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Olive Young to launch inaugural K-beauty festival in LA

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By Jhoo Dong-chan
  • Published KST
A promotional image for the first U.S. edition of Olive Young Festa / Courtesy of CJ Olive Young

A promotional image for the first U.S. edition of Olive Young Festa / Courtesy of CJ Olive Young

CJ Olive Young, Korea's largest health and beauty retailer, said Thursday it will debut its signature Olive Young Festa in Los Angeles this August, marking the company’s first large-scale experiential beauty festival in the United States.

The festival will run from Aug. 14–16 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, anchoring itself to KCON LA 2026 to capitalize on the massive influx of international K-pop and pop culture enthusiasts. The move marks an aggressive acceleration of Olive Young's global retail strategy. It follows the debut of the company's first physical U.S. location in May, as well as a highly successful market test through a sister festival in Japan that same month.

Held under the theme "The K-Beauty Playground Festival," the roughly 4,700-square-meter, or about 50,000-square-foot, space will feature 55 Korean beauty and lifestyle brands.

At its center will be a mock Olive Young store showcasing best-selling products, surrounded by four zones styled after Seoul shopping districts popular with tourists —Hongdae, Myeongdong, Seongsu and Gangnam — with Korean-language signage and bus-stop-style installations. Visitors can try skin analysis and other services normally offered in Olive Young stores in Korea.

A stamp rally will reward visitors who participate in all the zones with a limited-edition gift bag. The company also plans support programs for smaller Korean brands entering the U.S. market, including brand-led talks called "Beauty & Health Deep Dive" and a networking space, the Future Connect Lounge.

"This festival will be an opportunity to further expand the K-beauty experience Olive Young offers in the U.S.," a company official said, adding that Olive Young plans to keep linking its U.S. stores, online mall and festivals to promote Korean beauty and lifestyle abroad.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.