KCON LA 2026 opens with Wanna One reunion performance

KCON LA 2026 officially opened on August 14 at the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena. Under the theme ‘Walk in SOUL CITY’, the festival organized by CJ ENM features programming spanning K-pop, K-beauty, K-food, and K-story elements.

A major highlight of the event was the reunion of the K-pop group Wanna One. Nine members performed a special set including hits such as ‘ENERGETIC’, ‘BOOMERANG’, and ‘Spring Breeze, Again’. Kang Daniel and Lai Kuanlin were not in attendance for the performance.

Pre-festival activities included an industry event hosted by HYBE America and various showcases. The festival also incorporates a retail circuit with fan signings and events from retailers such as hello82 and KPop Nara, featuring artists like Wonho and ZEROBASEONE.