CJ ENM's "KCON LA 2026" opens in Los Angeles on the 14th local time. Billed as a global K-culture festival where fans can experience Korean culture in one place — spanning K-pop, K-beauty, K-food and K-story — the event will again reach fans worldwide both on-site and through digital platforms.
"KCON LA 2026" runs for three days from the 14th to the 16th at the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena. Beyond those attending in person, audiences can enjoy the festival's main programs through a range of global platforms, including Mnet Plus. Global Gen Z fans, along with domestic and international companies and brands, small and midsize businesses, artists and agencies, will converge on Los Angeles.
Launched in 2012, KCON has been held in 14 regions worldwide, including Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the United States, establishing itself as a global K-culture festival. Cumulative offline attendance has reached about 2.35 million people. Rather than being limited to K-pop performances, it has served as a platform where various Korean companies and brands meet overseas fans directly, supporting the global expansion of Korean content. Last year, the city of Los Angeles officially designated Aug. 15 as "KCON Day," recognizing the event's standing as a signature local cultural event.
This year's KCON, themed "K-SOUL CITY," will transform downtown Los Angeles into a K-culture city of sorts. The lineup features programs where visitors can directly experience various aspects of Korean lifestyle, centered on K-pop and including K-beauty, K-food and K-story. Alongside stages where artists meet fans throughout the day, the "M COUNTDOWN" stage will feature performances by K-pop artists drawing attention in global markets. Programs featuring figures leading the K-content industry and experts from each field are also planned, broadening points of contact with fans.
Participation by companies and brands is substantial. Title sponsor Olive Young will showcase products and experiential content from 55 K-beauty and lifestyle brands through "OLIVE YOUNG FESTA at KCON LA 2026." A total of 112 companies and brands are taking part in the festival, including 17 sponsors and about 40 domestic small and midsize enterprises participating in "K-COLLECTION with KCON LA 2026."
Collaboration with global brands has also expanded. Brands familiar to Gen Z will present various programs, including "TOYOTA MUSIC DEN," which has supported the discovery of new artists and music education in partnership with major music festivals such as Lollapalooza, as well as global character brand Sanrio.
Beyond its offline events, KCON has steadily expanded its viewer reach through collaboration with global media and platforms. Since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic made in-person events difficult, it has actively used digital platforms to build ways for fans worldwide to enjoy KCON together, overcoming constraints of time and space.
In 2023, it collaborated with U.S. media company iHeartMedia, and in 2024 it became the first K-pop festival to be broadcast nationwide in prime time across the United States via CW, one of the country's five major terrestrial networks. Last year, it teamed up with digital streaming platform Amazon Music to broadcast live to North America and Europe, widening the scope of its collaboration with global media.
This year, KCON is further strengthening its global broadcast network. Major platforms — including Mnet Plus, Japan's TELASA, Korea's TVING, Samsung TV Plus and KCON's official YouTube channel — are taking part to deliver the Los Angeles event to viewers worldwide.
Meanwhile, "KCON LA 2026," with Olive Young Festa as its title sponsor, will be held from the 14th to the 16th at Crypto.com Arena and the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles.
