88rising’s Head In The Clouds Music & Arts Festival returned to Los Angeles on Saturday, August 8, 2026, at Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for a full day celebrating Asian music, art, and culture. Since its inception in 2018, the festival has established itself as “the premier music festival for Asian talent in the U.S.,” creating a space where Asian artists and fans from across the country can come together. HITC LA returned as a one-day festival with KATSEYE headlining alongside XG, Rich Brian, Dabin.kr, UMI, Tiffany Day, Warren Hue, and rising K-Pop acts KiiiKiii and LNGSHOT, among others (read more). Tens of thousands of fans turned out for the festival, braving the sweltering Southern California heat to catch performances from some of the biggest names in Asian and Asian American music.
For fans who couldn’t make the trip to Pasadena, the festival also brought the experience beyond the Rose Bowl grounds with an official livestream. Performances were streamed throughout the day on 88rising’s YouTube channel and TikTok Live, giving fans around the world a chance to tune in and experience HITC LA from home.
KiiiKiii
The festival officially began at PM, and after five acts (ONE OR EIGHT, BE:FIRST, Gia Fu, Warren Hue, and no na), KiiiKiii was the first K-Pop act to take the stage. The five-member girl group came out in cute, sporty red, black, and white outfits to kick off their set with “DANCING ALONE.” They immediately brought a burst of youthful energy to the festival that continued with “Delulu.”
KiiiKiii then took a moment to properly greet LA TiiiKiiis, the name of their official fan club. They beamed as they took in the massive crowd, exclaiming, “Whoa, there’s so many of you guys!” This marked KiiiKiii’s first-ever performance in the United States, something they revealed they had been dreaming about. With their first U.S. stage finally becoming a reality, the members asked the crowd to make the day a memorable one together.
The energy shifted with “BTG,” which gave the members a chance to show off a more confident and charismatic side. The crowd went wild for the rap sections, providing a fun contrast to the sweeter, more girlish charm KiiiKiii showed earlier in the set. They continued leaning into that attitude with “UNDERDOGS.”
During the more laid-back song “Dizzy,” KiiiKiii slowed things down as the members hydrated, walked around the stage, and interacted with the crowd. TiiiKiiis were in sync with the members during call-and-response sections: “If you hear me, say ‘Ooh!’” And “If you see me, say ‘Me’” as they shouted back loud and clear.
KiiiKiii revealed that they prepared a brand-new, unreleased song specifically as a surprise for their U.S. fans. With their new album titled WhyKiiKii arriving just two days after the festival on August 10, the members explained that they wanted the L.A. crowd to hear the track live for the very first time. The title was “Candy Pink Magic Hole Flip Phone,” and the members had to repeat the title twice just to make sure the crowd caught it, resulting in an amusing moment before the song finally began. Packed with electronic and hip-hop influences, “Candy Pink Magic Hole Flip Phone” was an instant mood-booster, giving KiiiKiii another chance to show off their playful but powerful performance style. “I’m the Kiii to the Kiii!” the members sang, leaning fully into the song’s experimental, quirky charm.
From there, KiiiKiii took things in a darker direction with “GROUNDWORK.” The moodier performance showed off yet another side of the group before they switched things up again with “딸기게임 (Strawberry Cheesegame),” bringing back their playful energy and interactions with fans throughout the song.
As the set approached its final stretch, the members lined up across the stage to thank everyone for coming. They teased that their final two songs were some of their favorites, but instead of giving the answer away, they decided to give the crowd a hint: a quick a cappella snippet of “I DO ME.” After performing their debut single, they had fans guess again, and the overwhelming response was their latest viral title track “404 (New Era).” The crowd erupted, with fans loudly chanting along the whole song. With that, KiiiKiii wrapped up their first-ever U.S. performance, successfully showing off their fresh charms and a brand-new song to U.S. TiiiKiis.
