A Decade
of ComplexCon

Long Beach, CA

ComplexCon, the pioneering festival of convergence culture, is founded in Long Beach, CA, and attracts more than 35,000 people, putting a stake in the ground as the premier event of the year for what’s hot and new in culture. Exclusive drops include the VLone Air Force 1 (reselling for over $90,000) and BAPE® x Travis Scott. Sneaker of the year went to the re-released Air Jordan “Banned” 1s. The weekend headlined Kid Cudi, Snoop Dogg, 2 Chainz, Migos (who performed their hit song “Bad & Boujee” for the very first time), Travis Scott, and Skrillex.

Long Beach, CA

Long Beach became ground zero for everything orbiting streetwear, sneakers, music, and internet culture. Kendrick Lamar and Kobe Bryant delivered a historic ComplexCon(versations) talk that blurred the lines between sports, artistry, and legacy, while N.E.R.D. took over the stage, reintroducing themselves with the raw energy of No_One Ever Really Dies. Co-headlined by Gucci Mane, Young Thug, M.I.A., J Balvin, Khaled, and Jaden Smith. On the floor, Virgil Abloh was at the center of the sneaker universe, partnering with Takashi Murakami and Nike. Sneaker of the year went to no other but Off-White AJ1. The marketplace felt like a living Tumblr mood board—skinny jeans with loud prints, early archive grails, brand collabs that sold out in hours, and lines that wrapped around the convention center before doors even opened.

Long Beach, CA

ComplexCon 2018 marked the moment the festival fully settled into its identity as culture’s annual summit. Back at the Long Beach Convention Center, the third installment felt less like a convention and more like a living mood board of the year in streetwear, music, and art. With Takashi Murakami continuing as Art Director, the space carried a cohesive, immersive visual language. Pharrell’s cultural stewardship helped anchor the programming, while headline performances and conversations brought together a cross-section of artists, designers, and thinkers shaping the moment. The sneaker conversation was so stacked — from the Union Jordan 1 to the Sean Wotherspoon Air Max 97/1 and Nike React Element 87 — that it became the only year without a single Sneaker of the Year winner.

Long Beach, CA + Chicago, IL

Culture was in overdrive this year. 2019 marked the first time the cultural festival expanded outside Long Beach to Chicago, where over 100 vendors debuted with ComplexCon. The event launched “Community Week” ahead of the festival itself, including partnerships with local organizations like SocialWorks and leadership panels in collaboration with the Obama Foundation, bringing together artists, entrepreneurs, and civic voices to discuss creativity and opportunity.

Online

Complex recognized a void in the marketplace, and ComplexLand not only addressed the inability to host physical events but also streamlined commerce and entertainment into a single virtual experience that had not existed before. Over three editions, ComplexLand featured brands and retailers, mixing luxury houses like Gucci and Versace with streetwear staples like Adidas, Nike, Farfetch, Takashi Murakami x Perrier, Verdy, BBC, ATMOS, and Rhude, and the debut of the digital footwear brand RTFKT in a 3D virtual world. The event reported 3.2 million minutes of time spent on the live event platform, 1.3 million brand and commerce engagements, and over 9 million total engagements from attendees across the five-day experience.

Long Beach, CA

A$AP Rocky headlines the weekend with a triumphant performance celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Live. Love. A$AP. Turnstile’s performance signals ComplexCon’s expanding musical range beyond hip-hop and R&B, with its hardcore punk set, and Lil Yachty, A-Trak, and more DJs on the show floor. 2021 was star-studded with guests like Rihanna, Dwayne Wade, and more attending the event.

Long Beach, CA

Verdy takes over as host and artistic director, curating the festival around Ura-Harajuku culture and hand-selecting every brand on the marketplace floor. A shift from the traditional vendor-application model.

Nigo headlines the festival, bringing his I Know NIGO! album to life. Lil Uzi Vert delivers one of the weekend’s most talked-about performances. Kanye West makes a surprise walk-through of the main floor, joining other celeb attendees like Russell Westbrook, Jordyn Woods, and more.

Long Beach, CA

CACTUS PLANT FLEA MARKET serves as artistic director, curating the festival with their signature approach to brand selection and immersive experience design. Kid Cudi returns as headliner, with additional performances by Zack Bia, YG, Don Toliver, and Lil Yachty.

Over 150 brands showcase exclusive drops, headlined by Denim Tears x Levi's x CPFM, Lewis Hamilton x Takashi Murakami, and a $900,000 B.B. Simon's belt studded with 119 GIA-certified diamonds. The Sneaker of the Year panel crowns the Nike SB x Air Jordan 4 as the year's best.

Hong Kong

ComplexCon Hong Kong 2024 marks the festival’s first-ever expansion into Asia, signaling a major step in its global growth and cultural influence. Held at AsiaWorld-Expo, the event brings together leading voices across music, fashion, and street culture, featuring performances by 21 Savage, AOMG, and 3CORNERZ (Edison Chen, MC Yan, and Chef), with artistic direction by Verdy. Blending immersive brand activations, exclusive drops, and a curated marketplace, the festival taps directly into the energy of Asia’s youth culture, establishing Hong Kong as a key hub for the next chapter of ComplexCon’s international evolution.

Las Vegas, NV

ComplexCon 2024 relocated its U.S. flagship to Las Vegas, growing to over 1 million square feet and achieving record attendance. In Las Vegas, Travis Scott takes over as Artistic Director, transforming the event into “CactusCon,” an immersive experience featuring exclusive collaborations, installations, and performances from artists including Playboi Carti and Metro Boomin. The festival also showcases top global brands, debuts Nike’s 3D-printed Air Max 1000, and welcomes Drink Champs’ first-ever appearance with Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, further solidifying its influence across music, fashion, and culture.

Las Vegas, NV + Hong Kong

ComplexCon returns to Las Vegas for its largest and most attended show in history, attracting more than 70,000 attendees. As the first-ever ComplexCon Global Artistic Director, acclaimed artist Daniel Arsham led the creative vision for the 2025 Las Vegas and Hong Kong festivals, weaving his iconic visual language across sculpture, architecture, drawing, and film throughout the experience. The weekend was headlined by Young Thug and Yeat & Friends with additional performances by Peso Pluma, Ken Carson, Clipse, Central Cee, and 2hollis. For the first time, Complex and VERZUZ, the world-renowned live 1v1 music format, debuted its partnership with an internet-breaking face-off between Cash Money Records vs No Limit Records.