Stray Kids close Rock in Rio's first K-pop night on World Stage
Stray Kids closed Rock in Rio's first night given over to K-pop on Friday, Sept. 11, headlining the Palco Mundo, the festival's World Stage. Billboard
The group is an eight-member K-pop act, pop music from South Korea built around singing, rapping and precise choreography. The line-up is Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N.
Eight members took the stage together. They opened with "DOMINO" followed by "BOUNCE BACK", before moving through "Thunderous" and "MANIAC" and later "S-Class", "LALALALA" and "God's Menu".
The set included two direct nods to the host country. During "Chk Chk Boom" the group added samba steps to the choreography. Bang Chan also sang part of Michel Teló's "Ai Se Eu Te Pego".
Costume was part of the story. For "DIVINE" and "God's Menu" the members wore predominantly white outfits with traditional Korean references.
What makes this stand out for new listeners is the exchange. Brazilian dance steps sat inside a K-pop set, and a Portuguese-language hit sat alongside Korean lyrics and English hooks.
The K-pop night was a first for a festival that traces 41 years of history as of 2026. Rock in Rio's 2026 edition is scheduled for Sept. 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12 and 13, 2026, and its official line-up also names Hwasa and NEXZ. Rock in Rio
Rock in Rio provides live transmission during shows on its Palco Mundo and Sunset stages. Rock in Rio For Stray Kids, the appearance adds to a run of festival bookings that includes a headline slot at The Governors Ball Music Festival in the U.S. in June.
