Glastonbury 2024: 17 organize a K-pop evening on the Pyramid stage

“Have you ever heard of Seventeen?” leader S Coups asked at one point. “There are so many members, right?”

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 group leader S Coups 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 had 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 song, Maestro.

But after an hour, any doubts were dispelled as the band worked hard to rally the audience, running backstage and down into the crowd to drum up enthusiasm.

It culminated in the brilliantly silly disco-dance anthem Very Nice – which had half a dozen false endings, the energy increasing every time the band launched into another chorus.

The concert is a sign of K-pop’s growing dominance in the charts. Four of the world’s ten best-selling groups last year came 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 “so unexpected but really, really brilliant,” said Australian fan Milia, who came with a custom football T-shirt bearing Seventeen heartthrob Hoshi’s name.

“These bands tour all over the world and it’s really amazing to see Glastonbury put them on. You can see it by looking at the crowd, there’s a lot of people here, whether they’re fans or just looking for something different. We should see more of that.”

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

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

“They’re so beautiful, aren’t they? They’re 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 were nervous or trying to act good. They were just 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 are seventeen years old. Remember it. »

Their fans will never forget.