CJ ENM to hold KCON Hong Kong in March

South Korea’s entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM Co. announced on Thursday that it will hold its annual K-pop festival KCON in Hong Kong for the first time this year.

The Hong Kong date will kick off the festival series, taking place at AsiaWorld-Expo on March 30 and 31. The 10,000-capacity arena will host create the multi-faceted KCON Hong Kong 2024 with concerts from top artists and a full convention celebrating Korean culture.

Hong Kong is the sixth-largest K-pop market in the world in terms of album sales.

KCON will be held in five regions including Hong Kong. According to CJ CNM, KCON will then return to Japan from May 10 to 12, and Los Angeles from July 26 to 28.

KCON also plans to hold events in Europe and Saudi Arabia in the second half of 2024, with more details to be revealed at a later date. 

The KCON 2024 will feature a broader range of artists and activities. CJ ENM plans to use multiple stages to expand the lineup and provide curated content for fans of various genres and interests.

KCON is a festival that merges K-pop performances with a convention offering experiences of the Korean lifestyle.

It started in the US in 2012 and has since grown to include Japan, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, Mexico, Australia, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia.

Over the past 12 years, KCON has cumulatively attracted an offline audience of over 1.65 million people across nine countries.

“KCON has not only promoted artists’ global expansion, but also led small and medium-sized businesses to advance overseas, and has become a festival venue where K-culture and K-lifestyle can be promoted and experienced,” Joon-beom Sim, head of music entertainment at CJ ENM, said in a press statement. 

Write to Yeon-Su Shin at sys@hankyung.com