When you mix culture, K-pop, and community, you get the annual celebration of all things K: KCON. Over the past 13 years, this global festival has drawn nearly 5 million guests to Los Angeles, spreading the culture and genre.
From August 1–3, we joined KCON in its lively celebration of everything “K” – from beauty, music, dramas, and variety shows to food. As a long-time attendee since 2019, I’ve watched both the festival and the MCOUNTDOWN concert grow bigger and more elevated each year.
With your ticket to the festival, you’re immediately greeted with Korean culture and showered with freebies. Booths highlighted iconic Korean brands like Olive Young, which is soon opening its first flagship store in Los Angeles. Multiple stages hosted acts ranging from P1Harmony to IFEYE, giving fans a front-row experience with some of K-pop’s brightest stars.
Five stages, including the Dance Stage, Busking Stage, and X Stage, brought live performances straight to attendees. These stages have been stepping stones for K-pop icons we now know worldwide, such as BTS, TWICE, and SEVENTEEN. And this year, SEVENTEEN’s beloved duo Hoshi and Woozi turned up the MCOUNTDOWN stage!
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the festival grounds buzzed with fandom love, exclusive merchandise, and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to meet idols and discover Korean brands that are hard to find overseas.
Other special moments included actor and singer Yim Si-wan hosting an intimate fan meet-up on August 1 at the X Stage, a rare chance to connect face-to-face with the star. On the same day, Yim and actor Lee Byung-hun made surprise appearances at M COUNTDOWN. Lee even opened the show in character as “Gwi Ma” from the highly anticipated K-pop action film Kpop Demon Hunters.
Photo Courtesy: CJ ENM
Our Captured Moments from the Convention
From discovering rising acts like IFEYE and Kik5o at the X Stage, and instantly falling into admiration with their performances, to enjoying our long-time favorites like CRAVITY and Lee Youngji on the Artist Stages with long sets of pure fun, we had an incredible time. And now, we’re taking The Knockturnal readers with us!
Kik5o and IFEYE: Bringing the Energy to the X Stage
After braving the brutal Los Angeles heat, nothing recharges you quite like the performances at X Stage. We caught K-pop group IFEYE and soloist Kik5o lighting up the crowd with high-energy sets that left us wanting more. Their performances were the kind you wish had their own bigger stage.
That’s the magic of KCON: giving talented acts a platform to shine, even if it’s just their start. We later caught both Kik5o and IFEYE again at the M COUNTDOWN pre-show stages, and their energy soared just as high with a much larger audience, well deserved!
Artist Stages: CRAVITY and Lee Youngji
Connected to the festival grounds, the Artist Stage offered longer sets from some of K-pop’s most loved names. Here, fans got to see acts like ZEROBASEONE, Roy Kim, MEOVV, Hwasa, and more perform extended sets, much longer than their usual 2–5 songs on M COUNTDOWN.
This was easily the most electric stage of the whole convention. On Friday, CRAVITY delivered a performance that had us on our toes, excited for their M COUNTDOWN appearance that took place two days later, had us thinking about their stage!
Following them, Lee Youngji took the stage and had the crowd loud and up with her powerful vocals, lively choreography, and empowering songs, all matched by the energy of her dancers!
Survival Show Booths
As long-time survival group show fans, we were thrilled to see the festival grounds packed with booths from popular audition programs. The Boys Planet 2 booth showcased all contestants on a massive display and even let fans vote in real time. The Produce 101 Japan booth brought the fun with iconic gachapon machines and, for the first time, in-person auditions right at KCON!
KCON has always been a haven for survival show fans and contestants, and 2025 was no different. With appearances from survival show alumni like Kep1er, ZEROBASEONE, JO1, and more, the event perfectly blended nostalgia with the thrill of discovering what’s next in the K-pop world.
Booths, Booths, and More Booths
While the convention shone with its musical stages, it also celebrated every other corner of Korean culture, from beauty and K-dramas to food. We had just as much fun exploring these spaces as we did cheering at performances, and yes, we fully enjoyed the freebies along the way.
Iconic beauty brands like Olive Young and Dr. Jart drew big crowds with samples and interactive experiences, while the beloved Bibigo booth brought the flavors of Korea to life with yummy bites. These booths reminded us that KCON isn’t just about music, it’s about sharing the full scope of Korean culture with fans from around the world.
And with that, our journey through the KCON 2025 festival grounds came to a close! Each day, even with the same booths and stages, brought fresh surprises, from discovering new artists to diving into interactive fan experiences. KCON 2025 LA was a celebration we’ll remember for a long time.
Until next year!
