KCON LA 2023 Recap: Top 10 Reasons to Attend KCON!

KCON LA, the annual K-Pop convention bringing superfans together from all around the world, took place this past weekend, spanning three days, from August 18-20, 2023. As in past years, the convention was held for three days, but for the first time, the concert portion also took place all three days, whereas in the past, only two shows were held. This expansion of the performance dates allowed for even more incredible artists to take the stage, in a lineup being called KCON's best yet.

I was invited to attend all three days of KCON, including both the convention and the concerts, and I'm here to bring you my Top 10 highlights of KCON LA 2023! If you're on the fence about attending a future KCON event, or just want to learn more about what it's all about, look no further!

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The Performances

Of course, I have to get this one out of the way first. The 2023 KCON LA concert lineup is being lauded as the best in the convention's history, and for good reason! With iconic acts such as Taemin (SHINee), WayV, ATEEZ, Stray Kids, (G)I-DLE, The Boyz, and many more, there was something for every K-Pop fan to enjoy! 

The lineup on Day One of the concert consisted of Cravity, IVE, NMIXX, Shownu X Hyungwon (Monsta X), Taemin (SHINee), Taeyong (NCT), and WayV. As a fan of all of these acts, this was my personal favorite concert lineup of the three. There was not a single boring performance, and I found myself wishing the night would go on forever. 

Taemin closed the show with three songs ("Advice", "Criminal", and "Move"), and many fans were hoping he would do even more. Despite the shorter set, it was still unforgettable and a once-in-a-lifetime performance.

Day Two brought in ATEEZ, INI, Kep1er, Rain, XG, xikers, and ZeroBaseOne. I'd have to say the highlight of this day for me was ATEEZ. They completely brought the house down and turned the show into their own headlining concert, with the unmatched energy and stage presence they're known for. 

Another highlight of Day Two was seeing the USA performance debut of ZeroBaseOne, a rookie group formed by the popular survival show Boys Planet. The 9-member boy group performed their songs "In Bloom" and "New Kidz On The Block", and also took part in the dream stage, being joined on stage by fans for a performance of the Boys Planet song, "Here I Am".

Finally, Day Three consisted of performances from Everglow, (G)I-DLE, Itzy, JO1, Lapillus, Stray Kids, and The Boyz. It's no secret that The Boyz are a favorite group of mine, so they were of course the highlight of this day for me. Specifically, I enjoyed watching the debut performance of their unit song "Passion Fruit", which is performed by members Hyunjae, Juyeon, Q, Sunwoo, and Younghoon. It was so fun to see the choreography for the first time in real life. Look forward to their promotions of the song on Korean music shows this week!

Closing out Day Three was Stray Kids, who always know how to put on an incredible show. Their fans were definitely the most represented in the audience, and their loud cheers were evident from the moment the group took the stage. I've seen Stray Kids perform live before and they never disappoint.

The KCON Stage

The KCON Stage is a staple at the convention portion of KCON, giving fans a chance to catch performances, interviews, games, and more with their favorite idols! This year, many of the artists took to the KCON stage throughout the weekend, including WayV, Shownu X Hyungwon, Ateez, Kep1er, xikers, Itzy, and many more!

If you aren't able to attend the concert portion of the convention, or just want even more time to see your favorite artists, the KCON Stage is the place to be!

Panels & Workshops

This year's Panels & Workshops lineup was jam-packed with chances to learn even more about the K-Pop and Korean scene. Some of these featured artists like NMIXX, CRAXY, Lapillus, Cravity, and more, while others were hosted by influencers or other behind-the-scenes creatives.

Panels and workshops ranged from K-Pop bullet journaling and Polca decorating, to masterclasses on songwriting, Q&As with producers, and much more!

Getting Up Close and Personal

Something that many fans look forward to each year at KCON is the Meet & Greet experience. With your Meet & Greet ticket, not only do you get a chance to watch an exclusive program with your favorite artist, but you also get to take part in either a hi-touch or send-off session after the program concludes!

This year's Meet & Greet lineup included WayV, ZeroBaseOne, ATEEZ, Shownu X Hyungwon, (G)I-DLE, IVE, and many more!

Merch, Merch, and More Merch

KCON is the ideal place to spend money without even realizing you're doing it! In addition to the official KCON merch booth, which sells KCON-specific merch of many of the artists in the lineup, there are also various places to purchase things throughout the convention!

One of my personal favorites was the Pocamarket booth, which sold official photocards, as well as some magazines and other goodies! Another fun place where a lot of time and money were spent was the Superstar booth, where you could buy a special in-game package on the Superstar app and get an exclusive random photocard from the artist of your choice! Several other booths were selling photocards, albums, and much more, so be on the hunt if you're looking for something specific!

Free Goodies

Alternatively, if you're hoping to NOT spend as much money, there are plenty of opportunities to get your hands on freebies! Several booths had opportunities to snag stickers, bags, K-Beauty items, and more. Sometimes a simple task is required, such as following a company or group on social media, and then you can collect your free item!

A few booths also offered free food and drinks, including the ever-iconic McDonald's booth, which gave away french fries and ice cream all day, as well as the Viki booth, where you could snag free bubble tea beverages.

Surprise Appearances

One of the most fun parts about KCON is that you never know just who you are going to see pop up! At random points throughout the convention you could hear fans screaming and flocking to an area where a group or idol was walking by. Other times, staff would come by and create a path in a crowd for an artist to get from one area of the convention hall to another. This happened to me at one point, taking me by surprise when I was at the aforementioned Superstar booth, and suddenly the seas were parted so the members of xikers could walk by! They even greeted fans with waves and finger hearts as they passed.

Dance All Day

The Dance All Day section of the convention hall sometimes just felt like background music that was on a loop all day throughout the event, but when I finally popped over to the area, I was greeted with a big open floor where fans could, as the title states, dance all day. The area was reserved specifically for dance events including Random Play Dance, the Dreamstage auditions, and more!

KPOP Village

The KPOP Village, hosted by KIIS FM was a free area, open to the public, that was positioned right outside of the convention center. You can't miss the giant ferris wheel as you're entering the convention!

The area included interactive social activities with live music, DJs, live interviews with many of the artists,  food trucks, and much more! Artists who performed live on the KIIS FM K-POP Village Stage included Benson Boone, NOTD, Tkay and LEO, as well as more surprise guests!

Meeting Like-Minded Friends

Finally, the number one highlight for me is all of the friends you make attending an event like this. There is no better feeling than coming together with thousands of people who share your passion for something. I had travelled this year with one friend, but left with so many more who shared contact information and even made plans to attend future events together. Even if being social isn't your thing, something about being surrounded by like-minded people feels so special. That is my favorite takeaway from KCON.

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Photo Credit: CJ ENM GlobalPR

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