And We’re Live! KCON 2022 Returns

Header photo courtesy of CJ ENM

After 3 years online, KCON returns in person for their 10 year anniversary. Hosted in Los Angeles, California at the Los Angeles Convention Center and the Crypto.com Arena, K-Pop fans had a full three day weekend of Korean music, food, culture, and entertainment.

As K-Pop has boomed over the last few years, for many fans this was their first taste of live K-Pop. With the chance to not only see your favorite group perform live but to experience exclusive meet-and-greet sessions, private performances, and photo ops, the draw to KCON only grows larger.

CONVENTION DAY ONE

Kicking off the weekend of festivities, downtown Los Angeles saw thousands of K-Pop fans swarm the Los Angeles Convention Center for the first day of KCON. Day one featured a wide variety of events that allowed fans to experience the multifaceted culture of Korea. Fans had the chance to attend activities dedicated to their specific niche: KCON Square, a space for fans to interact with their idol groups in a series of games and challenges; Dance All Day, where fans get to witness a performance from their idol group as well as participate in random play dances; and We’re Kpop, a live interview session fans could attend. There was also an activity where fans could play as actors in their favorite dramas and compete for KCON and K-Pop related merchandise.

Day one saw an influx of fans as evening approached and the iconic KCON Rookies would soon begin. KCON Rookies is a miniature concert featuring some of the current breakout names in K-Pop to get fans excited and ready to have an amazing weekend. In attendance were girl groups STAYC and LIGHTSUM along with boy groups CRAVITY and TO1. Although each group debuted after the pandemic began, TO1’s pre-debut band World Klass were KCON 2019 attendees. Over the next two days, each group had the chance to shine on the main stage.

CONVENTION & CONCERT DAY TWO

Similar to day one, the Los Angeles Convention Center watched fans return for the second day in a row to meet their favorite artists and participate in events. On the roster for day two, fans had the opportunity to see ATEEZ, Kep1er, ENHYPEN, and INI as a sneak peek to what they had in store for the concert later that night. If meet and greets weren’t enough, for the first year ever, KCON introduced Dream Stage, a chance for fans to perform alongside their favorite artist during the concert. Fans had the opportunity to audition to perform with Kep1er or LOONA with their respective songs “WA DA DA” and “PTT (Paint The Town).”

For fans that weren’t specifically into dancing, they could visit areas such as K-Collection to purchase K-Beauty products or take a trip through the Lifestyle section and learn about Korean culture and at the end take a loop through the Marketplace and pick up a few goodies.

As day two of the convention came to a close, fans headed over to the Crypto.com Arena, located a few feet away from the convention center, to attend night one of the concert. Lines wrapped around the building as fans prepared to secure the best spot possible for the show. With people lining up as early as 6 that morning, there was no doubt excitement was in the air. For their tenth anniversary, it was no secret KCON would be pulling out all the stops with this year's lineup. Night one featured ATEEZ, CRAVITY, ENHYPEN, INI, ITZY, Kep1er, LIGHTSUM, and Stray Kids. 

Opening the show with ATEEZ, fans were in for a night of theatrics, insane stages, and fire performances. Known for their killer stage presence, ATEEZ was prepared to break the KCON stage. Performing a mini-concert setlist compiled of eight songs, it's hard to believe this wasn't an ATEEZ solo show. Performing an extended dance break version of “WONDERLAND,” “Say My Name,” and “HALA HALA,” fans were not prepared when “Guerrilla” came on for the first ever live performance in America. If fans were excited now, they will be starstruck when their tour begins. 

After their performance the previous night on the rookie stage, fans were excited to see what CRAVITY would bring to the main stage of KCON. The crowd broke into excited screams as the CRAVITY banner lit up on the monitor and the boys came to the floor. Starting with their track “Adrenaline” and closing with “My Turn,” fans got to see the soft and the intense sides of CRAVITY. 

Another group coming stateside in the upcoming fall is HYBE boy group ENHYPEN. For their U.S. debut on the KCON stage, ENHYPEN opened with drill beat track “Future Perfect (Pass the MIC),” with an electrifying stage that featured fireworks and an accompanying light show. Other notable tracks were “FEVER,” “Polaroid Love,” and “Permission to Dance” by their senior group BTS. 

Winners of Produce 101 Japan Season 2, INI came to the KCON stage for the first time. During the convention, attendees got a sneak peak into the group, and tonight they had the opportunity to learn more about them. Performing “Password” and “Rocketeer,” their stage may have been short but they managed to captivate the audience.

Up next, after completely going viral earlier in the summer for their Studio Choom Mix & Match Cover, ITZY went full out and brought Bebe Rexha herself to perform the song alongside them. Their setlist also included “SNEAKERS,” “SURF,” “WANNABE,” and debut track “DALLA DALLA.” 

