KCON Los Angeles has always brought in the brightest artists to its annual convention and concert weekend. This year, the festival held August 18-20, brought more content than ever. With K-Pop events almost hourly, the convention hosted attendees from all over the world with their 278 convention floor booths and 153 programs. Where in the past, much of those artists' presences were felt most strongly at the evening concerts and the official meet-and-greet ticketed events, this year those tables were turned as the convention packed an idol-filled schedule greater than ever including an outside “KPOP VILLAGE” with its own stage, events, and a ferris wheel. With more idols than ever, it was the presence of artists that made this KCON fabulous. Let’s take a look who was there and explore why the KCON convention ticket was actually the best deal this KCON weekend for K-Pop fans. Taking a look at what was happening on the KCON STAGE, panels and workshops, “Dance All Day,” KCON SQUARE, and more, we’ll show you how ATEEZ, WayV, MONSTA X’s Shownu & Hyungwon, NMIXX, Kep1er, CRAVITY, EVERGLOW, 8TURN, CRAXY, JUST B, LIMELIGHT, xikers, Lapillus, RIIZE, VERIVERY, and XG were spending their convention time. As they say, “Let’s KCON!”

THE KCON STAGES

If you were at KCON, you couldn’t have missed the KCON stages. Always a highlight with special performances or Q&As, the stage has always been the go-to spot to check out live music events at the convention. This year was on another level with the crowds filling in through the vendor stalls to get a glimpse of not only their rookie faves, but of ATEEZ, WayV, Kep1er, MX, RIIZE and more. With KIIS FM’s Jojo hosting this stage, as well as the new outdoor “K-Pop Village” stage, stages inside and outside the convention hall were insane.

DANCE ALL DAY

For the casual dancer, there was a dance stage at the convention. All weekend, the area was a popular place to be, but when a group made an appearance which happened several times a day, the space became more of a spot to see your faves rather than learning moves. Frankly, there was no space to move. NMIXX, LIMELIGHT, 8TURN, xikers, Kep1er, Lapillus, and more all took moments not only to play games, but to also teach moves and to dance along with fans. Beyond this stage was also the “Dream Stage,” an opportunity that any K-Pop fan who loves cover dances can only dream of. Dancers applied in advance of KCON and then finalized their audition at the convention before rehearsing and joining their idols on stage at the concert. These stages were some of the most special of the concert as the different dancers moved in unison with IVE, ZEROBASEONE, and ITZY.

CJ LIVE STUDIO

The CJ STUDIO was a closed off box with clear walls lined with iridescent film where the host asked fun questions for a chance to win prizes. CRAVITY, 8TURN, Lapillus, CRAXY, XG all made an appearance here throughout the convention. Without watching the live stream video of the interviews, it was hard to get a sense of what was asked in the studio, but the glimpses through the walls showed that our faves were having a great time inside. 

KCON SQUARE & STAR SQUARE

Aside from the dance, the KCON SQUARES and panels were probably where you had the greatest chance for artist interaction. At both KCON SQUARE and STAR SQUARE participants were selected to play telepathy or charades with Lapillus, LIMELIGHT, JUST B, VERIVERY, and CRAXY. In telepathy, the fans tried to guess the artist's favorite food or drama or choose between the ocean or mountains to chill. Whether standing or sitting behind a table, the space for the STAR SQUARE was small enough that this arena felt intimate. Here, fans won autographs, played games and had a chance to chat within a very narrow space. Often you would see the migration from the KCON STAGE to the STAR SQUARE or from another area of the floor, but overall it was a great way to get closer than ever possible to these up and coming groups.

PANELS & WORKSHOPS

Though we were only able to attend a few of these, the art workshops and panels were not only some of the most fun spots at KCON, they were in fact one of the best places to get close to artists. Whether it was a Q&A panel or an arts and crafts one, the rooms were intimate with a relaxed vibe and without the chaos of the convention floor. The artists took time for selfies, and even autographs for select fans. They also taught dance moves and reviewed fans' artistic endeavors. It was fun times with NMIXX, EVERGLOW, xikers, CRAVITY, and all those who attended the workshop and panel events.

SPONSOR BOOTHS

Last, but not least, were the occasional last minute appearances at the sponsor booths. Usually not announced until hours before, here we saw ATEEZ at Samsung, NMIXX at Rakuten VIKI, and Kevin Woo come out to show some love (and do a bit of promo) for the sponsors who helped make KCON possible.