Tag: Guide

  • Your Go-To Guide to KCON LA 2026

    Your Go-To Guide to KCON LA 2026

    Is this your first time attending KCON LA? Or maybe you have some questions about the convention or how the ticket tiers work? Well you have come to the right place! We are here to go into full detail on all things KCON LA to get you prepared for the big event happening August 14th-16th at the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena.

    WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

    1. Tickets

    Now the main detail of KCON is tickets and how to attend. This year, KCON has put out 6 different ticket tiers – 1DAY PREMIUM ALL ACCESS, 1DAY PREMIUM ALL ACCESS, 1DAY ALL ACCESS, 1DAY, 1DAY AFTER 3PM and 1DAY KPOP DISCOVERY. All of these tickets are sold as single-day passes, so make sure you have tickets for everyday you were looking to attend. 

    1DAY VIP PREMIUM ALL ACCESS ($662.14) is the full top tier ticket package for 2026 – which includes a ticket to the festival grounds, front access to Artist Stage during the convention, a GA Floor ticket to M Countdown, 1 artist soundcheck for the specified artist of that day, access to the artist red carpet before the show and this year they are including Hi-Wave (M&G) for all artists performing on Artist Stage that day. As of right now, this tier is currently sold out for all 3 days, but you never know if last minute tickets will pop up!

    1DAY PREMIUM ALL ACCESS ($449.55) has the same ticket benefits as VIP Premium with the only exclusion being that these tickets do not come with Hi-Wave for the artists of the day. You will only be able to access M&G if you have purchased a 1DAY VIP PREMIUM ticket. This tier is also sold out currently for all 3 days as well.

    1DAY ALL ACCESS (P1 $290.11 – P5 $92.43) will give you access to the festival/convention grounds, artist stage and a ticket to M-Countdown in Sections P1-P5. 

    1DAY ($74.30) tickets will give you access to the festival grounds and artist stage during the convention. Note that these tickets do not come with a ticket to M Countdown, it will have to be purchased separately. 

    1DAY AFTER 3PM ($43.34) will also give you access to the festival grounds and artist stage. Admission for all of these tickets will begin specifically at 3pm. 

    1DAY KPOP DISCOVERY ($44.44) will give you admission to attend M Countdown later in the evening. These tickets do not include access to the festival grounds during the day.

    If you missed out on ticket sales, make sure to keep checking the AXS site!

    2. Convention Access + Events

    Awesome, you have your tickets! Now you’re probably thinking – what is there to even do during the convention? Well don’t worry, your day will be packed with artist appearances, vendors, food and performances you will NOT want to miss!

    The main attraction over the past few years has been Artist Stage, which in a nutshell is a mini 5-6 song concert for specific artists throughout the day. If you have a VIP PREMIUM ticket, you will proceed with your Hi-Wave for that artist after their Artist Stage performance. Each artist will be performing at a specific time. Please scroll to the end of the article to see the day by day timetable.

    The next performance stage is the Music Den stage, sponsored by Toyota! This stage has been specifically created for the rookies attending the festival to showcase their talents and love to new and old fans alike. This stage will be inside the convention hall as well. While the artists will be performing their own songs, they will also perform a variety of covers from Senior artists.  

    KCON will also have various booths of numerous vendors and sponsors throughout the convention hall, so make sure you check them all out and get your freebie goods from them! (Plus, you never know who may make a surprise appearance). While you’re venturing around inside, be sure to check out all of the vendors and food outside as well! Keep yourself hydrated with a refreshing fruit juice and fuel up with various K-Foods to keep your energy up to last all day. Lastly, don’t forget to stop by the Olive Young fest for all your K-Beauty essentials.

    3. M Countdown

    Now that you have your beauty essentials, cute vendor made items, and food, it is now time to head over to Crypto Arena for the concert portion of your experience! Depending on your ticket type, you will be let in at certain times. If you have a VIP Premium All Access Ticket, then you can head to the Kobe Bryant Entrance to line up for the floor. You will experience a unique sound check with fellow VIP attendees before the main show begins.

    Friday’s soundcheck artist is TREASURE. Saturday’s is P1HARMONY. Sunday’s is MEOVV.

    If you have regular GA or a seat, then you will enter a little later once the soundcheck has concluded. Once you’re inside, you can head to the restroom, grab food or even head to your seat.

    Each night will have a different lineup. Along with original songs from each artist, some of them may also perform covers from other artists or interact with the crowd via games. ZEROBASEONE’s leader Sung Hanbin has been announced as the MC for all three nights, so expect surprise appearances through the crowd from both him and some of the artists.

    If this is your first KCON, you are sure to have the time of your life! Make sure to stop by as many booths as you can during the convention and grab all your freebies, and don’t forget the most important part-have fun!!

    Below are the time tables for each stage.

    For the official KCON LA 2026 site map and more information, please check out kconusa.com.

    Hope to see you there and have fun!

  • The Ultimate Guide to Attending An Inkigayo Live Show

    The Ultimate Guide to Attending An Inkigayo Live Show

    Inkigayo is one of the biggest music shows in Korea, airing live every Sunday at 3:40PM. Photo credits to SBS Inkigayo.

