Gangnam Festival to host U.S. K-POP cover dance championship

Twelve K-POP cover dance teams from across the United States will compete in the Global K-POP Cover Dance Championship at the 2026 Gangnam Festival in Seoul. The event is part of the K-Culture Diffusion Support Project led by the South Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The participating teams were selected through rigorous preliminary rounds held in Detroit and Chicago. Representing cities such as Milwaukee, San Marcos, Chicago, Irvine, Edgewater, Grand Rapids, Carmel City, Detroit, Columbus, and Minneapolis, the finalists will perform at a special stage in front of Dosan Park on October 3.

Top performers will be recognized, and all participating teams will have the opportunity to perform at a K-POP concert on October 4. The festival will feature judges and performers from popular dance survival programs, including Aiki, Rian, Nain Cho, and BlackQ, alongside a special live performance by the group 1VERSE.