K-pop as culture: Fandom learnings from BTS and KCON LA

K-pop is known as a genre built around fandom-focused live experiences, whether that’s concerts or fan-run events, and it’s been a busy few months for K-pop fans in the US. In August, I attended CJ ENM’s three-day K-pop convention KCON LA, as well as two dates on BTS’s massive ARIRANG world tour. These events highlighted how K-pop has grown as a cultural export, expanding beyond the music to encompass Korean pop culture as a whole – and the struggles and strategies that come with building a world around the genre.

K-pop goes beyond the music

A key theme throughout the events was that K-pop is no longer just about the music. KCON’s theme for 2026 was “K-S(e)oul City” and featured fan experiences focused on K-food, K-beauty, and K-entertainment. One KCON presenter went so far as to say that the convention was “not just K-pop anymore”. While the multiple K-pop artist performances were the main draw of the convention, the non-music experiences gave fans the opportunity to immerse themselves – and most importantly, participate – in K-pop and Korean culture. 

This “K-culture” strategy was also utilised at BTS’s New York concert, where HYBE brought its ‘The City’ project to New York for the first time. ‘The City’ was a three-day citywide event leading up to the concert, featuring BTS-themed fan activities and brand activations at key locations, including New York’s Korean Cultural Center. While these activities gave fans an opportunity to engage with Korean culture and celebrate K-pop, it also gave Korean brands like Samsung, Tous Les Jours, and TIRTIR strong visibility through targeted pop-up events centred around brand products. Events like these had a practical effect of raising global recognition for Korean brands through the established cultural export of K-pop. However, they also built a world around K-pop by identifying the intersection of fans’ musical and non-musical interests and crafting experiences around those.

Culturally-specific, but globally popular

Both the BTS concerts and KCON were steeped in Korean culture, but were also intended to export that culture to a Western, English-speaking audience, which is no easy task. In the past, a genre would be practically required to excise its culturally-specific qualities in order to gain mainstream success. However, in the era of successful local-language artists like BTS and Bad Bunny, that cultural specificity is a strength rather than a weakness. Still, as K-pop aims to break into the Western market at scale, adapting an “English-first” approach has been the trend among Korean artists – and this was especially visible at BTS’s concert. 

While the concert was visually themed to Korean culture and history, the ARIRANG album and the concert’s performances were primarily in English. This highlights the tricky space that K-pop currently finds itself in, as the genre tries to create a more globally-appealing presentation while staying true to its native roots. Conversely, it shows the benefit of the “K-culture” strategy, as K-pop finds its balance when tied to K-culture as an overarching concept. The music itself may become less influenced by Korean culture, but the lifestyle surrounding it – the food, the beauty products, the artists themselves – can deepen the cultural connection.

What this means for fandom-building

The strongest takeaway from these events is the importance of connection in fandom. Fans came together across artists and fandoms, a contrast to the common characterisation of K-Pop fans as being intensely loyal to their favourite artist at the expense of other artists. At both KCON and the BTS concerts, K-pop was an instant conversation starter among fans, as they shared handmade freebies and talked about which K-pop idol they were most excited to see. BTS’s ‘The City’ festival and KCON created spaces for fans to just be fans – nurturing the fandom and letting it thrive on its own terms. While the artist performances were the main attraction of both events, it was the welcoming community for fans – regardless of which group is their favourite – that made these events meaningful, and is what will drive fans to come back in the future.