Leading entertainment company CJ ENM announced that KCON, the world’s No. 1 K-culture festival, will finally meet fans offline as it will return in-person to the U.S. and Japan. CJ ENM also revealed a new KCON kick-off event titled ‘KCON 2022 Premiere’ that will be hosted in May, starting with Seoul, Tokyo, and Chicago. These will be the first in-person events since 2019 and mark the ten-year anniversary of KCON’s first ever event in 2012 in Irvine, California.
This year, fans will be able to experience an upgraded version of KCON, packed with new content reflecting the trends of Gen Z fans and programs tailored for local fans on top of original fan favorite programming and panels unique to KCON. As one of the first adopters of the virtual concert experience, KCON will bring back its signature digital content from ‘KCON:TACT’ for fans who cannot participate in person.
Fans should expect a return to the massive celebration they have experienced in the past with performances from the biggest acts to groups that have never before taken the KCON stage. More from the lineup and program will be revealed.
KCON will kick off with ‘KCON 2022 Premiere’, which will take place in Seoul(at the CJ ENM center) on May 7-8, Tokyo(at Makuhari Messe) on May 14-15, and for the first time in Chicago(at Rosemont Theatre) on May 20-21. The festivities will continue throughout the year; KCON LA will take place August 19-21, followed by KCON JAPAN in October.
“With the return of KCON, fans will once again be able to interact with their favorite artists and influencers, as well as the rest of the K-pop fan community. The team here is buzzing with excitement as we prepare to create an event worthy of celebrating a decade of unforgettable KCON moments. K-pop has evolved so much since our first KCON in 2012 and CJ ENM is proud to have been part of the rise and the journey,” said Don Kim, General Manager of Live Entertainment Business at CJ ENM.
First held in 2012 in the U.S., KCON played an instrumental role in spreading K-culture, amassing 1.1 million fans across 9 cities/regions including North America, Europe, Asia, etc. From its first event in 2012 that attracted 10,000 visitors, KCON has seen an incredible growth gathering 291K visitors in 2019 (the last in-person event) which is 29 times its inaugural year audience. During the pandemic, its digital redition, ‘KCON:TACT’, met more than 22.45 million K-pop fans in the last two years, pushing the event’s boundaries even further as a virtual festival that enables fans to enjoy K-culture anywhere, anytime.
For more information on the latest KCON news and an FAQ, fans can visit www.kconusa.com and follow @KCONUSA on Twitter and Instagram, where more information will be rolled out.