LNGSHOT
Despite being rookies, LNGSHOT are not strangers to the L.A. crowd after a successful U.S. debut at the 2026 K-EXPO USA K-POP Concert earlier this year. Their fans, called SHOTTIES, enthusiastically welcomed them back as they took the HITC stage.
The members immediately brought a laid-back hip-hop energy, kicking things off with a musical intro before jumping into the “Backseat.” LNGSHOT playfully led fans in a call-and-response with a “Say ‘LNGSHOT’! LNGSHOT!” chant throughout the song. They followed up with “Moonwalking,” where they bounced around the stage, feeding off the audience’s energy before ending the song with a series of “Hey! Hey! Hey!” chants to get everyone hyped.
LNGSHOT said what everyone was thinking: “It’s fricking hot!” before turning their attention back to the crowd, calling out to SHOTTIES in the audience. The group then took a moment to introduce themselves, giving fans a chance to get to know the members before jumping back into the music.
“Never Let You Go” brought a more sentimental moment to the set. The members roamed the stage while fans sang along, particularly during the quieter bridge. When the music briefly cut out, however, the audience simply kept singing — carrying the song themselves until LNGSHOT seamlessly transitioned into the next song, “Facetime.” The members then teased what was coming next, asking the crowd if they had listened to their Training Day EP. The EP notably included the members’ first solo tracks, establishing each of their individual colors early in their careers. After wondering out loud who would be first to perform their solo track, OHYUL stepped up, donning his long black trench coat, to slow things down with “Summer Eyes.” Louis switched things up with the smooth pop track “Good Girls,” while WOOJIN brought another round of fan service during “Boo Thang” as he called out, “Baby, where you at, SHOTTIE?” RYUL then rounded out the solo stages with the hard-hitting rap track “For Us.”
LNGSHOT then asked the crowd, “Do you guys know what ‘what is that?’ is in Korean?” and fans screamed “MOYA! MOYA!” at the top of their lungs. “MOYA” started with a bang as RYUL splashed water on the audience at the first chorus.
A snippet of “RUN IT UP” opened with absolutely feral screams from the crowd, before the group immediately jumped into “NO HI, NO HEY” from the collaboration mixtape album, 4SHOBOIZ Vol. 2: 4SHOVILLE, with the group’s creator, Jay Park.
The group also teased that they would be going on tour soon, as they will be special guests for CEO and Jay Park’s Fall 2026 Serenades & Body Rolls World Tour, spanning 24 shows across Latin America, North America, and Europe. HITC SHOTTIES expressed their excitement at being able to see their boys again so soon.
Before the next song, LNGSHOT decided to settle an important question: which side of the crowd was louder? After putting both sides to the test, the members asked, “Are you ready?” The response was an immediate “Ayyy yo!” — which led straight into the next performance of “Are You Ready”. The members made their way offstage, up against the fan barricades to get up close with the fans. Fans held up signs and reached toward the members as they performed just feet away from the crowd. The group gave another shoutout to Jay Park before launching into another collaboration track, “4SHO 4SHO.” Returning onstage from the barricades, the members sat along the edge of the platform, creating a relaxed, carefree atmosphere.
For their final song, the members revealed that they were going all the way back to the beginning, for the first song they ever released, “SAUCIN.” The performance became one giant singalong, and LNGSHOT once again brought out the water, splashing fans and even themselves as they danced around the stage. The members eventually came together for the final dance, building up the energy before the music cut out for a stark moment of silence. The fake-out had everyone waiting for what would happen next before LNGSHOT jumped straight into the ending rap portions of the song, closing out their set with one final burst of energy.
From their first song to their last, LNGSHOT made full use of their set time, entering the crowd to get up close to SHOTTIES, showing off their individual charms and bringing their signature hip-hop group synergy to HITC LA. With their upcoming tour already teased during the set, the festival gave SHOTTIES plenty to look forward to as LNGSHOT blazed their own path forward.
The atmosphere shifted as the sun quickly set and the night entered the final leg of the festival.
