Subham Poddar
When Leah Townsend and Taz Delarosa bought their Glastonbury tickets last year, they never imagined their favorite K-pop band would join the lineup. “I cried so much when we found out,” shared Delarosa, 26. “This is going to be massive for them.”
“I was over the moon,” added Townsend, also 26. “We didn’t think it was going to happen.”
On Friday afternoon, Seventeen took to the Pyramid Stage, making history as the first K-pop band to ever perform at Glastonbury. Fans, who coined the term “GlasTeen” for the event, saw this as a monumental moment, especially since K-pop is often overlooked by Western festivals.
Some dedicated fans traveled all the way from South Korea to see the band perform in Somerset. Byeongiu Lee, 36, expressed his excitement: “A lot of British people don’t know Seventeen, but this is a meaningful moment for us. We came to witness history. I flew more than 14 hours for this. I am really proud of them. It’s like a dream.”
Seventeen, a South Korean 13-piece boyband, produces its own music, with members involved in songwriting, production, and choreography. The group performs as a full ensemble and in three subgroups specializing in hip-hop, vocals, and performance, explaining their name: 13 members + 3 teams + 1 group.
The group had the best-selling album worldwide last year and were the second biggest-selling artists of 2023, just behind Taylor Swift, according to the IFPI. Performing at Glastonbury, a prestigious festival with a 200,000-strong crowd, was a significant honor for them. On stage, they said, “We are extremely honored to be here. We’ll show you what kind of team Seventeen is.”
Townsend remarked, “K-pop is becoming more accepted and global. It’s huge that they’re the first K-pop band to play Glastonbury. This helps break the barrier and bring K-pop to the rest of the world. I’m so happy for them – and for me.”
Ewan Zhang, 32, from London, added, “K-pop is becoming much more international, and I’m thrilled to see it on a bigger stage now. It’s a genre that encapsulates everything. This is my first time seeing them live, and I’m very excited.”
When Seventeen burst onto the stage with their slick dance moves and captivating energy, the front rows were packed with fans wearing custom T-shirts and holding homemade signs. Zoe Li, 32, waved a flag with the Seventeen logo and a sign saying “Aju Nice,” the title of her favorite song. “I love their dancing and choreography,” she said. “This is huge for them, and I really hope they get a good crowd. The songs are catchy, regardless of the language. I hope they gain more fans from this.”
Seventeen’s Glastonbury set follows girl group Blackpink, who made history last year as the first K-pop group to headline a UK festival at BST Hyde Park.
Hundreds of Seventeen fans worldwide spent the past week urging the BBC to livestream the band’s set globally after the broadcaster announced it would do so for headliners Dua Lipa and Coldplay. Many in the crowd may have been experiencing K-pop for the first time. Seventeen member Seungkwan previously told NME, “Some of the audience might not know us well, but we hope everyone leaves with the impression that these guys can really smash it on stage.”
