2016 KCON LA Is on Its Way!

As summer slowly reaches its halfway point and students mourn the passing of June, the last event of the annual KCON festivals is on its way to cheer up the crowd.

KCON 2016 was not limited to certain cities and countries; it took place in Abu Dhabi (March 25), Japan (April 9-10), Paris (June 2), New York (June 23-25) and will occur in Los Angeles (July 29-31).

First held in 2012, KCON is an annual Korean pop festival organized by CJ E&M, which not only offers American fans a special time to engage with their favorite stars, but also spreads the beauty and history of K-culture to foreigners.

“I attended KCON LA 2015 and had the most amazing experience!” said rising sophomore Krystal Yang from Basis Independent Silicon Valley School. “Meeting Red Velvet was exciting, but being able to attend the convention and experience K-culture was something I’ll never forget.”

While not all concerts include a separate convention day for just K-culture, the upcoming LA concert will. Although the full schedule has yet to come out, it is expected that the first day will consist of a culture convention, as well as a humorous hour-long talk: “The Return of the Secret Life of K-pop Fans Over 30.” Both the fan engagements, in which the fan is allowed to meet and chat with the stars, and hi-touches, in which the fan walks by the stars giving them high fives or fist bumps, may possibly be held on Friday, as well. The next two days are specially reserved for the performances, as well as additional hi-touches and fan engagements.

With artists Block B, DEAN, f(Amber), GFriend, I.O.I, and SHINee performing on Saturday, and artists ASTRO, BTS, Eric Nam, Girls’ Generation-TTS, MONSTA X, and TWICE gracing the stage on Sunday, all three days are filled with events to look forward to.

“I plan on attending the concert again with my friend this year to see BTS and TWICE,” said Yang. “I’m so glad that I’ll be able to watch them perform live, and be able to engage with them, thanks to this wonderful opportunity!”

For those who are attending, there’s less than two weeks left! Be prepared for a memorable three days filled with fun, culture, and most importantly, the idols.