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KCON Japan 2026 to showcase K-beauty, K-food, and K-content innovations

Published: 22 Apr. 2026, 17:10 Updated: 22 Apr. 2026, 19:38

A map of the festival grounds of the upcoming "KCON Japan 2026" set to take place from May 8 to 10 at Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba Prefecture, Japan [CJ ENM]

KCON Japan 2026 will highlight Korean beauty, food and content, including an AI-powered film showcase and Olive Young’s first global festival tour stop, according to its organizer CJ ENM on Wednesday.

Set to take place from May 8 to 10 at the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, KCON Japan 2026 is part of a global touring convention combining K-pop performances with immersive experiences that allow those outside Korea to engage with the country's lifestyle content.

In the “K-Beauty Zone,” health and beauty chain Olive Young is set to recreate its popular Korean stores featuring curated beauty experiences, promotional events linked to the Olive Young global app and beauty-expert-led sessions, along with exclusive K-beauty goody bags available only at KCON.

The “K-Food Zone” will recreate the atmosphere of Korean night streets and food alleys, featuring trendy desserts popular in Japan such as Dubai-style chewy cookies and crungji, a viral Korean dessert that is created by flattening a croissant.

A newly launching “K-Story Zone” will take place at a roughly 100-seat “ScreenX” theater, offering 270-degree panoramic viewing. Screenings include Korean dramas, films and concert films of boy bands INI and JO1, released in 2025.

Visitors crowd the Olive Young booth at “KCON LA 2025,” the world’s largest K-pop fan and artist festival held in Los Angeles from Aug. 1 to 3. [YONHAP]

A special cinema showcase is slated to take place on May 8 to present films incorporating ai in their production. Directors Kim Han-min, Kang Yoon-sung and Lee Cheol-ha will also share insights on the future of K-content and their upcoming projects.

On May 9, a global premiere highlight screening of the upcoming comedy K-drama “The Legend of the Kitchen Soldier” will take place.

Visitors will also be able to see Korean actors in person at the festival's “Beyond The Screen” section, including Lee Chae-min from “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” (2025) and Park Seo-ham who will star in the upcoming drama series “Our Universe.” The two actors will meet fans and discuss behind-the-scenes stories on May 10 and 8, respectively.

KCON, first launched in California in 2012, has been held in 14 regions across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas. It has attracted a cumulative offline audience of about 2.23 million.