KCON LA 2025 brought together fans, artists and brands for a fully immersive celebration of all things K — beyond music, beyond borders
The grooves and glitter of KCON LA 2025 took over Los Angeles from August 1 to 3, bringing a packed weekend full of K-celebration to both the LA Convention Center and the Crypto.com Arena, with over 125,000 visitors packing in for performances, panels and brand experiences. The 2025 theme was “KLOVER’S CLUB FAIR,” inspired by the four-leaf clover, symbolizing luck and joy. Like a colorful school club fair, KCON LA 2025 featured diverse stages and experiences spotlighting all facets of K-pop and Korean culture.
After kicking off in 2012 in Irvine, California, the iconic K-pop festival moved its home base to LA the following year, and this year marks the 13th installment in the City of Angels — which has become the heart and soul of the world’s largest K-POP Fan & Artist Festival. This year, the City of Los Angeles even officially designated August 1 as “KCON Day” to honor the festival’s decade-long impact in promoting cross-cultural connections — a testament to how KCON is evolving into a true flagship festival and an unmatched platform for K-culture worldwide.
K-Pop’s Favorite Festival Reigns Supreme with Unforgettable Stages
It wouldn’t be KCON without some seriously jaw-dropping performances — and this year brought a lineup as diverse as it was dazzling. Acclaimed actor Byung Hun Lee surprised fans with a powerful opening stage, blending cinematic storytelling with live music. Fan-favorite producer duo HxW (SEVENTEEN) shook the arena with their futuristic sound on “ECHO!” And izna tore up the stage with a cover of the chart-topping “Golden.”
Established artists weren’t the only ones making headlines. The X STAGE SHOWCASE featured rising talent from around the globe. The high-stakes audition for “PRODUCE 101 JAPAN: SHINSEKAI,” the hit show that created global idol groups JO1, INI and ME:I, is soon to enter its fourth season, drawing plenty of aspiring idols — all hoping to become the next breakout sensation.
Plus, in celebration of Mnet’s 30th anniversary, KCON unveiled a nostalgic tribute stage, “KPOP Generation,” chronicling three decades of K-pop evolution. Contemporary idols paid tribute to the legends who paved the way, with NOWZ performing Stray Kids’ “MANIAC,” global boy group JO1 delivering SEVENTEEN’s “Fear,” MEOVV channeling Brown Eyed Girls’ iconic “Abracadabra” and izna bringing IZ*ONE’s “FIESTA” to life. This cross-generational celebration showcased how today’s artists honor the OGs who made it all happen.
At the DREAM STAGE, a select group of fans got to train and perform alongside their favorite idols, including MONSTA X, NCT 127 and HxW (SEVENTEEN) — a true dream come true that had the entire arena on its feet. The intimate MEET & GREET was another major draw, where attendees could see favorite acts like IVE, NMIXX, LEE YOUNGJI, CRAVITY and ZEROBASEONE keep it real with games, Q&As and a HI-WAVE event.
And even if you couldn’t make it to LA, KCON had your back. For the first time ever, the event was broadcast live on Amazon Prime Video and Twitch in partnership with Amazon Music — turning the festival into a truly worldwide experience.
Bridging Culture and Content Between Fans and Brands
KCON has never just been about the music — it’s a full sensory experience. And nowhere was that more apparent than the expanded FESTIVAL GROUNDS, a vibrant playground all about interactive fun to tickle every Millennial and Gen Z fancy. One highlight was the mysterious “HIDDEN SPACE” event, where attendees had to find MC SUNG HAN BIN’s hidden message to get access to a secret space. Of course, there were also several signature photo zones throughout the grounds, including a popular SEVENTEEN zone at the bibigo booth. Plus, all attendees received a KLOVER’s Stamp Quest to fill out throughout the event for the chance to win a lucky prize.
The FESTIVAL GROUNDS created real-time engagement between brands, fans and artists — making every booth feel like part of the show. With over 350 booths present this year, there was something for every fan:
- CJ Olive Young, the event’s title sponsor, ran a 430-square-meter Olive Young School, K-beauty booth, with over 36,000 fans visiting over the weekend to experience 66 brands in themed areas. CJ Olive Young is opening its first U.S. store in Los Angeles later this year, and the KCON pop-up was a herald of great things to come.
- CJ CheilJedang’s bibigo tasting station became the ultimate snack break — serving up bibigo Mini Wontons, bibigo Sesame Seaweed Snacks and the new bibigo Beef Bibimbap to rave reviews.
- TOUS les JOURS added a sweet touch with its ‘Happy Birthday’-themed booth, offering special photo events and interactive brand experiences.
- Seoul Goods sold official merch from the Seoul Tourism Organization, including hats, tumblers, bags, badges and bookmarks.
- The JUNG SAEM MOOL booth sold the popular makeup artist’s latest products, known for creating a natural, radiant look.
- And so much more…
KCON LA 2025: A Cultural Movement Must-Visit on the Global Cultural Calendar
More than a music festival, KCON has carved out its place as the essential event for all things Korean pop culture. It’s a multi-dimensional convergence of fandom, artistry, innovation and industry — where a love for K-content becomes a shared language across borders.
And as KCON LA 2025 showed once again, the festival isn’t just keeping up with the times. It’s defining them — with heart and hype. See you in 2026.