Dabin.kr
Fans have been eagerly awaiting Dabin.kr since his last performance at the 2023 Head in the Clouds Festival in New York, under the now-retired moniker, DPR Live. The stage was now set up with a drum set, a DJ booth, and an abstract cloud stretching across the stage. Dabin.kr emerged in an all-black leather and studded outfit complete with a bold “555” belt before launching into his opening stage “Kiss Me” from his 2020 DPR Live album, IS ANYBODY OUT THERE?. He followed it with another DPR Live track that immediately evoked emotional screams of nostalgia as the familiar opening instrumental of “Jasmine” played.
After the opening songs, Dabin.kr took a moment to address the L.A. crowd and the elephant in the room: “A lot has changed since the last time I stood on this stage. But tonight, you’re meeting Dabin.kr.” And with that, he launched into “Kiss the Ring,” the opening track from the 2024 album Giggles, the first album released under his new stage name. The energy immediately picked up as Dabin.kr jumped around the stage, feeding off the audience while the song built toward an extended outro. He kept the momentum going into “Tic Tac” and gave a shoutout to all the Ghost K!Ds in the crowd before transitioning into “Ghost K!D.”
His rap skills took center stage as he called out, “LA, rock with me!” for an untitled, unreleased track that added a rock edge to his set. By the final chorus, the entire stage felt amped up, with his drummer and the DJ/guitarist pushing the song to an explosive finish.
The set then shifted into a more dreamy portion with an “Unconscious” interlude featuring a high-intensity rap verse before his guitarist wrapped up with a wicked electric guitar solo. Dabin.kr then brought out a microphone stand for “Shower Song,” as the crowd clapped along to the high-energy song. He followed with “Cookie Crumble,” which he revealed he actually wrote when he was in L.A. He performed a snippet of the song while sitting on the edge of the stage. Upon finishing the song, as if it was a sigh of relief, he leaned backwards to lie on the ground. He then proceeded to bare his soul to his fans: “The last few years honestly changed me a lot.” He spoke about how the end of his chapter with DPR caused him to lose his identity and sense of self. He became focused on becoming the person he thought he needed to be, to the point where he could no longer hear his own voice.
Eventually, he realized that he needed to start over — forging a new path and reconnecting it with the human being underneath the artist.
Dabin.kr then climbed onto the cloud-like stage structure, bringing the audience out of the tender moment back into his set with “Saucer” as the energy once again surged through the festival grounds. He continued with “KR,” with key lyrics projected across the massive screen behind him, attesting to his confidence and individuality as an artist, before moving into “See Through.”
As the set rapidly approached its end, Dabin.kr called out to the audience, “I wanna see your 5s in the air!” Fans immediately raised their hands as he launched into a short portion of “Irregular” to wrap up his jam-packed setlist.
Dabin.kr’s HITC LA performance served as the introduction of his new stage persona and music, revealing more of his heart and the story behind this change.
XG
An intricate stage setup resembling construction scaffolding rotated towards the audience to mark the beginning of the next act. The live band began a suspenseful rock- and punk-inspired introduction against a cityscape backdrop. Then, one by one, the members of XG appeared at the very top of the scaffolding.
The crowd began to chant “XG! XG!” but the music suddenly quieted down, creating a brief moment of tension. In the silence, single spotlights illuminated each member as they delivered the opening lines of “WOKE UP” a capella. The XG members then hyped up the crowd and called out, “Guess it’s time to shake it up again! Who’s still sleeping on XG? Guess it’s time to wake them up again?”
Rather than simply performing the song as fans know it, XG opened with a stripped-down, percussion-heavy live arrangement that put the spotlight directly on their vocals and rap delivery. They followed with a shortened yet impactful snippet of “GIRL GVNG,” before launching into a live-band remix of “UNDEFEATED,” building toward an energetic dance outro.
XG then shifted gears with an R&B-infused version of “ROCK THE BOAT.” The smoother arrangement gave the members room to show off their vocals while fans sang along, creating one of the set’s more relaxed moments.