One of the participating groups of KCON’s first ever Dream Stage, Kep1er began their set with “WA DA DA.” You could feel the excitement in the air as fans began to chant for the Kep1er girls and their friends who passed the Dream Stage audition. Nerves could've been through the roof, as for both fans and idols this was their first time taking the KCON stage, but you would never know as they executed the performance flawlessly. Finishing the stage with smiles all around and sending a farewell to the Dream contestants, Kep1er went into their track “Up!” The girls even did a cover of  “La Vie en Rose” by IZ*ONE, who attended KCON in 2019.

The second and final girl group on the lineup for day two was LIGHTSUM. They performed their tracks “ALIVE,” “VIVACE,” and a cover of “TOMBOY” by group (G)I-DLE. Their performance truly showed off their dance skills, charisma, and charm. 

Last but not least, a veteran on the KCON stage, Stray Kids were prepared to have another one of their iconic performances. With a special stage of unit group 3RACHA featuring Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han, the crowd was instantly captivated and hyped for the stage Stray Kids was preparing to put on. Their setlist included “MANIAC,” “Thunderous,” “Back Door,” and finished with their insanely viral track “God’s Menu.”

CONVENTION & CONCERT DAY THREE

Still basking in the events of the previous afternoon, fans attended the final day of KCON with the same fervor, ready to end this year's event with a bang. With the chance to see LOONA, NMIXX,  and WJSN, girl group fans were winning with this lineup. Continuing with Dream Stage auditions, many fans found themselves gravitating to KCON Square for a chance to be an idol for a day–or to watch others live out that dream. 

On this day, fans could also attend the Red Carpet or continue to try their chance at meeting artists at Dance All Day and on the KCON convention stage. As groups began to make their way through the convention center, you could see the excitement as fans realized their idols were right in front of them. 

The excitement didn’t stop there; while the convention was ending, the concert was just beginning. For the second and final night LOONA, NCT Dream, NMIXX, P1Harmony, STAYC, The Boyz, TO1, and WJSN took to the main stage. 

Beginning the show with the second participants of Dream Stage, LOONA had a stage full of surprises. Not only did fans have the chance to collaborate with the group to perform “PTT (Paint The Town),” but they also collabed with members of NMIXX to cover MAMAMOO’s “Decalcomanie.” The girls also performed a dance intro to “The Journey,” latest release “Flip That,” and “Star.”

Taking the KCON stage for the first time, NCT Dream opened with “Hot Sauce,” with members Jeno and Renjun taking over members Mark and Haechan’s lines. Even short two members, NCT Dream didn’t let that stop them from putting on a great show. The lineup included “Beatbox,” “Glitch Mode,” and they closed out their set with “Hello Future.” Dream left fans begging for their own world tour.

Coming to the stage next was NMIXX, who had one of the most talked about debuts in social media. Opening their set with debut song “O.O,” critics had their own opinions, but the audience at the show was absolutely enjoying themselves. Following up with “Tank,” my favorite song, the group continued to show their power in their performance. NMIXX performed a cover of “VERY NICE” by SEVENTEEN, one of the most renowned K-Pop songs, and the response was insane. From TikTok to Twitter to Instagram, everyone was praising the girls on their skills and charisma. Though this was their first KCON stage, they dominated it like they had done it before. 

Following NMIXX, after finishing their successful U.S. tour just a few months ago, P1Harmony returned stateside and fans couldn’t be happier for this opportunity. During their return to Korea, P1Harmony dropped “Doom du Doom,” and KCON was the first time international fans heard it live. The members danced on the stage, but if you looked through the audience, you’d find fans dancing perfectly along. Performing fan favorite “Do it Like This,” P1Harmony aided in getting the crowd excited for the show.

One of the most anticipated groups of the night, girl group STAYC took the stage by storm and fans couldn’t contain their excitement. Yelling their iconic, “STAYC girls! It’s going down!” line along with the members, Swith widely in attendance were ecstatic. Their set consisted of their two latest releases, “BEAUTIFUL MONSTER” and “RUN2U,” with an intro that showed the girls demonstrating their immense and mesmerizing stage presence. 

After recently finishing their successful world tour, many fans were super excited to see The Boyz at KCON. As expected, the group performed their crowd favorites “MAVERICK,” newest release “WHISPER,” “THRILL RIDE,” “Break your rules,” and “The Stealer.” What fans did not expect was to see member Eric, who is currently on a health hiatus, in the audience supporting his members as always. It was refreshing to say the least, and many fans shared their delight to see he was able to make it.

No stranger to KCON, TO1 was ready for the main stage. Showcasing a variety of their skills at KCON Rookies, it was time for the group to show what else was up their sleeve. Getting the crowd riled up with energetic dance tracks “Drummin’” and “BOOM POW,” fans didn’t want the stages to end. Keeping with their groove, TO1 performed a cover of PSY’s “That That.”

Closing out the show, WJSN put on another fabulous performance, showcasing “AURA,” “Last Sequence,” and “As You Wish” to say goodbye to the KCON 2022 series. Three days of witnessing performances from some of the biggest names in K-Pop had finally come to a close, but the tour continues in Japan in October. For the U.S., see you in 2023!