Stray Kids Just Made History as Rock in Rio's First K-Pop Headliners

Rock in Rio made history Friday night, giving its iconic Palco Mundo stage to K-pop for the first time ever, with Stray Kids closing out the night as headliners. The eight-member group delivered a career-spanning set that included“God’s Menu,”“Thunderous,”and“MANIAC,”while a stadium full of STAYs sang every word from start to finish.

The Brazilian love went both ways. Bang Chan surprised the crowd with a snippet of Michel Teló’s“Ai Se Eu Te Pego,”the members tried out samba steps during“Chk Chk Boom,”and they wore traditional Korean-inspired outfits for“DIVINE.”The finale brought fireworks, pyrotechnics, and a full light show that capped off a night fans had been waiting for.

This wasn’t just a big show. It’s a milestone for K-pop’s global reach, proving the genre can carry a main stage at one of the world’s largest festivals. Were you watching the livestream, or do you wish you’d been in the crowd? Let us know in the comments.