Stray Kids are no strangers to making history at this point. In their almost eight years as a group, these men have broken record after record and continue to impress us on and off stage. And they’re about to do it once more, as they’ll be the first K-Pop group to ever headline Rock in Rio.
Rock in Rio has been the world’s biggest and most famous festival pretty much since its first edition in 1985, where huge names such as Queen, Rita Lee and, AC/DC performed for a crowd of over a million people. And despite the name of the festival remaining Rock in Rio, as the years have passed, more genres were invited onto their stages, but there was still one exception to that: K-Pop.
Despite the genre’s insanely fast rise in popularity over the years, the Latin American mainstream is sometimes still hesitant to bet on it. But we’re seeing that change in real time. More K-Pop tours announcing dates all over Latin America, the numbers on streaming services keep growing every month, and, of course, K-Pop groups are being invited to festivals. In March, Lollapalooza São Paulo will receive Riize on its Flying Fish stage, and later in the year, Stray Kids will grace Rio de Janeiro with their presence for the second year in a row, but this time as Rock in Rio headliners.
But why is that such a big deal, you may ask? Precisely because this is the first time we’re seeing a K-Pop group participating in RiR, and for it to be SKZ as headliners makes it that much more special. It’s both a testament to their influence as a group as well as a way to open doors for more Asian acts in the Latam markets. It’s further proof that groups like Stray Kids are helping to expand K-Pop on a whole new level, and we’re so glad to be along for the ride.
We know Stray Kids’ energy is unmatched on stage. We’ve seen it during their tours, on screen with the dominATE Experience, and, of course, multiple festivals around the globe. So to see them have the chance to show off that energy and, of course, their talent and passion on the world’s biggest festival stage? We couldn’t be more hyped for it. Also, can you imagine their faces seeing there’s a zipline across the festival grounds that people can just use while they’re on stage?
And if you think Stays are the only ones counting down the days, you may want to check Rock in Rio‘s social media. The festival is clearly banking heavily on Stray Kids’ presence and Stays‘ excitement, and it’s safe to say they’re right to do so. We have a feeling this may be the first, but it will not be the last time a K-Pop group is part of this festival.
Can you tell we’re really looking forward to watching Stray Kids at Rock in Rio? September 11 can’t come any faster in our opinion. But what about you? Will you be watching Stray Kids in Rio this year? Which song would you say can’t be missing from their setlist? Come talk to us about it on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!
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