KCON, an annual global Hallyu convention held since 2012, will take place in five cities around the world this year, expanding to Mexico and Australia for the first time, its organizer CJ E&M said Monday.
Korean artists wave to fans at the KCON 2016 event held at Prudential Center, New York, June 24, 2016. (CJ E&M)
The pop culture convention will kick off in Mexico City from March 17-18, then head to Chiba, Japan, from May 19-21, New York from June 23-24 and Los Angeles from Aug. 18-20, before wrapping up in Australia in September. The dates and the venue for Australia have yet to be decided.
The event in Mexico will feature a star-studded lineup for its evening concerts: Bangtan Boys, EXID and NCT 127 for the first night, and Astro, Monsta X and Red Velvet for the second evening.
Bangtan Boys (BTS) performs at the KCON 2016 event held at the Prudential Center, New York, June 25, 2016. (CJ E&M)
In addition to the K-pop concerts, the convention will also feature Korean food tasting, K-pop dance classes and meet-and-greet events with Hallyu stars.
Since starting off as a one-day event in Irvine, California, in 2012, the convention has grown to attract some 350,000 people over its five-year run. In 2016, KCON reached Europe and the Middle East for the first time with events in Paris and Abu Dhabi.
By Kim So-yeon (
syk19372@heraldcorp.com)