K-Pop & Anime Events in Knoxville — 2026

If you are searching for K-Pop events in Knoxville or anime events near Knoxville in 2026, this is the one to put on your calendar. Knox Pop Con 2026 is East Tennessee's premier Asian pop culture convention — a single evening packed with live music, dance, cosplay, cars, and community.

The event ran from 3 PM to 10 PM on Saturday, May 2, 2026 at Bridgewater Place, 205 Bridgewater Road, Knoxville, TN 37923. One ticket got you access to everything, with no separate stage passes or add-on fees for the main programming.

Here is what was included in your ticket:

• Live J-Pop concert by Shihori — the singer-songwriter behind songs from Fairy Tail, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, NieR:Automata, and Macross Frontier. This is her first performance in Tennessee and the first J-Pop concert in Knoxville history.
• Anime rap by None Like Joshua — your MC for the night, with 700M+ YouTube views and 48+ convention appearances. He will be performing live anime rap and keeping the energy up all evening.
• Anime rave DJ set by NINJ3FF3C7 — VTuber DJ and producer closing out the night with anime openings, J-Core, and crowd-driven energy.
• K-Pop dance showcases and Random Play Dance — three dance crews performing live: TNT-K (Nashville), Knox K-Pop Group (Knoxville), and EquiKnox. The Random Play Dance is open to everyone in the audience — no experience needed.
• YAMA-CON Cosplay Contest — ICG-standard competition across six categories, judged by YAMA-CON's veteran team (established 2012). Cash prizes for winners.
• JDM car show — hosted by Subie Crew Knoxville, featuring modified JDM builds, itasha (anime-wrapped) cars, and photo ops.
• 30+ vendors and Artist Alley — anime merch, original fan art, K-Pop photo cards, collectibles, and Asian cuisine all under one roof.

VIP passes added meet-and-greet sessions with Shihori, None Like Joshua, and NINJ3FF3C7. The Daesang tier included an exclusive dinner with Shihori and backstage access. Children under 10 got in free with a ticketed adult.

See the full KPC 2026 recap. First time at an anime convention? Read our first-timer's guide.

Knox Pop Con is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs year-round programming for the Asian pop culture community in Knoxville and East Tennessee. If you are looking for K-Pop events near you on a regular basis — not just once a year — KPC is where you will find them.

The organization serves 500+ youth through ongoing programs that include:

All of these events take place in Knoxville and are open to fans from across East Tennessee — Knox County, Blount County, Anderson County, Sevier County, and beyond. Many attendees drive in from Oak Ridge, Maryville, Sevierville, and even the Tri-Cities for larger events.

Knoxville's K-Pop dance scene has grown significantly over the past few years. Whether you want to learn choreography in a structured class or join a performance crew, there are real options here — something that was not the case even three years ago.

Knox Pop Con's weekly dance classes are the foundation. Led by experienced instructors, classes break down K-Pop choreography step by step. They cost $10 per session, and scholarships are available so no one is turned away for inability to pay. The classes are open to all ages and all skill levels. You do not need any prior dance experience to show up and learn.

Beyond the classes, Knoxville is home to several active K-Pop dance crews:

Every Knox Pop Con event includes a Random Play Dance — a K-Pop tradition where popular songs play and anyone in the crowd can jump in and dance along. You do not need to know every move. The energy is contagious and it is one of the most popular moments at every event. If you have ever watched a Random Play Dance video on YouTube and wished you could join one in person, this is your chance.

Read more about the K-Pop convention experience or check the dance program schedule.

A few years ago, if you were a K-Pop or anime fan in Knoxville, your options were limited. You could drive to Nashville or Atlanta for conventions, or you could scroll through content online and wish there was something closer to home. That has changed.

Knox Pop Con started as a K-Pop dance class — fans who wanted to share their love of Asian pop culture without driving three hours to do it. It grew because the demand was already there. East Tennessee has a large and passionate fan base for K-Pop, anime, and Japanese pop culture. What was missing was an organization willing to build the infrastructure for that community to gather, perform, and celebrate together.

Today, Knox Pop Con is the region's premier Asian pop culture event. The annual convention draws fans from across Tennessee and neighboring states. The weekly dance classes have become a fixture in the Knoxville arts scene. And the community keeps growing — from 500+ active youth participants to a network of local sponsors like Nama Sushi Bar and Peony Giving Circle who believe in what KPC is building.

Knoxville itself is part of the story. The city has a vibrant arts and culture scene, a major university bringing in students from across the country, and a cost of living that makes it possible for nonprofits like KPC to operate sustainably. It is also centrally located in East Tennessee, making it accessible to fans from Oak Ridge, Maryville, Sevierville, and the Smoky Mountain corridor.

The result is something genuinely unique: a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is not just throwing one-off events but building a year-round community for Asian pop culture fans in a part of the country where that community did not previously have a home. That is what Knox Pop Con is, and that is why Knoxville.