira Beauty offered free makeovers. Paldo featured ramen giveaways and a giant ramen bowl for photos. The Korea Tourism Organization booth provided AI-generated hanbok profile pictures and various prizes for completing a stamp tour event.
The recent rise in popularity of Korean webtoons, comics, and games also brought the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) to KCON this year. Their K Story & Comics booth offered a variety of activities, including a picturesque prop display for the compelling rising series The Remarried Empress, game demos for the renowned popular series Solo Leveling, and a high striker for the controversial thought-provoking series Lookism.
The K-Lifestyle section also featured the Fan & Artist Gallery, showcasing each artist’s stage costumes, signed albums, music video props, and more in glass displays. Each exhibit included details about the artist, such as members, debut date, and discography. Company booths for POW, CRAXY, APOKI, A.C.E., g.o.d, STAYC, and the absent izna lined the outskirts of the section to promote their artists. The K-Pop: Shining Moments exhibition highlighted several major achievements, and message boards allowed fans to leave notes for their favorite idols.
For a change of pace from the bustling convention floor, fans could hit up one of the many impressive panels, workshops, or fan club events located in the meeting rooms above the concourse hall. Hosted by professional industry talents, these sessions touched on various topics ranging from cosmetics and dance to even music production and behind-the-scenes experiences. Fans also had the chance to interact with idol groups such as DRIPPIN, CRAXY, and POW through various activities.
The last area of the expansive festival grounds was located outside in the Gilbert Lindsay Plaza. Here, fans had yet another opportunity to see their favorite artists on the Dance All Day stage. The small roped-off area allowed fans to watch from close up and have meaningful interactions with their idols. The Gilbert Lindsay Plaza was also where the KCON Fan Square was set up this year, along with many food trucks and a spacious tented area with chairs and tables prepared for diners or attendees just looking for an area to rest and relax. The last stop to KCON’s stamp tour scavenger hunt that encouraged fans to discover and stop by all the new areas of the festival was also located here, where the final prize was a decadently soft KCON crossbody bag.
KCON LA 2024 has once again proved to be an event K-Pop fans can’t miss with its jam-packed schedule of activities, expanded convention halls, and enhanced artist interactions providing a richer and more immersive experience for attendees. With its impressive lineup of artists and ever-growing convention grounds, KCON continues to be the leading festival for all things K-Pop and Korean culture. This year, KCON further extended its reach by adding a new location in Europe; KCON Germany will make its debut at the Messe Frankfurt on September 28-29 with just as exceptional of an artist lineup.