Two years on from Stray Kids’ explosive headline set, BST Hyde Park was due another K-Pop takeover. Enter stage: ATEEZ, K-Pop’s favourite performers right now. The eight giants of the genre closed off the festival’s first weekend in fantastic grandeur: donning vanilla-white outfits embellished with lace, studs, torn pieces of fabric – even plaited rope – and an appropriate amount of silver, while filling an enormous stage with all their hits. The ends of the crowd were impossible to see, and across its length, the endless dots of bobbing heads met the pink summer sky. It’s safe to say the show was well-received.
Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho opened their set with back-to-back bombastic hits, such as “BOUNCY”, “Say My Name”, and employment anthem “WORK”, demanding the crowd’s energy from the moment they stepped on stage. Things got more interesting for the superfans when ATEEZ took a break from their megahits to perform some of their B-sides from their albums, like the Latin-pop fests that are “ARRIBA” and “Blind”, and a run of calmer tunes like “Choose” and “now this house ain’t a home”. The appropriately spacey “NASA” was a particularly exciting performance, with the boys showing off choreo that encapsulated a spacewalk.
As it turns out, their recent hit “Adrenaline” is an absolute party live. Perhaps most exciting, though, was the first ever live performance of “BAD” which they had released just two days before. The fans had no trouble singing along after only 48 hours to study the lyrics.
It might’ve replaced a Europe leg of their In Your Fantasy World Tour that has, up to this point, stayed in European fans’ fantasies, but ATEEZ made sure it was a night to remember for all who could attend.
Supporting the headliners was fellow K-Pop artist Taemin, who’s a giant in his own right. Despite coming from a huge name with his group SHINee, he’s earned renown through his solo ventures, and is often nicknamed as one of the Kings of K-Pop, the Michael Jackson of K-Pop, and an idol’s idol. The singer delivered sultry performances under the hot sun, treating wild fans to stellar performances of songs like “Criminal”, “PERMISSION”, and, of course, “MOVE”.
Later on, Taemin and ATEEZ collaborated on an Instagram reel filmed backstage at the festival, featuring the singer dancing along to “BAD” with Seonghwa and Yunho.
Also on the lineup that just keeps giving was FLO, the UK girl group that everyone’s eyes are on right now. The trio strutted out in gorgeous azure blue outfits, serving not just their looks but some heavenly harmonies. Their recently dropped hit “Leak It” was especially loved, switching up their typical sweetness for a bit of sour as well. The girls made a great case for themselves with some fabulous dance breaks, on a day that featured a lot of choreography. There weren’t many female acts on the setlist either, but FLO filled the main stage with powerful feminine energy while they had it.
Bazzi and Midnight Til Morning also graced the Great Oak stage with the former dishing out many of his pop hits like “Mine” and “Why”, while Midnight Til Morning sung many hits from their Afterglow album, as well as a widely enjoyed Olivia Rodrigo “drivers license” cover. DearALICE, who were the first Western group to debut under K-Pop label SM, delivered boyish charm on the Rainbow Stage with a balanced mix of original songs and covers like Black Eyed Peas’ “Rock That Body”. ALTÉGO and Tommy Lyon also performed on the Rainbow Stage, while the cosy Birdcage Stage featured Jazzie Martian, Girl Group, and South Korean producer and DJ Raiden. His riveting set managed to summon Mingi of ATEEZ to the audience, to fans’ excitement. It was a sizzling day and the crowds were bustling, and for anyone that likes a good performance, this was surely one that could not be missed.
BST Hyde Park 2026 runs from the 27th of June to the 12th of July. More information can be found here.
