KCON LA 2023 Stage Brings Fans and Artists Together

Images courtesy of CJ E&M

Rain or shine, K-Pop fans have yet again proven their unparalleled dedication to seeing their favorite artists grace the prestigious KCON stage. This year, the annual multiple-day concerts took place at Cryto.com Arena from August 18 to 20 and featured a star-studded lineup with a mix of veteran idols and newcomers on the scene. If you want a recap on the fun-filled convention area that happened earlier in the day, check out part one of our coverage! For those curious about the KCON LA 2023 concert experience, here’s all you need to know about the first two days. From never-before-seen stages to special covers, the artists in this year’s lineup went all out for the audience who packed the stadium all three nights of the show.

Day 1

The first concert night of KCON LA 2023 was dubbed as “SM & Starship night” as a bulk of the performing artists hailed from these two companies. It was not uncommon to spot fans sporting multiple lightsticks from different performing groups around their wrists—from SHINee’s pearl aqua “Shating Star” and WayV’s “Leekbong” to IVE’s “I Ha-Bong” and NMIXX’s “MIXXSTICK.” WayV opened up the main show with their cover of KCON’s signature anthem “POPPIA.” Following them, NMIXX entered on stage by walking through the crowd and interacting with fans along the aisles. The JYP Entertainment girl group performed “Party O’Clock” and “Roller Coaster” and got the crowd hyped with their infectiously bright energy. Next up was CRAVITY with “Groovy” and “ Baddie” from their latest album that came out earlier this year. In stylish black and white outfits, the boys kept the crowd on their feet with a catchy setlist and energetic choreography.

The KCON stage marked WayV’s first performance in the U.S. but it definitely didn’t feel or sound like it. The roaring cheers from fans echoed throughout the stadium when the first few seconds of “Love Talk (English version)” played. Without exaggerating, everyone in the crowd was singing along to the smash hit word for word, proving that a WayV headline tour is much needed in the near future. Before ending their short-lived set with “Phantom,” the boys also greeted and played an interactive game with the audience. IVE’s dazzling presence graced the stage next performing “Kitsch” and “LOVE DIVE.” The two iconic songs were well-received by the crowd as seen by people breaking out into dance from their seats and screaming the lyrics aloud. A delightful surprise of the night was when TEN and TAEYONG teamed up to revive their unit song “Baby Don’t Stop.” In a sea of neon green lightsticks, the two wowed with their synergy. The girls of NMIXX also gifted KCONers with a cover of TWICE’s “The Feels.”

MONSTA X’s newly debuted subunit SHOWNU X HYUNGWON performed the title track off of their July release “Love Me A Little,” and gave Monbebes in the crowd a special treat with “Who Do You Love?” Following the duo, TAEYONG made his solo stage debut at KCON with “SHALALA” and “GWANDO.” A highlight segment of KCON LA this year was the “Dream Stage” where winners of the convention’s dance competition that happened earlier in the day got a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform on the same stage as their idols. For day one, IVE performed “I AM” alongside a group of passionate and skilled fans. The stage evidently shows KCON’s dedication to its mission to bring fans and artists together. 

Last but certainly not least was the anticipated performance of the one and only TAEMIN. His presence on stage captivated the audience who let out deafening screams and even brought some (including myself) to tears. The K-Pop ace closed out day one by performing a trio of songs from his elite solo discography “Advice,” “Criminal,” and “MOVE.” There’s no denying TAEMIN’s star quality, and witnessing the sensational performer live once again proved why he is indeed the idol of all idols.

Day 2

The second night of KCON started with a bang as superstars ATEEZ brought theatrics to the stage with their performance of “WONDERLAND (Symphony No.9 Version).” From Seonghwa’s appearance with a sword in hand to Jongho’s chilling high note, the crowd was even more amped up for an unforgettable night ahead. Night two welcomed several groups who were formed on survival shows including Japanese boy band INI from Produce 101 Japan 2, Kep1er from Girls Planet 999 and ZEROBASEONE from Boys Planet. The boys of ZB1 evinced their monster rookies power as they received an overwhelming reception from the crowd despite only debuting a month ago. Performing “In Bloom” and “New Kidz on the Block,” the nine members shined brightly for their first stateside schedule. After their successful set at the music festival Head In The Clouds in Los Angeles a couple of weeks back, girl group XG brought the same dynamic energy to the KCON stage with “TGIF” and “GIRL GVNG.” KQ Entertainment’s new boy group xikers also made an appearance performing spirited and high-energy tracks “HOMEBOY” and “DO or DIE.”

A veteran in the K-Pop scene, soloist Rain took the stage with the iconic “Rainism” dance. XG’s cover of 2NE1’s “I Am The Best,” xikers’ cover of BTS’s “Fire,” and Kep1er’s cover of Girls Generation's “Mr. Mr.” took the audience down memory lane and celebrated K-Pop’s history. The winners of the “Dream Stage” competition on day two danced alongside ZEROBASEONE to Boys Planet’s signature song “HERE I AM.”

Ending day two the same way they started it (with a bang!), ATEEZ left everyone speechless with their performance of “BOUNCY,” “Pirate King,” and “Guerrilla.” Legend says that day two concertgoers can still hear “BREAK THAT WAALLLLLLLL” ringing in their ears.

Day 3 

Due to local storm warnings, The Kraze team wasn’t able to cover the last day of the show. The third day lineup included EVERGLOW, (G)I-DLE, ITZY, JO1, Lapillus, THE BOYZ, and Stray Kids. SM Entertainment’s new rookie boy group RIIZE also made a special appearance ahead of their official debut. The seven-member group performed “Siren” and “Memories.” From trending clips across various social medias about the performances, there is no doubt that these idols brought the house down and wrapped up yet another successful year of the annual event. Regretfully, I also missed out on seeing JO1’s cover of SEVENTEEN’s “Super” live, but the multiple-angle fancams posted online are keeping me just as satisfied.