K-pop fans on both coasts — rejoice! KCON announced Thursday it will return to both Los Angeles and the New York metropolitan area this year, marking the fifth time in LA and second time in New York.
KCON NY, which is held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, is expanding this year from one to two days and with two concerts on June 24-25. KCON LA, at the Staples Center, will be held a month later and for a day longer, from July 29-31.
Together, the two events make up the largest Korean culture convention and music festival, attracting over 75,000 people and including concerts, workshops, and panels that cover everything from film to food to fashion. Last year’s KCON LA organized 127 programs that included Korean makeup tutorials, Korean cooking classes, K-pop dance lessons, and K-drama screenings.
In a press release on Thursday, KCON announced that it will be expanding in both size and scope for KCON 2016, saying, “This year’s events are set to showcase even more vendors and all-new programming highlighting the rise in popularity of Korean beauty products, Korean food and the world of e-sports, which South Korea is a major producer of the top competitors.”
Although the musical and celebrity lineup has yet to be revealed, last year’s KCON featured performances by some of the biggest names in K-pop — including Girls’ Generation, Super Junior, and GOT7 — and appearances by actors such as Kim Soo Hyun, Daniel Henney, and Ki-Hong Lee.
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