K.K Slider needs fans if he’s going to play a concert on your island. That means the first stage of Project K (as the quest is known) is bringing in new residents. This can be done in a few ways, but the two standout methods are by utilising the campsite feature and by buying plots of land.
Tom Nook will give you the DIY recipe for the campsite once you ask him for hints on how to further the growth of the island at Resident Services. From here you need to gather the necessary materials and set up the campsite as a temporary housing station for any visitors that want to come. After you’ve done so, visits from potential residents will occur randomly as days go by - keep a look out for a tent.
Whilst some of these travelling strangers may be content with their own homes, a few will be dreaming of life on distant shores and, if you ask them, you may be able to convince them to move to your island.
As well as waiting for villagers to randomly appear at the campsite, you can speed up the process by heading to the Nook Stop inside Resident Services. Here you can invite certain villagers to stay by using their amiibo card or figure in conjunction with the ​machine. Not all Animal Crossing amiibo are compatible with this method, however, and you'll have to use each card three times and craft the camper's desired objects each time in order to coax them to stay on your island. Hey, you wanted Angus on your island!
You can see how many villagers you’ll need to interest K.K Slider by checking in with Isabelle at the counter in Resident Services. Ask her about the ‘island evaluation’ and she’ll list all of the ways you need to improve your island to get that three-star rating. If Isabelle tells you that feedback is limited, then you need to continue bringing in more residents to the island. Seven to ten villagers is the recommended amount.
Buying plots of land for new homes is an alternate way to grow your population. At Tom Nook’s construction counter select ‘let’s talk infrastructure’ and then choose the ‘sell some land’ option. Tom Nook will ask for 10,000 Bells before you’ll be allowed to prepare a plot of land for a future resident, so you'll need to use all your best Bell-earning skills.
Once you’ve handed over the cash, take the tent Nook gives you to a suitable area, set it up and wait for the home to be sold. As well as gaining a new neighbour, you’ll receive 1,000 Nook Miles as a reward for preparing the plot – not a bad little bonus!
You may also be able to find villagers on the game’s procedurally generated islands if you use Nook Miles Tickets to get to them, but it’s not certain that potential residents will be there and the other methods can be more effective.