- KCON to make its debut in SAUDI ARABIA meeting fans from September 30 to October 1 at Boulevard Riyadh City
- KCON 2022 JAPAN to be held at Ariake Arena, Tokyo from October 14 to 16
CJ ENM’s KCON, the world’s No.1 K-culture festival, is on its way to meet K-pop fans in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Following the big success of KCON 2022 LA, which attracted a total offline and online viewership of 7.17 million earlier in August, KCON is set to offer yet another unforgettable musical experience to fans in Saudi Arabia and Japan this fall.
KCON will make its debut in Saudi Arabia with KCON 2022 SAUDI ARABIA taking place at Boulevard Riyadh City, the largest entertainment complex in Saudi Arabia’s capital city, from September 30 to October 1. Saudi Arabia holds strategic geographical significance for the K-pop industry since it is located between Asia, Europe and Africa. Furthermore, half of its population is comprised of those under the age of 30, and the country’s unique transformative economic and social reform blueprint, ‘Saudi Vision 2030’ has appointed South Korea as one of its partner countries.
In Japan, KCON will be held at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo for three days – from October 14 to 16. Since 2015 when KCON was first held in Japan, the event has continued to grow its influence within the country, having been conducted in some of the country’s most famous arenas including Saitama Arena and Makuhari Messe. KCON 2022 JAPAN will host fans at Ariake Arena, a multi-purpose venue in the heart of Tokyo which was originally built for the 2020 Olympics and has since been reborn as an entertainment complex.
Uniting Genres and Generations With an Exciting, Varied Lineup
The lineup for KCON 2022 SAUDI ARABIA will include some of the most well-known K-pop legends such as RAIN, Hyolyn and Sunmi as well as trendy, rising stars such as NewJeans, STAYC and ATEEZ.
Meanwhile, KCON 2022 JAPAN will bring fans another fierce lineup featuring IVE, JO1, JO YURI, Kep1er, Ki Hyun of MONSTA X, LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans, NiziU, NMIXX, Tempest and TNX (listed in alphabetical order).
First held in 2012 in the U.S., KCON has been playing an instrumental role in introducing and spreading Korean art and culture to countries all over the world, amassing 1.1 million fans across nine cities/regions including North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond. Like many other live events impacted by the pandemic in 2020, KCON was no exception. The success of KCON in the midst of such a difficult situation was largely thanks to the effort of organizers who seized the opportunity to develop a virtual platform for the festival with KCON:TACT. This virtual KCON event demonstrates what is possible when online and offline festivals converge, allowing K-pop fans from all around the world to enjoy the event despite geographical constraints.
KCON 2022 SAUDI ARABIA and KCON 2022 JAPAN will follow up on the success of these events, delighting fans and continuing CJ ENM’s mission to give as many people as possible access to unforgettable K-pop experiences.
