KCON Japan 2026 will be held in Chiba, featuring K-POP and Korean lifestyle experiences, with a diverse lineup of artists.

The world's largest K-POP fan and artist festival "KCON," centered on K-POP, will open in Japan in 2026. CJ ENM announced that "KCON JAPAN 2026" will be held from May 8 (Friday) to 10 (Sunday) at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. This is the first Asian base for KCON, which has immense popularity in Japan, where this year's KCON will begin. KCON was held last year in Japan and the USA, and it was a successful festival where fans could experience Korean lifestyle encompassing K-beauty, K-food, and K-content centered around K-POP. This KCON will feature a diverse program reflecting the requests of fans worldwide. Aiming for evolution to realize "irreplaceable experiences" created together by fans and artists, centered on KCON's unique participatory content. The first artist lineup for "KCON JAPAN 2026" includes super rookies who have attracted attention with their overwhelming presence since debut, as well as artists who have captivated stages in Japan, Korea, and around the world. Among them are &TEAM, the first Japanese artist to achieve million-seller status in both Korea and Japan and solidified their status as a global star by ranking on the US Billboard chart with "Back to Life"; ALPHA DRIVE ONE, who achieved a million-seller with their debut album "EUPHORIA" and is gaining attention as a super rookie in 2026; and CORTIS, who achieved a million-seller with their debut album "COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES," ranked 15th on the US Billboard 200, and surpassed 300 million total streams on Spotify, showing global growth. Additionally, TWS, who sparked the "Angtal Challenge" boom with their 4th mini-album title track "OVERDRIVE," sold out their first fan meeting and solo concert, and ranked 2nd in the Oricon annual "rookie ranking," will also appear. Furthermore, INI, who achieved a million-seller within four days of releasing their single "THE WINTER MAGIC" and has recorded eight consecutive half-million sellers since debut, and JO1, who was nominated as the first Japanese artist at the "2026 iHeartRadio Music Awards" in the USA, are also part of the luxurious lineup. More artist lineups will be announced later. KCON, which started in 2012 in Irvine, USA, has established a unique festival model covering all aspects of lifestyle centered on music content. As a pioneer in spreading K-culture, it has played an important role in the global spread of the Korean wave. KCON has been held in 14 regions worldwide, including Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and America, with a total offline audience exceeding 2.22 million. Through digital platforms, millions of fans worldwide have formed a strong fandom that transcends language and borders. It also serves as a platform to support talented new artists' overseas expansion and assist brands in their overseas development, establishing its position as a global K-POP festival. Notably, KCON set a historic record with an offline total audience of 2 million at "KCON JAPAN 2025" held last May. In August, at "KCON LA 2025," its cultural influence was recognized, and the city of Los Angeles designated August 1, 2025, as "KCON Day." "KCON LA 2026" is expected to be held from August 14 (Friday) to 16 (Sunday) in Los Angeles, USA, becoming a new global festival gathering K-POP fans from around the world. Details about "KCON LA 2026" will be announced sequentially in the future.