With a crackling atmosphere, and palpable excitement, STAYs (STRAY KIDS fans) eagerly awaited a massively anticipated show – STRAY KIDS headlining BST HYDE PARK on the 14th July. STRAY KIDS more than delivered, giving a high energy and utterly breathtaking show.
K-Pop sensation, STRAY KIDS, was the final headliner to hit the Great Oak Stage at American Express presents BST Hyde Park 2024. The eight-strong band – made up of Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N – shot to fame in 2017 after appearing on the South Korean reality TV show “Stray Kids”. On Sunday 14th July, they became the first all-male K-Pop act to headline a major UK festival, at BST Hyde Park.
“Hello London, we are so excited to be here”, Bang Chan greeted the audience, before introducing each member of the band to the screaming crowd. “It’s great to be back here,” he added, referring to the five years since the group’s last performance in the UK.
The eight-piece, who are on the brink of releasing their ninth mini album, “ATE”, beamed at the thunderous applause – launching seamlessly into their much-loved songs, “S-Class”, “Freeze” and “Super Bowl”, before moving onto “Topline, “Thunderous” and “Item”. As the drumbeat intro to “Domino” began, Stray Kids took to the runway, zipping and jumping their way back and forth, before returning to the main stage to display their signature dance moves. Naturally, cheers erupted from the 50,000-strong crowd.
Following a brief interlude, filled with Led Zeppelin riffs by the Stray Kids Band, the second half of the show presented the likes of “Lonely Street”, “Social Path”, “Charmer”, “My Pace”, “Back Door”, “Maniac” and “God’s Menu”- the latter lighting up the stage against a backdrop of flames.
The band returned to the stage for an epic encore consisting of “Lalalala”, “Victory Song” and “Miroh”. “Does anyone know the results for the finals?” Bang Chan asked, in reference to England’s Euro 2024 Final clash that same night. The show ended with the original version of “Topline”, followed by their penultimate track, “Megaverse”, before the band’s huge fan-favourite 2020 hit, “Haven” brought the show to a close.
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British singer-songwriter, Maisie Peters, couldn’t contain her excitement at being a support act for Stray Kids’. Much to the glee of the equally vibrant audience, the 24-year-old performed a string of her favourite songs, including her viral hit “History Of A Man”, plus “Love Him I Don’t” and “Not Another Rockstar. Wearing a strappy black top and mini flare skirt, the Sussex-based singer impressed with a Killers’ cover of “Mr Brightside”, before closing with “Lost The Break Up”.
“This is one of my dreams come true,” announced Phoenix-born artist Alec Benjamin, as he took to the Great Oak Stage. “Thank you guys for making this happen.” The 30-year-old musician was an instant hit, of course, wowing audiences with performances of “I Sent My Therapist To Therapy” from his 2023 album “12 Notes”, “If We Have Each Other” from 2018’s “Narrated For You”, plus “The Way You Felt” and “Devil Doesn’t Bargain” from 2021’s “(Un)Commentary”. He added: “[London] might be my favourite city on Earth and thank you Stray Kids for having me!”
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”.
Since making his debut in 2020, Taiwanese artist, KIRE, has been impressing audiences all over the world. Today, he took on London – opening the Great Oak Stage to tens of thousands of waiting fans. “Let me hear you make some noise,” he announced to the screaming audience. “I brought some songs, I hope you guys have fun!” Packing in a lot during his set, Kire brought a fan on stage to be serenaded to his slow-paced track, “Beautiful”, and handed out posters to the crowd, while also performing ”Dream Of You” and “Don’t Stop”. Recently, Kire took to Instagram to express his gratitude to fans. “I love how everyone can be themselves at my show,” he said.
Singer-songwriter, Dhruv, hit fame when his 2019 release “Double Take” went viral on TikTok nearly two years after release. “London, thank you so much for having me,” he said, almost bursting with joy. “This feels like a dream.” The British-Indian singer, who has lived in Singapore and America, showcased his 2024 singles “Speed of Light”, “How?” and “Tragedy”. “I came here [to BST]to see Adele a few years ago, so playing for you now is unbelievable. Thank you Stray Kids for letting us open.”
With nearly 35 million followers on TikTok, it’s no wonder Elijah Woods could be found on the line up for BST Hyde Park 2024. The multi-platinum selling artist performed his top tracks including “24/7, 365”, “Everything, Everywhere, Always” and “Fingers Crossed” during his Rainbow Stage set. He said: My Name Is Elijah Woods and this is my first show in London ever… [it’s] my first show in Europe ever. I’m so happy I get to travel the world and do what I love.”
Scotland-based Bellah Mae opened The Rainbow Stage at American Express presents BST Hyde Park today. “I’m so happy to be here with you!” she told the audience, before teasing them with tracks such as “Hell and Never Back” and “2053”.
West London’s rising star Tyler Lewis, Welsh A-lister Ben Lewis and genreless AlienBlaze completed the final day of music at American Express presents BST Hyde Park 2024.
As American Express presents BST Hyde Park draws to a close for another year, with over 500,000 fans in attendance, we celebrate the nine iconic artists who have taken to the famous Great Oak Stage over the last three weeks. From SZA, Kings of Leon and Morgan Wallen to Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams and Shania Twain, from Stevie Nicks – with special guest Harry Styles – to Kylie and STRAY KIDS, this has been the brilliant soundtrack to summer 2024 in London.
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