KCON, the Korean pop music and culture convention operated by CJ ENM, will hold five editions in 2024, organizers said on Thursday.
The first of the year will be Hong Kong, a new destination for the convention series, before moving on to KCON Japan in May 10-12 and KCON LA July 26-28. Other editions will be held in Saudi Arabia and Europe at unspecified dates in the second half of the year.
The Hong Kong edition will be held at March 30-31 at the AsiaWorld Expo, a 10,000 seater venue adjacent to the airport. KCON will use the arena and conference facilities to create a multi-faceted event that features concerts and a full convention of exhibitor booths covering many aspects of Korean culture. AsiaWorld Expo has previously hosted K-pop’s MAMA Awards between 2013-18.
KCON organizers say they plan to expand the scale of the K-pop festival in 2024 by reaching larger venues and building out stronger production.
Hong Kong ranks 6th in K-pop album sales and is emerging as a key location for K-pop stars to perform. [It is] a central hub for fans to experience KCON from more regions across Asia,” CJ ENM said.
KCON began in U.S. in 2012 and has since been held in Japan, United Arab Emirates, France, Mexico, Australia, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia. Over 12 years, it has amassed an attendance figure of around 1.65 million in 9 countries.
In 2023, it toured four regions: Thailand (March), Japan (May), Los Angeles (August), and Saudi Arabia (October). KCON LA 2023 included three full concert shows over the course of the festival’s weekend.
