After weeks of praying for clear skies, the sun finally blessed London last night, just in time for Stray Kids’ epic performance at British Summer Time Hyde Park. As the golden evening light bathed the 65,000-strong crowd, the anticipation was palpable. This balmy summer evening was set to be unforgettable, with Stray Kids ready to unleash a storm of sound and energy.
Stray Kids, the K-Pop sensation, was the final headliner at American Express presents BST Hyde Park 2024. The eight-member band—Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N—has skyrocketed to fame since their 2017 debut on the South Korean reality show “Stray Kids.” Last night, they made history as the first all-male K-Pop act to headline a major UK festival.
Joy rippled through the crowd as a massive red Stray Kids banner unfurled, signaling the start of their set. Bursting onto the Great Oak Stage with “S-Class,” Stray Kids set the tone for a night of electrifying performances, closing out BST Hyde Park’s 2024 season alongside legends like Kings of Leon, SZA, Kylie, Robbie Williams, and Stevie Nicks.
The self-producing group curated a dynamic, nearly two-hour setlist that showcased the rockier side of their discography. With electric guitars and a live band, crowd-pleasers like “My Pace,” “TOPLINE,” and “God’s Menu” roared with a heavier sound, while fan favorites “Charmer” and “ITEM” dazzled with their Pac-Man-inspired choreography. HAN and Changbin’s rapid-fire rapping was flawless from the start, maintaining high energy throughout the night. Bang Chan, Seungmin, I.N, Lee Know, and Hyunjin delivered strong vocal performances, complemented by Felix’s deep, resonant baritone.
In a standout moment, the live band played a powerful instrumental version of “Lalalala,” filled with crunching rock riffs and ferocious drums. It felt less like a festival performance and more like a battle, especially when the banner dropped to reveal a graphic of a billowing red flag emblazoned with the Stray Kids name. They were here to claim hearts and minds.
The set wasn’t all high-octane energy, though. “My Pace” brought the crowd together for a massive singalong with its catchy “na na na na” refrain, while the Afrobeat rhythms of “Charmer” and the emotional scope of “Lonely St.” provided necessary breathers before the band ramped up the intensity again.
As night fell, the energy was electric, both onstage and off. “Do you guys have a curfew?” Bang Chan joked at one point, hyping the crowd about their upcoming mini-album, ATE. “You guys wanna go home?” The crowd’s emphatic “no” led to an extended finale, with three “last songs”—including megahits “Miroh,” “Lalalala,” and “Victory Song,” complete with pyrotechnics. Bang Chan’s “Bloody hell, let’s go!” rallied the band for a foot-stomping goodbye with “Megaverse” and “Haven,” complete with water bottle sprays and coordinated handclaps.
“London, we’ll be back,” Stray Kids promised as they left the stage, smoke still lingering in the air. Judging by the crowd’s ecstatic reaction, their return can’t come soon enough.
It’s been five years since Stray Kids last performed in the UK at O2 Academy Brixton, a venue that now feels tiny compared to last night’s massive crowd. “Back then, there was some uncertainty—we didn’t know whether we had fans in the UK,” Lee Know admitted backstage. That uncertainty has long vanished, with London fans making their presence felt, bellowing every word and matching Stray Kids’ intense energy throughout the night.
Six-strong girl band, NMIXX, wasted no time in getting the audience in the mood for a real British Summer Time party earlier in the afternoon, unleashing their upbeat tunes such as “Dice”, Run For Roses” and “Young, Dumb and Stupid”. “We are so excited to perform our songs in front of you guys,” beamed lead singer, Lily. “Let’s relax and have a lot of fun together.” The group then cranked things up a notch by covering two huge British artists, Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” and Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back In Anger”. They ended with two of their most loved numbers, “Moving On” and “Love Me Like This”.