    Whenever visiting Korea, K-Pop fans often dream of participating in activities that aren’t easily accessible- including fansigns, fanmeetings, and music shows. It can be pretty overwhelming when trying to fit those experiences in, as there are a lot of rules and regulations, and some aren’t even available to foreigners without finding a few loopholes. While it can be thrilling to sign up for lotteries or try for ticketing, sometimes simplicity is best. There is an easier way to experience at least one music show.

    SBS Inkigayo is one of the most well-known music shows within the K-Pop industry. Since 2013, the Inkigayo as we see it today airs live each Sunday. With a mixture of popular and nugu groups, the show is an opportunity to see your ults as well as discover new artists. Typically there are three MC’s for the show, all of whom are idols. There are two main sections for fans to enjoy the show: the floor in front of the stage, or seats further back. The floor area is typically reserved for fan club members for promoting groups, as many of them witness the pre-recordings before the show begins. It is also important to note that in order to be in the floor section, you have to be under a specific height requirement to avoid being hit by the moving cameras. However, it can be a complex process and isn’t even guaranteed. That’s where seating comes in. The seating area is located behind all the cameras and equipment, with tiered rows along the rear wall. The staggered levels allow for clear views for all fans.

    KoreaTravelEasy offers a bundled ticket that allows you to take a tour around Seoul and join the live airing of Inkigayo. Tickets for this experience can be pricey, typically running between $150-200, but with the ease and enjoyment, it is worth the price. When planning for the KoreaTravelEasy tour, you can expect to spend the entire day on the tour. While optional, the tour is a great chance to experience new things, especially if it’s your first time in Seoul! They offer three different tours depending on the time of year, all including walking through scenery, seeing museums, as well as a free bus ride to the SBS Broadcasting Building.

    During the day, you will walk through many sites and receive multiple breaks. Ahead of your tour, you will receive a complete, detailed schedule, which is also visible on their website. During free time, you can shop or eat lunch. Around 2:00PM, the tour guide will bring everyone to the broadcasting building to begin lining them up for entry.

    The SBS Inkigayo building is located in the Deungchon-dong neighborhood of the Gangseo District in Seoul. Photo credits to Niko.

    During the entry process, they will have you line up by the numbers on your lanyards. You will be required to show your passport as proof of identity, and it can oftentimes be a lengthy process. It’s wisest to do anything necessary–like snack or bathroom breaks– before lining up, as you may not have the time during or after. While standing in line, you have a great opportunity to get to know the people around you. I once met a girl who flew in from Japan just to see Shotaro from RIIZE! Talk about dedication! You can also prepare for who you might see, as Inkigayo posts their lineup on X (formerly known as Twitter) a few days before the show.

    As you head inside, pay attention to the second floor balcony by the entrance, as sometimes the artists will be on the stairs. When I went, Hanjin from TWS was heading up the stairs with a manager. While the manager tried to usher him away, he walked up to the railing to wave and greet fans.

    An important rule to remember is that they are strict with cell phones. Once you walk into those doors, you cannot take photos or videos. It is best to keep your phone stored in a bag or pocket, or placed on your lap. They will also stop you from holding up large signs or iPads with messages, as it blocks the view for other fans and can be distracting for the artists on camera. Once seated, feel free to gawk at the stage. It’s a lot closer than you realize. To the far right, there is a smaller stage for the MC’s, who usually come out early for makeup touchups and rehearsal. You can wave and cheer for them, as they will respond, but try not to get too rowdy once they start practicing.

    When the show starts, be sure to cheer on each artist, as some groups may not have fans in the audience and could feel neglected. When I saw Inkigayo the first time, I fell in love with EVNNE and TWS. Groups from smaller companies will be performing live for the broadcast. Once you get into larger groups with more elaborate stage setups or debut stages, they will prerecord the performance and come on stage to dance while it airs. These larger groups also usually leave the stage early, so be prepared for that. 

    During the interview portions, many of the artists will be walking in from the right stairwell entrance. If you keep an eye out, you might even get a wave or finger heart in return. The artists love interacting with fans while off-camera, so don’t be shy!

    Once the show nears its end, all the artists present will stand on stage while waiting for the winner announcement. A lot of the idols that stand to the side, and aren’t on camera, will wave and interact with fans. Try not to be loud during the announcement or acceptance speech or else you might get you a few mean looks. The Encore is also such a fun part of the event, even the winning group isn’t a group that you stan. Performed completely live, you get to watch the idols run around the stage and have a fun time. The original airing of encores do not do justice to how raw the artists sound.

    As you exit the broadcasting building, don’t leave immediately! You’ll notice other fans will start to gather around the sidewalks, waiting. Around 15 minutes after the show concludes, many artists begin to leave the building and get into their designated vans. As they leave, the artists tend to roll the windows down and wave to fans and interact with the fans. Less typically, some artists will come out and greet fans personally. When I went to my first music show, I got to meet Wumuti (a member of XLOV) outside the venue. He just had his solo debut stage and wanted to greet fans. I got to stand near him as he thanked us for our support, and it was pretty unreal.

    At the end of the day, don’t forget to enjoy yourself. It’s easy to get caught up in all the rules and expectations, but as long as you act respectfully, you can make new friends through this experience and create memories that will last you a lifetime!