Stray Kids ATE up their historic set at BST Hyde Park
Screams and cheers could be heard across London on the evening of Sunday 14th July, and they weren’t solely due to the Euros final. 65,000 of those cheering voices came from the final night of BST Hyde Park 2024, headlined by the huge K-Pop group Stray Kids. Making history as the first K-pop boy group to headline the festival, Hallyu Doing attended to witness this groundbreaking moment with Stray Kids.
A global powerhouse in K-Pop, Stray Kids consists of members Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N. With over 10 million albums sold across their Korean and Japanese releases, in 2023 they were featured on Time’s Next Generation Leaders list. Here in the UK, their third studio album, 5-Star, entered the UK top 40 albums chart, proving their constantly growing popularity among British K-Pop fans.
This performance at BST Hyde Park has been a long time coming for their fans, known as STAY, who have been waiting for Stray Kids’ return to British soil for 5 years. Stray Kids last performed in the UK all the way back in 2019, bringing their Unveil Tour ‘I am…’ to Brixton, London. The group was set to return to London on 17th May 2020 for their world tour ‘District 9: Unlock’, but unfortunately due to the global COVID-19 pandemic the concert was cancelled. Since then, UK STAY have been patiently waiting for another opportunity to see Stray Kids live.Stray Kids last performed in the UK all the way back in 2019, bringing their Unveil Tour ‘I am…’ to Brixton, London. The group was set to return to London on 17th May 2020 for their world tour ‘District 9: Unlock’, but unfortunately due to the global COVID-19 pandemic the concert was cancelled. Since then, fans have been patiently waiting for another opportunity to see Stray Kids live, which was finally granted when BST revealed this year’s headline acts.
Photo credit: Jennifer McCord
British Summer Time Hyde Park, known as BST Hyde Park, is a prestigious series of concerts held each year in London’s Hyde Park since 2013. Over the past 11 years, it has featured headliners like Adele, the Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars and Elton John. Stray Kids’ performance marks a historic moment as they became the first K-Pop boy group to headline the festival. The previous year saw Blackpink make history as the first ever K-Pop group to headline BST, with support acts including Sabrina Carpenter and Korean band The Rose. This year, Stray Kids brought along their JYP labelmates Nmixx to support them, who wowed the crowd with several of their own hit songs, and covers of iconic British songs - Don’t Look Back in Anger by Oasis and Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen. With a capacity of 65,000, BST Hyde Park is London’s largest and most renowned festival, and with K-Pop acts headlining for two years in a row it highlights the genre’s growing popularity in the UK.
Stray Kids took the stage at 8:20 pm, perfectly timed with the golden hour, creating a dramatic entrance as a huge Stray Kids banner fell to reveal the members. Opening with their hit ‘S-Class’, they delivered a legendary setlist filled with their biggest songs and fan favourites. Speaking to the audience early in the show, leader Bang Chan addressed the football-shaped elephant in the room and shared that many Stray Kids members are avid football fans themselves and would be keeping track of the score - but we’ll quickly move on from how that turned out. A standout aspect of the show was the live band accompanying Stray Kids, adding a rich and dynamic sound to the performance. While Stray Kids went through outfit changes, the band were tasked with keeping the crowd entertained and energy high - which they certainly did.
As the sun set over the park, the energy from both Stray Kids and their crowd of 65,000 fans only intensified while the show continued. The mega-loaded 1 hour 40 minute set concluded with a spectacular firework display, creating a magical memory for everyone witnessing. It was a night filled with high energy and unforgettable moments for both longtime and new Stray Kids fans who have been patiently awaiting the group’s return to the UK. It seemed like neither STAY nor Stray Kids wanted the set to end, with the members passionately adding song after song to the crowd’s delight. While all good things must come to an end, the overwhelming turnout and positive response suggests that UK STAY can be hopeful for at least one UK stop on Stray Kids’ upcoming tour, expected to come to Europe in 2025.
Stray Kids’ debut festival appearance in the UK coincided with the upcoming release of their new mini-album ‘ATE’, featuring the title track ‘Chk Chk Boom’, set to drop on 19th July. As they left the stage, they had the crowd chanting ‘Chk Chk Boom’ along with them, building excitement for the new release. Given the love and energy felt between Stray Kids and their fans, there’s no doubt everyone will be eagerly waiting for the comeback - and will be ready to sing along to it live with Stray Kids if they return for their tour next year.
Stray Kids BST Hyde Park Setlist:
S-Class
FREEZE
Super Bowl
TOPLINE
Thunderous
ITEM
DOMINO
Lonely St.
Social Path (Korean ver.)
Charmer
My Pace
Back Door
MANIAC
God’s Menu
LALALALA (Encore)
Victory Song (Encore)
MIROH (Encore)
TOPLINE (Encore)
MEGAVERSE (Encore)
Haven (Encore)