The stage suddenly went black as the members moved into position for “NO GOOD.” As the song began, the camera followed them across the stage in a continuous shot, with the live feed projected onscreen like a one-take performance video. The group then slowed things down with “PS118,” spreading across the stage and putting the spotlight on XG’s rap line. Key lyrics appeared across the screens behind them as the members traded verses. The final section saw the members deliver their lines with increasing intensity, building towards the song’s climax and showcasing the rap line members’ skill and charisma.
The live band then took center stage for an interlude before all the members returned and rose from crouched positions on the ground. XG strutted across the stage like models, launching into “GALA,” met with loud cheers for Harvey‘s bow-and-arrow move, a dramatic split, and Cocona‘s floor-breaking dance sequence.
A narration of “Be wild, be free” then echoed through the festival grounds, followed by the words, “Move your body, rock your body,” to lead into “SOMETHING AIN’T RIGHT.” By the final chorus, all seven members had made their way toward the edge of the stage, dancing together to turn the festival grounds into a giant dance party.
To move on to the next song, the members wanted to hear HITC LA scream. The crowd delivered and launched the show into “HYPNOTIZE,” which immediately transformed the crowd into another massive dance party.
Next came “TAKE MY BREATH,” which featured duet and solo dance-break sections. XG then invited everyone to dance with them for “IYKYK.” Fans enthusiastically followed along, especially during the song’s signature scorpion floor choreography, which earned some of the loudest cheers of the night.
Once again, the stage went dark before suddenly being bathed in moody yellow lighting as the energy shifted into something much more sentimental. A single spotlight came back on, revealing XG’s vocal line members sitting on the floor for “4 SEASONS” which focused on their soft, emotional vocals.
The rest of the group eventually rejoined them as eerie vocalizations played against visuals resembling a solar eclipse for a piano-ballad arrangement of “IS THIS LOVE.” They incorporated roses into the choreography and dramatically threw them into the air as the ending pose.
As the set neared its conclusion, XG took a moment to thank everyone who helped make the performance possible and even introduced their band, giving the musicians a well-deserved moment in the spotlight.
Then, the crowd erupted into immediate cheers upon hearing the opening notes of “LEFT RIGHT.” XG performed a dreamier live arrangement, creating a nostalgic and almost ethereal moment as they sang one of their most beloved tracks. Immediately, the group went into the pop-punk/rock-infused track “O.R.B (Obviously Reads Bro)” where they turned the night into a rock n roll concert, with the entire crowd waving their hands up and down with the beat.
Just when the crowd thought the night was over, the members’ silhouettes appeared against the darkness as microphone stands were brought out. The group launched into a rock remix of “SHOOTING STAR,” jumping and moving along with the live band as the song transformed into a full-on rock performance. After showcasing 16 songs spanning the entire course of their career, XG treated HITC fans to essentially a mini-concert and did not waste a single second of their set time.
KATSEYE
Rounding out a full day of performances, there was one final act that many of the festival’s attendees, and notably the youngest of fans, were eagerly anticipating and braving the heat for. KATSEYE had the massive task of closing out HITC LA. The crowd erupted in screams as soon as the opening VCR featuring the group in their “PINKY UP” era played.
Styled in custom Agro Studio showgirl outfits, KATSEYE strutted onto the stage to deafening screams to perform the ultra-catchy “PINKY UP.” They quickly followed with “Debut,” which featured the dynamic, high-energy dance break from the group’s viral 2024 MAMA AWARDS, complete with floor choreography.
After the opening back-to-back performances, KATSEYE finally stopped to greet the crowd and expressed their excitement at having waited all day for this moment. This was only KATSEYE’s second time headlining a festival, making the massive HITC LA crowd an especially significant milestone for the group. The members couldn’t help but comment on just how many people showed up.
