KCON LA 2025, presented by Olive Young, has just concluded, and fans from all over the world left with smiles on their faces after seeing some truly amazing K-pop groups over the weekend. From the convention floor, where fans can watch groups perform on the Artist Stage, the X Stage, and more, to the giant K-pop concert held after the convention where fans can see multiple amazing K-pop groups perform on a massive stage, KCON LA is a huge dream come true for many K-pop fans.
KCON LA offers a truly unique experience for K-pop fans, bringing many different K-pop groups from various entertainment companies together, not just for a big show, but also to the convention floor where many groups meet their fans in a very intimate setting. KCON offers K-pop fans a chance to see their favorite groups in an up-close and personal manner, one that you can’t get from seeing a group perform on tour. Instead of seeing a group perform in front of tens of thousands of people in an arena, you can see your favorite groups perform in front of only hundreds to thousands of people in a small, intimate setting inside the convention. After speaking with many different KCON attendees and watching the groups perform, I was incredibly happy to see the happiness and excitement on everyone’s faces.
Why KCON LA Is a Different K-Pop Experience
KCON offers many different experiences that you can only get at KCON exclusively. What KCON excels at is bringing K-pop groups of all kinds, big groups, small groups, and groups that are just debuting, all together under one roof where you can get up close and personal with them. Through the many different stage experiences offered at KCON, you can get closer to your favorite groups than at a normal concert.
Here’s how:
- The Meet & Greet Stage: The Meet & Greet Stage offers K-pop fans a chance to get incredibly close to their favorite groups in a fun setting. At the Meet & Greet Stage, K-pop groups take to the stage to play games, answer questions, and interact with a very small audience. After the meet and greet, they offer a send-off package and a Hi-Wave package to let you get even closer to your favorite groups in attendance. This offers fans who purchase the packages an opportunity to get incredibly close to their favorite groups.
- The X Stage: The X Stage is one of my personal favorite stages, where rookie groups perform for the fans in attendance, typically performing with everything they’ve got to try and capture the hearts of new fans. This year, groups like Way Better, HITGS, and Kik50, among others, took to the stage to try and capture new fans, and they succeeded. I spoke to many fans after these groups’ performances and asked if they had heard of the groups before, all of whom said no. When I asked if they were walking away as fans now, all answered enthusiastically, “Yes!” stating they loved the group they just saw.
- The Artist Stage: The Artist Stage offers fans in attendance a chance to get incredibly close to the artists who take the stage. The artists usually perform about six songs and also do a fun interactive section with the audience. In this setting, instead of paying hundreds to thousands of dollars to try and get floor seats to a group, you can pay a fraction of the cost and see multiple groups up close and personal at the Artist Stage. This year, the groups that took the Artist Stage were CRAVITY, LEE YOUNJI, izna, MEOVV, ZEROBASEONE, HWASA, Kep1er, JO1, Roy Kim, and P1HARMONY—a great lineup of incredibly talented K-pop groups. Each year, KCON has delivered in bringing great artists to the Artist Stage.
- The Dance Stage and Busking Stage: These provide more opportunities to get up close with your favorite groups and also to enjoy some social activities like Random Dance Play, where fans can take center stage and dance to famous K-pop songs! There are also workshop panels where fans can get educated about certain topics in the K-pop industry.
- The M Countdown Stage: Considered by some to be the main event, this stage features multiple K-pop artists performing their popular songs for the fans in attendance each night. This concert offers a one-of-a-kind experience where fans can see many big and small K-pop acts in one night. On Friday night, fans got to see groups like Baby Don’t Cry, IVE, NCT 127, P1Harmony, and more perform all in one night. On Saturday, groups like AESPA, JACKSON WANG, NMIXX, YUQI, MONSTA X, and more took the stage to perform. On Sunday, the last night, groups like CRAVITY, HWASA, H&W (SEVENTEEN), MEOVV, I-DLE, and more took the stage to finish KCON. Nowhere else can you see so many different K-pop groups perform in one concert, offering a truly one-of-a-kind experience from KCON.
Experiencing Korean Culture
Another amazing thing about the KCON experience is just that—the experience of Korean culture. Many Korean companies attend the convention and have fun, interactive booths where you can learn about Korea, Korean products, and in many cases, take home free samples of some amazing products. For those wanting to know more about famous Korean skincare routines, this KCON was perfect because it was presented by Olive Young, Korea’s No. 1 Health & Beauty Store. Olive Young had a massive booth and offered many free products, test samples, and coupons for discounts at their online store.
You could also experience Korean culture through many of the vendors there, including Bibigo, a global Korean food brand with delicious products; Tous Les Jours, a South Korean bakery franchise, also with delicious products; and the Seoul Tourism Organization, to help you learn about where to travel in South Korea and what events and festivities you can attend. These are just a few of the 107 companies that were in attendance at KCON LA 2025. If you’re looking for a taste of South Korean culture, KCON LA offers the perfect taste.
Expressing Yourself and Your Love for K-Pop and K-Culture
By far, one of the best experiences at KCON LA 2025, and in life in general, is meeting and connecting with people who share the same love for your passions. At KCON, passionate, dedicated, and obsessed—in the best and most positive possible way—fans all come together to share their love for K-pop and K-Culture. With 120,000 fans in attendance, they all came together to express their love and interests in individual groups, individual idols, and K-pop in general. Many fans dress up like their favorite artists, bring light sticks of their favorite ult groups, bring and trade photocards of groups and idols, and wait in line for hours together to see their favorite artists. KCON LA is truly a place where people come together to express themselves and celebrate who they are and what they love—a place where you’re not judged, but celebrated.
Until We Meet Again at KCON
KCON LA 2025 was more than just a convention—it was a vibrant celebration of K-pop, Korean culture, and the unbreakable bond between fans and their favorite artists. From intimate stage moments to the electric energy of the M Countdown Stage, KCON delivered unforgettable experiences that left 120,000 attendees buzzing with joy. Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the world of K-pop, KCON LA offers a unique space to connect, celebrate, and immerse yourself in a global community united by love for music and culture. Here’s to counting down the days until KCON LA 2026 brings us together again!
