Knox Pop Con 2026 — J-Pop & K-Pop Festival | Knoxville TN
Knox Pop Con 2026 — East Tennessee's Premier Asian Pop Culture Festival
Experience the first-ever J-Pop concert in Knoxville history at Knox Pop Con 2026! Join 2,500+ fans on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at Bridgewater Place in Knoxville, Tennessee for an unforgettable evening of live J-Pop and K-Pop performances, anime DJ sets, cosplay competitions, K-Pop dance battles, a JDM car show, and so much more.
LIVE PERFORMANCES
Shihori (しほり) — J-Pop Headliner Acclaimed J-Pop singer-songwriter and anime composer with 100+ songs and 13 Gold Discs. Known for her work on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Fairy Tail, NieR:Automata, Macross Frontier, Final Fantasy, and Kingdom Hearts. Full J-Pop concert, artist panel, and signing sessions. 18M+ YouTube views.
None Like Joshua — MC & Anime Rapper Your host for the night with 700M+ YouTube views. The internet's top anime rapper commands the stage between acts, keeping the energy electric from open to close.
NINJ3FF3C7 — VTuber DJ & Anime Rave The night closes out with a high-energy anime rave DJ set featuring remixes of your favorite anime openings, J-Pop bangers, and K-Pop dance tracks.
K-POP DANCE CREWS
Three incredible K-Pop cover dance crews take the stage:
Knox K-Pop Group — Knoxville's original K-Pop cover dance crew
TNT-K — Tennessee's premier K-Pop cover dance team
starstrucK — Nashville's high-energy K-Pop crew covering Stray Kids, NewJeans, ATEEZ, LE SSERAFIM, and SEVENTEEN
YAMA-CON COSPLAY CONTEST
The first-ever YAMA-CON x Knox Pop Con crossover! Presented by YAMA-CON, East Tennessee's beloved anime convention based in Pigeon Forge. Six competition categories judged to International Costuming Guild (ICG) standards:
Best in Show
Best Craftsmanship
Best Performance
Best Group Cosplay
Fan Favorite
Best Debut Cosplay
All fandoms welcome. All skill levels celebrated. Stage time for every contestant.
RANDOM PLAY DANCE (RPD)
Knoxville's biggest Random Play Dance ever! 200+ song catalog spanning K-Pop, J-Pop, and anime. No sign-ups required — just jump in and dance! Features girl group rounds, boy group rounds, anime rounds, classic hits, and a Last Dancer Standing survival elimination with prizes. Songs include TWICE, BTS, BLACKPINK, Stray Kids, aespa, NewJeans, LE SSERAFIM, YOASOBI, Ado, LiSA, Girls' Generation, EXO, and SHINee.
JDM CAR SHOW — Presented by Subie Crew Knoxville
Japanese Domestic Market car show featuring Subaru WRX/STI, BRZ, Toyota GR86, itasha (anime-wrapped cars), custom builds, classic JDM imports, engine bay displays, and audio systems. All JDM makes welcome — Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, Mitsubishi, and more.
MORE ACTIVITIES
30+ Vendor Hall & Artist Alley
K-Pop Photo Card Trading Post
QR Scavenger Hunt Adventure
Noraebang Stage (Karaoke)
Photo Opportunities with Cosplayers and Performers
TICKETS
General Admission — $30 | Full event access, all performances and activities (4 PM – 10 PM)
VIP Pass — $125 (Only 125 available) | Priority entry, VIP lounge, exclusive merch, meet-and-greet with Shihori, None Like Joshua, and NINJ3FF3C7
Daesang Pass — $225 (Only 25 available) | Everything in VIP plus exclusive dinner with Shihori, backstage access, autograph sessions, premium reserved seating, and commemorative limited-edition gift
EVENT DETAILS
Date: Saturday, May 2, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM EDT
Venue: Bridgewater Place, 205 Bridgewater Road, Knoxville, TN 37923
All Ages Welcome
Presented by: Knox Pop Con, a Tennessee 501(c)(3) nonprofit celebrating Asian pop culture in Knoxville
Get tickets at knoxpopcon.love
Follow @knoxpopcon on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook for announcements, performer reveals, and giveaways.
Event Links
Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3524402-0