“You guys look really hot tonight,” Megan joked, a particularly fitting observation considering the heatwave most endured throughout the day. Yoonchae made sure to acknowledge the fans all the way in the back, calling out, “EYEKONS, I see you all the way back there!” Lara, meanwhile, took a moment to share how happy she was to be back home in Los Angeles.
The girls gave a special shoutout to their KATSEYE member and sister Sophia, who announced her hiatus from group activities just before the festival. The audience expressed their love with cheers, making sure Sophia’s presence was felt even though she couldn’t be there in person.
KATSEYE continued with “Game Boi,” giving the song a little reggae-inspired remix that had fans singing along to the chorus. For “I’m Pretty,” Lara prefaced that since Sophia wasn’t there to perform her lines, she wanted the audience to sing them instead. Fans happily took over, creating a particularly sweet moment between KATSEYE and EYEKONS.
The group then softened the mood with “Touch” as loud chants to the infectious chorus echoed throughout the festival grounds. Megan asked everyone to sing along to “Mean Girls” before the members knelt together to start the song and do the track’s signature hand gestures. As the performance continued, the girls spread out on stage, interacting with fans along the way. Then KATSEYE picked up the pace with their latest release, “Animal,” followed by an impromptu dance tutorial of the song’s key dance moves. The girls demonstrated the choreography before practicing it together with the audience, and the whole crowd danced in unison. A sea of lights flooded the crowd as everyone put up their phone lights for the dreamy “Tonight I Might.” KATSEYE then switched gears with “Internet Girl,” with EYEKONS screaming the cheeky “eat zucchini” lyrics at the top of their lungs.
The group continued showing off their range with a harder, rock-inspired snippet of “Flame,” from the Netflix series Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld. Without missing a beat, the performance transitioned into “Monster High Fright Song,” KATSEYE’s special collaboration with Mattel’s Monster High. The back-to-back collaborations were another reminder of just how quickly KATSEYE’s influence has expanded beyond music, in all facets of pop culture.
A Spanish guitar introduction rang out, and the crowd immediately erupted for KATSEYE’s hit single, “Gabriela,” proudly singing along to Daniela‘s Spanish-language verses. Dancers joined the members onstage for a dance break, complete with flowing skirts from the group’s standout performance at Lollapalooza in 2025.
After so many songs, the girls took a quick breather and turned it into an opportunity to interact with fans. KATSEYE invited fans to choose which song hand gesture they should pose with for a group photo. “PINKY UP” was the winner, and everyone at the Rose Bowl had their pinkies proudly above their heads to commemorate this moment. Before moving on, the members also teased their upcoming EP, giving fans yet another reason to look forward to what comes next.
The mood shifted with the wholesome track, “My Way.” With microphone stands positioned across the stage, the members focused on their vocals, delivering a more intimate performance. Then everything went dark, and blue, suspenseful lighting filled the stage as dancers appeared for an intense dance introduction, gradually building tension before KATSEYE returned for “M.I.A.” The performance brought the energy back up with dramatic choreography and a darker atmosphere.
Sadly, there was only one song left in the set. Daniela cheekily asked, “Who is ready to get fucking GNARLY?” and the crowd exploded with long-awaited anticipation. For the final song, the group launched into “GNARLY,” where they gave everything they had to their final performance, feeding off the massive crowd’s energy from beginning to end. The song culminated in a massive dance break, with each member getting her own solo moment before coming back together for the finale.
As the music came to an end, KATSEYE lined up across the stage and took a final bow, thanking the fans who had spent the day waiting for them. And with that, KATSEYE said goodbye to HITC LA but a “see you later” to EYEKONS attending their upcoming tour.
After a full day in the L.A. heat and consecutive energetic performances, the festival came to a climactic conclusion with KATSEYE living up to their headliner status. HITC LA proved why it remains such a special festival that shines a spotlight on rising talent while giving established stars the freedom to experiment, showcase new sides of themselves, and connect with fans in a festival setting. It was an unforgettable day of music, culture, and community in the books, and fans can look forward to what 88rising has in store for the next festival.