KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennsun -- Knox Pop Con, a Tennessee 501(c)(3) nonprofit celebrating Asian pop culture, will hold its 2026 festival on Saturday, May 2, from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Bridgewater Place, 205 Bridgewater Road, Knoxville, TN 37923. The event is expected to attract 1,500 attendees for an evening of live music, K-Pop dance performances, a JDM car show, cosplay contests, and over 30 vendors.

The headliner is Shihori, a singer-songwriter from Nagoya, Japan, who will perform the first J-Pop solo concert in Knoxville history. Over a 20-year career, Shihori has composed over 100 songs, earned 13 Gold Disc certifications, and accumulated over 18 million YouTube views. Her songwriting credits include themes for anime like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Fairy Tail, NieR:Automata, and Macross Frontier. Her set will feature a 45-minute concert, an artist panel, and a meet-and-greet with photo and signing sessions.

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Atlanta-based anime rapper None Like Joshua (https://knoxpopcon.love/events/kpc-2026/nonelik...) will serve as both host and performing artist. In his 15-year career, he has amassed over 200 million YouTube views and performed at 48 conventions across four continents. His viral anime rap catalog covers franchises including Naruto, Demon Slayer, Dragon Ball Super, and My Hero Academia.

Rounding out the headlining talent is NINJ3FF3C7 (https://knoxpopcon.love/events/kpc-2026/ninj3ff3c7), an Atlanta-based VTuber DJ and anime EDM producer. NINJ3FF3C7 has produced over 30 anime tracks and collaborated extensively with None Like Joshua, with their combined tracks amassing over 200 million views. The DJ set at the festival will feature original K-Pop and anime mashups fused with EDM production.

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The festival also features performances by two K-Pop dance crews. Knox K-Pop Group, the resident crew founded by Asami Martin, will perform a custom choreograph mashup of K-pop hits. Joining them is TNT-K, an audition-based competitive crew from Nashville. Both crews will lead an interactive Random Play Dance open to all attendees, featuring a playlist of over 100 songs.

Additional programming includes a JDM car show hosted by Subie Crew Knoxville, showcasing JDM builds alongside itasha (anime-wrapped) vehicles, as well as cosplay contests, an artist alley, and food vendors.

Tickets are available online (https://knoxpopcon.love/events/kpc-2026/tickets) and on sale now.