Stray Kids at BST Hyde Park: A beginners guide to this weekend’s K-Pop headliners + ticketing information

• K-Pop sensations Stray Kids make their second-ever appearance in the United Kingdom this week.
• The group are set to perform at BST Hyde Park on July 13, becoming only the second K-Pop act to headline a UK festival.
• But with the K-Wave in full effect across Western music charts, who are the K-Pop group and how did they form?
• And for Stays - let’s take a look at what they could perform in London.

In 2023, BLACKPINK made history becoming the first K-Pop band to headling a UK festival, and this weekend, Stray Kids are set to join them as headliners of BST Hyde Park 2024.

The K-Pop group are set to close out Sunday’s proceedings (July 13 2024), becoming by our recollection the second-ever K-Pop act to headline a UK festival, and with the likes of SEVENTEEN having performed at Glastonbury last month, expect more of the K-Wave to be discussed in general conversations.

Not that netizens won’t tell you all about the band already, alongside tales of other groups such as BTS, BLACKPINK and NewJeans having already infiltrated Western music, be it with continued successes on the Billboard charts, performing on television shows including the one show, and now more European festival appearances.

But some of you might be wondering who Stray Kids are, and where to begin. Allow me to put on my Jimin merchandise for a few minutes and try an explain who the group are, how they formed and what songs you may have heard already in passing. 

Who are Stray Kids?

Like many K-Pop acts, Stray Kids was formed by the agency JYP Entertainment in 2017 through the television series of the same name. The group is eight-person strong with Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N becoming the final iteration of the band after their ninth member, Woojin, left the group in 2019 for personal reasons.

The name "Stray Kids" was conceptualized by the members themselves, initially symbolizing a lost child pursuing dreams, later evolving to represent finding a way together out of the ordinary. Those themes are often reflected in their music, with their songs often addressing the ideas of self-discovery, resilience, and unity.

Know as a “self-producing group,” as members of the group lead the main production efforts regarding their music, the group released a pre-debut EP, “Mixtape” in 2018, while officially debuting on March 25 2018 with their second EP, “I Am Not” - the first in their “I Am” series (“I Am Who”, “I Am You.”)

They released their trilogy of “Clé” EPs in 2019 before finally unleashing their debut studio album, “Go Live” in 2020, which went on to become their first platinum-certified album by the Korea Music Content Association, while in the same year, the group made their Japanese debut with the compilation album “SKZ2020.”

It would be in 2021 that the band saw their Western breakthrough, releasing their second studio album “NOEASY” which went on to become their first million-selling album. The group signed with Republic Records for US promotion, releasing “Oddinary”, “Maxident” and “Rock-Star” throughout 2023 to their new listenership, releasing their third studio album “5-Star” in 2023. All four releases topped both US Billboard 200 and had significant placements in the UK Albums Chart. 

“5-Star” would mark a moment in K-Pop history, with the album selling five million records in South Korea, becoming the third act in Korean history to achieve this feat, alongside their 10 million album sales across Korea and Japan. Such was the success that TIME Magazine included them in their 2023 “Next Generation Leaders” list. 

What are some of Stray Kids' biggest hits?

You might be familiar with their collaboration with Charlie Puth, as “Lose My Breath” was released in May 2024, breaking into the top 100 of the UK singles charts, but their most successful song on the UK singles charts occurred in November 2023, with the song “LALALALA” peaking at number 44.

More recently though, the group caught the attention of “Deadpool and Wolverines” actors Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman when they performed a mashup of "God's Menu" and "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" by BLACKPINK with a concept based around the MCU characters.

But for a good starting point, I’d recommend “NOEASY,” for the simple fact that netizens were already bubbling over with anticipation for the release, which ultimately led to interest with US record companies and promoters. 

Have Stray Kids performed in the UK before?

Once - performing back in July 2019 at the O2 Academy Brixton, London, England as part of their “UNVEIL: I Am” world tour. Their appearance at BST Hyde Park marks only their second concert in the United Kingdom - so prepare to jump on the bandwagon after the weekend.

I’m familiar with Stray Kids - so what could they play at BST Hyde Park?

Hello there, Stays!

So you’re already familiar with the back story, and their biggest hits and could probably give me some lessons on the group also. But are you familiar with what they could be performing this weekend at BST Hyde Park?

Away from their television appearances, we go back to their performance at Belluna Dome, Tokorozawa, Japan on April 28 2024, as part of their SKZ TOY WORLD tour, to predict what the group might perform this weekend (credit: Setlist.FM.)

• Butterflies
• Novel
• ITEM
• Suiheisen (back number cover) (Seungmin solo)
• GLAMOROUS SKY (NANA starring MIKA NAKASHIMA cover) (HAN solo)
• Leo (Yuuri cover) (Lee Know solo)
• Kousui (Eito cover) (Changbin solo)
• There
• WHY?
• MEGAVERSE
• Hall of Fame
• GET LIT
• Social Path
• Booster
• LALALALA
• Blind Spot
• FAM
• MIROH
• Haven

Are tickets still available to see Stray Kids at BST Hyde Park?

There are still tickets available to see Stray Kids performing at BST Hyde Park on July 12 2024, including hospitality and VIP packages. To take a look at the options still on offer and to pick up tickets, visit Ticketmaster UK for more information. 

Are Stray Kids performing any other shows in the UK in 2024?

Nothing - yet. 

The group overnight announced that they would be undertaking a world tour, confirming dates in Asia first, with JYP Entertainment stating that the band will also be including dates in North America and Europe in due course. So watch this space.

Will you be going to see Stray Kids at BST Hyde Park this weekend, or are you hoping for other K-Pop acts to perform more in the United Kingdom? Let us know your thoughts below, and your K-Pop recommendations - or email the writer directly at [email protected].