Glastonbury 2024: Seventeen to host K-pop party on Pyramid Stage

“Have you ever heard of Seventeen?” Seungkwan asked at one point.

“There are so many members, aren’t there?” » added his groupmate, Hoshi.

The clever staging allowed all 13 members to shine. The group is divided into smaller “sub-units” based on their rapping, singing and dancing prowess, each getting a solo.

Seungkwan and Hoshi were the most exuberant, igniting the crowd during and between songs, while Woozi’s airy vocals were juxtaposed with Vernon and Joshua’s more soulful tones.

Still, the Glastonbury audience seemed skeptical at first.

The field in front of the Pyramid Stage emptied after packed sets from Squeeze and Olivia Dean earlier in the day, and there were large expanses of empty space as Seventeen launched into their first track, Maestro.

But within an hour, any doubts were dispelled as the band worked hard to rally the audience, rushing to the wings of the stage and descending into the crowd to whip up enthusiasm.

This culminated with the brilliantly silly disco-dance anthem Very Nice – which featured half a dozen false endings, the energy increasing each time the band launched into another chorus.

The show was a sign of K-pop’s growing dominance on the charts. Four of the world’s top 10 best-selling artists last year were from South Korea, with Seventeen joined by Stray Kids, TomorrowxTomorrow and NewJeans.

In fact, Glastonbury is relatively late to the party. Boy band BTS played two shows at Wembley Stadium in 2019, while girl band Blackpink headlined Coachella and London’s BST festival last year.

Seeing a K-pop group on the Pyramid stage was “very unexpected but really, really awesome,” said Australian fan Milia, who came wearing a custom football T-shirt bearing the name of Seventeen idol Hoshi.

“These bands are touring all over the world and it’s really amazing to see Glastonbury putting them on. You can tell by looking at the audience, there are a lot of people here, whether they’re fans or just looking for something different. We should see them more often. »

“K-Pop coming to the UK is the way forward,” agreed Ami, who was in the front row with her daughter Molly.

“I’ve worked at Glastonbury for 22 years, we have a Thai food stall and I’ve never been near the Pyramid Stage,” she added. “It’s our first time and I loved it.

“They really are beautiful, aren’t they? They are so fit!”

“Did you notice one of the members come down and applaud the audience?” said Qi, a London-based fan. “It was Seungkwan, who is our bias.

“It’s not like they’re nervous or trying to behave. They were so relaxed, energetic and confident, as always. That’s why we love them. »

The group certainly seemed relaxed, despite the importance of the moment – occasionally breaking out of their precision choreography to interact with fans and throw heart signs in the air.

“Thank you so much for inviting us,” Joshua said. “We’re seventeen. Remember that.”

Their fans will never forget it.