The lineup for this year’s KCON LA just got even more robust, with aespa, NCT 127 and several more star K-pop acts joining the list of previously confirmed performers in a second wave of lineup announcements unveiled Monday (May 12).
In addition to the “Whiplash” girl group and the NCT subunit, RIIZE, KISS OF LIFE, MEOVV, NOWADAYS, MONSTA X, KEY, HWASA and YUQI have also been added to the 2025 lineup. The festival also revealed that CHOIHOJUNG, who won Mnet’s dance competition series STAGE FIGHTER, will perform too.
The news comes a couple of weeks after the Los Angeles iteration of the global KCON enterprise revealed the first set of names headed to Crypto.com Arena this year. Among them were CRAVITY, SEVENTEEN subunit HxW, IS:SUE, IVE, izna, JO1, LEE YOUNGJI, NMIXX, P1Harmony, Roy Kim and ZEROBASEONE.
KCON LA will take place Aug. 1-3 at the downtown L.A. venue, featuring multiple stages such as ARTIST STAGE, MEET & GREET, X STAGE and M COUNTDOWN. The 2025 theme is “KLOVER’S CLUB FAIR,” taking inspiration from the lucky symbolism of four-leaf clovers.
In addition to musical performances and opportunities to see their favorite K-pop artists up close, attendees of the festival will also get to experience different facets of Korean culture through different activities and stations dedicated to fashion, beauty and food.
“This year, [organizer] CJ ENM plans for a more immersive KCON LA 2025, expanding both on-site and digital experiences,” reads a release, which adds that the festival was “designed to help fans connect directly with their favorite idols, discover emerging acts on X STAGE, and join dance and participation programs designed just for them.”
The L.A. installment of KCON is just one of several that take place each year. Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, United Arab Emirates, France, Mexico, Australia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia have also hosted iterations since the inaugural festival kicked off in the United States in 2012.
In 2024, KCON LA attracted more than 5.9 million fans from 170+ countries, both on-site and virtually.
