Stray Kids becomes 1st K-pop act to headline Rock in Rio
Stray Kids members perform on Palco Mundo, Rock in Rio's main stage, at Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday. Courtesy of JYP Entertainment
Boy group Stray Kids made history as the first K-pop act to headline Rock in Rio, one of the world's largest music festivals, earning widespread praise from international media for the milestone performance.
The eight-member group took the stage Friday at Palco Mundo, the festival's main stage, before a crowd of roughly 100,000 people at Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Rock in Rio, first held in 1985, has hosted acts such as Queen and Guns N' Roses over the decades but had never before featured a K-pop headliner.
In a report published Saturday, U.S. entertainment outlet Billboard hailed the show as an especially strong debut, saying the group's performance met the high expectations of South American fans and marked the opening of a new chapter for K-pop at the festival.
The group, dressed in outfits inspired by traditional Korean styling, performed a string of hit songs while interacting with the audience throughout the set, backed by fireworks and a light display.
During "Chk Chk Boom," the members incorporated samba steps as a tribute to Brazilian culture, and at another point sang part of a local artist's song without instrumental backing, further boosting the crowd's response.
Stray Kids' presence in Latin America is continuing through STRAYCITY, a new touring festival series organized by the group's agency, JYP Entertainment, together with U.S. concert promoter Live Nation, with Stray Kids headlining every stop.
The series opened Sept. 9 in Bogota, Colombia, and continues Sept. 14-15 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Sept. 25-26 in Mexico City, extending the group's momentum across the region.
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.