S Poddar
2025 is shaping up to be another monumental year for K-pop in London, with groups like Ateez, Stray Kids, and Aespa set to light up the capital’s stages. The influence of South Korea’s K-pop scene continues to expand globally, despite the country’s ongoing political upheavals. As impeachment rocks the nation, its most prized cultural export — K-pop — continues to gain momentum with international popularity, touching new highs. Fans in London are ready for the return of several powerhouse K-pop groups, packed stadiums, and fantastic performances.
South Korean culture, in the phenomenon known as Hallyu, or the Korean Wave, swept across the world, bringing culture into the mainstream. From the explosive growth of K-beauty to the addictive nature of K-dramas, the world has embraced Korean cultural exports with open arms. K-pop, with its unique blend of musical genres and mesmerizing choreography, stands at the forefront of this cultural revolution. This genre, with its polished and dynamic performances, has dominated the music charts around the world, and London has very quickly become one of the most important stops on K-pop acts’ tours around the world.
Lead curator for 2022’s V&A Museum exhibition “Hallyu! The Korean Wave,” Rosaline Kim has seen firsthand how the influence of K-pop on the UK has been growing. She mentioned, “It is exciting to see the long-term impact of our exhibition through the rising number of K-pop acts, big and small, in the UK but also through their first-time inclusion in major festivals.” Kim also mentioned the surge in K-pop dance classes across the country and the coverage provided by the BBC on this genre, from major series like Made in Korea: The K-pop Experience to small features on shows like The One Show. This cultural shift does not seem to slow down, especially with more K-pop groups gaining popularity in the UK.
The K-pop fever officially came to London in 2018 when BTS gave its UK debut performance, conducting two sold-out shows at The O2 Arena. Formed in 2013, this seven-membered group was among the first ones that gained massive global success for K-pop and opened doors to many other groups that followed their footprints. Although they took a break, BTS is one of the most influential K-pop acts of all time, with fans eagerly awaiting their possible return in 2025.
Another huge K-pop group was Blackpink, which made huge waves in London by selling out The O2 Arena in 2022, before returning in 2023 to headline BST Hyde Park, making them the first K-pop group to head a major UK music festival. Their Blinks are very vocal and dedicated followers of the group, who are known to line up for hours to buy unique merchandise and lightsticks. Despite the split for a solo career, there are high chances that the group may come together again in 2025 for a world tour and continue to reinvigorate excitement among the fanbase.
While the comebacks of BTS and Blackpink attract much attention, there is a never-ending roster of K-pop acts that dominate London. So popular are they that the greater trend is increasingly being recognized as promoters and venues realize the dynamism of a slickly-produced K-pop format, high- energy performances and a devoted audience. K-pop continues to cross borders as increasing numbers of young people are entranced by a genre that’s now becoming known for its pop sensibilities – and live performance.
One of the first K-pop acts to get 2025’s London scene going was Ateez, whose “Towards the Light: A Will to Power” tour stopped by The O2 Arena on January 27 and 28. The eight-member group — Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho — built a loyal fanbase even before releasing their first single in 2018. Their fans, known as Atinys, are deeply committed to the group and showed up in force to support the energetic performance.
Another powerhouse of the K-pop world, Aespa, is set to appear at the OVO Arena Wembley on March 2. Since her 2020 debut, Ningning, along with Karina, Winter, and Giselle, have been breaking records and racking up accolades for their innovative mix of music and technology. Their music video for “Black Mamba” became the fastest to reach 100 million views on YouTube, marking an impressive milestone for the group. Aespa’s concept involves avatars battling evil in virtual worlds, a metaverse-inspired theme that has captivated fans worldwide. Their fans, known as Mys, are deeply engaged with the group’s lore, making Aespa’s upcoming performance in London one to watch.
Another K-pop sensation which will return to London in 2025 is Stray Kids. Expectations are high ahead of a highly anticipated show at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in July as part of their “dominATE” world tour. The eight members of the group – Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N – were praised for experimenting with their sound by combining EDM, heavy metal, dubstep, hip-hop, and dance-pop. From producing genre-defying music to generating goodwill among a charitable fan culture known as the Stay, this return by the South Korean sensations, Stray Kids, cannot miss its importance for the rising history of London with K-pop.
But K-pop is everywhere in London’s music scene beyond these headliners. From (G)I-dle, whose European tour launched at Wembley in 2024, movie versions of live performances are sweeping cinemas. That is the trend of crossover appeal for K-pop, where a concert experience crosses the venue to become a global event, as with Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour or Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour.
As 2025 continues to roll, it’s very evident that K-pop’s influence in London is stronger than ever. Major performances from Ateez, Stray Kids, and Aespa are in the works, so the fans can look forward to a fun-filled year with unforgettable moments and electrifying performances. K-pop is no longer just a trend but a cultural force here to stay, and London is firmly at the heart of it all.
