Stray Kids Ignite the Stage at BST Hyde Park: A Triumphant Homecoming for K-Pop's Rising Stars

The air was electric as the roar of 50,000 fans echoed through BST Hyde Park, setting the stage for Stray Kids' highly anticipated return to the UK. This K-pop phenomenon, five years in the making, was poised to make history with their performance, marking a celebratory milestone in their journey and evolution.

Stray Kids Conquer the Iconic BST Hyde Park Festival

Embracing the Festival Vibe

Reflecting on their return to the UK after five years, Lee Know noted the change in their approach to performing. "Back then, there was some uncertainty. We didn't know whether we had fans in the UK, but now we're hoping to enjoy the atmosphere and make sure we have fun and rip the stage."The members acknowledged the significance of being the first male K-pop act to perform at the iconic BST Hyde Park festival. "It's a legendary festival, so it's a big honour," said leader Bang Chan. "And our comeback is in like five days, so we are very, very honoured to get the opportunity to get a lot of energy from everyone and explode our comeback."

Tailoring the Performance for the Festival Crowd

Hyunjin highlighted the difference between their festival experience and solo concerts, noting, "For our own concert, it's one where our fans all gather together, whereas, at festivals, people who don't know us very well will be coming to enjoy themselves. So we choose music that's more upbeat and more suitable for a festival vibe. Our own concert tends to be heartwarming, but for a festival, we'll come and say, 'It's like we're going to die out here tonight'."

Preparing for the Electrifying Stage

Rapper Han shared insights into their pre-performance routines, emphasizing the importance of physical and vocal preparation. "First of all, we get together and do some stretching to avoid injuries. We also work our vocals because we get 120% excited on stage, and we want to ensure our vocals can handle the noise we're going to make."For the youngest member, I.N, the pre-show sensations were a blend of nerves and excitement. "I still feel nervous, shaky, hopeful, and excited for the stage. It's a similar feeling to how it was back [when we debuted], but we still have that same heat and passion for the stage".

Connecting with the Crowd

Felix described a recent 'goosebump' moment in Stray Kids' career when they witnessed the sheer scale of their audience. "When we saw how far the crowds were in the back, the amount of people that came to the festival was crazy. They would have some sort of LED screen in the back just for the crowd to see what we look like, and that in itself was just unbelievable. The fact that we're able to introduce our music to people that haven't even heard of us makes us very happy".Rapper Changbin humorously claimed the title of the member who best fits the 'London vibe', adding, "There's nothing that doesn't fit me." Bang Chan further elaborated, "Changbin loves football."

Exciting Future Ahead

The eight-piece group then went on to discuss their upcoming projects, which include a recently-announced major world tour (DominATE) with stops in four continents, and a new album, 'ATE', set to be released worldwide on July 19th.When asked if there are any particular places they're excited to visit on tour, Seungmin said, "Each day, each city has its own vibe and feel. It's hard to pick a favourite because we want all our Stays to be excited about every city. I love Earth," he quipped, drawing laughter from the other members.Felix delved into their new album, "ATE," explaining the double meaning of the title: the internet slang for "nailed it," and the word sounding the same as "eight," symbolising the eight members. "Also, just the music style I don't think fans would expect. It'll be just very… new. So everything we've put into this album will be, I guess, much more satisfying, in a sense. But yeah, one thing for sure is that fans will love it. We pray that they'll love it," Felix explained."We've worked on this release for nine months, and we wanted to come back as eight members and truly show that we've 'eaten' this comeback."