STRAY KIDS
Welcome to the STRAY KIDS “Megaverse“ at the Stade de France!
After making history at Lollapalooza Paris in 2023 and the Gala des Pièces Jaunes in 2024 by becoming the first K-pop boy group to perform there, STRAY KIDS reached a new milestone by selling out the Stade de France twice on July 26th and 27th for its “STRAY KIDS WORLD TOUR <DOMINATE>“. The JYP ENTERTAINMENT boys group joins BTS and BLACKPINK as the only South Korean artists to have performed at this legendary stadium. Invited by LIVE NATION FRANCE, KSTATION TV had the honor of attending STRAY KIDS‘s first-ever concert at the Stade de France on July 26th.
From the moment we arrived at the Stade de France, the atmosphere was high. The STAYs (fandom name), dressed in red and black, sang, danced, and shouted, raising the temperature until the long-awaited moment. And at 7:30 p.m., the lights go down. The stage rumbles. Drummers emerge and beat rhythmically, announcing the start of a memorable evening.
Once on stage, the eight members of STRAY KIDS (BANGCHAN, LEE KNOW, CHANGBIN, HYUNJIN, HAN, FELIX, SEUNGMIN, I.N) set the Stade de France ablaze with their opening tracks, “Montains“, “Thunderous“, and “Jjam“, driven by a powerful energy. From the very first notes, the 60,000 fans in attendance sang along, making the Stade de France tremble, and we were immediately absorbed into the world of STRAY KIDS, who had made the legendary Stade de France its home for the weekend.
After an introduction in French by each member, the show continued with “District9” and “Back door“, which were just as intense as the opening performances. Thanks to a perfect blend of camerawork, level effects, and pyrotechnics, STRAY KIDS‘ performance came to life across the entire stage, creating an impressive sense of depth that would be felt throughout the concert.
As the second half of the concert got underway, STRAY KIDS changed the rules by skipping the traditional VCR. Instead, its dancers provided the transition with a medley of the group’s iconic choreographies, including “Easy“, “Charmer“, and “Venom“. This was an innovative way to showcase the songs that weren’t featured during this European tour.
After this original medley, STRAY KIDS returned to the stage, and in good company. Accompanied by a live band, the group performed “Chk chk boom“, “Domino“, and “God’s menu“. A unique version of these songs perfectly showcased the members’ vocals. Paired with the live band, these performances brought a unique charm to STRAY KIDS‘s famous hits. The performance of “God’s menu” was particularly memorable for the intense singing of the fans, in unison with the members.
In addition to these group performances, STRAY KIDS also make the most of this concert to showcase its sub-units. Each duo unveiled a distinct, carefully crafted universe, offering original interactions with the audience, such as CHANGBIN and I.N‘s explosive box or the end credits featuring the fans’ names for LEE KNOW and SEUNGMIN.
HAN and FELIX kicked off this part with the performance of “Truman“. A performance full of confidence and assurance, accentuated by rap verses that only HAN and FELIX know how to master. The latter later spoke about this performance: “I’m very happy to perform it for this tour. Thanks to STAYs, we can perform it on stage, so I want to thank you.“
CHANGBIN and I.N took over with an offbeat and high-energy performance of “Burnin’ tires“, which brought the Stade de France to its feet. The fans sang along with the members, creating an explosive performance. Afterward, I.N said: “We prepared hard for this performance, so it was a special atmosphere. I hope you enjoyed it. Like in the lyrics, I hope you achieve your goal to the fullest.“
BANGCHAN and HYUNJIN then continued with the highly anticipated “Escape“, delivering a more mature and sensual performance. This aspect hadn’t appeared since the start of the concert, but it showcased the group’s versatility. The leader mentioned it, saying, “It’s true that this song is iconic, and we already showed you “Red lights” before” before adding with a laugh: “But today, we came back with a cute performance, right?“
Finally, LEE KNOW and SEUNGMIN concluded this part on a softer note with “Cinema“. In an atmosphere worthy of a romantic film, the duo won us over with their vocal power and the softness of the song, which contrasted with the electric atmosphere of the concert. SEUNGMIN later said of this song, “This is a song that exists thanks to you. It’s true that our tour is coming to an end, but I hope that like the song says, you will continue your story until you reach your dreams.” Then, LEE KNOW confided in his turn: “It’s great to be able to perform in front of you with a big blue sky. The tour is coming to an end, but you know that STRAY KIDS is just beginning?”
Back as a group, STRAY KIDS returns to the stage, still full of energy, to present us with a new, particularly striking scenography. Indeed, the main stage is surrounded by an inflatable giant for the performance of “Giant” creating a striking effect of depth and almost making us forget that we are at the Stade de France. At the end of the performance, the giant disappears, making way for “Walkin’ on water” and “S-class“, two powerful songs that resonate throughout the stadium. Indeed, at the end of these performances, the STAYs, excited, shout the French chants of encouragement and stamp their feet until the Stade de France stage shakes. A supercharged atmosphere underlined by BANGCHAN.
“I felt it from the beginning, but the atmosphere of STAYs in Paris is impressive!” – BANGCHAN
But while the atmosphere had been electric since the beginning of the concert, a softer and more intimate interlude opened with “Lonely St.” and “Cover me“, whose last chorus was sung by the fans. At this moment, we felt a strong connection between the group and the fans. This connection continued with “Topline“, “Social path” and “Lalalala“, which created a truly festive atmosphere: fans sang along, jumped, and the members moved closer to the crowd to fully share the moment.
Finally, after a moment of interaction with the fans, BANGCHAN announced that the concert was nearing its end. The group then performed its final tracks, “Megaverse” and “Maniac“, before leaving the stage in a very festive atmosphere. But STRAY KIDS wasn’t ready to leave the Parisian crowd just yet. Before returning to the stage for the encore, STRAY KIDS organized a new game where fans replicated the group’s choreography and sang “Chk chk boom” karaoke. A fun moment for the STAYs who eagerly awaited the group’s return.
The group began its encore with “Super broad” before boarding carts that circled the stadium. Accompanied by inflatable SKZOO, characters in the group’s image, STRAY KIDS thanked the STAYs and performed songs including “I like it” and “My pace” before returning to the stage for “Blind spot“, where we saw the entire venue light up thanks to the flashes from STAYs’ phones. The group took this opportunity to thank STAYs once again and promised to come back before finishing with “Miroh” and a second festive encore featuring “Chk chk boom (festival ver.)” and “Freeze“.
“Thanks to you, I have many unforgettable moments.” In French: “Thank you STAYs for coming tonight. See you next time.” “You are really beautiful right now.” – BANGCHAN
“Thank you so much. This is something very personal, but Paris means a lot to me. France is the reason I started drawing. I went to Giverny, it’s very beautiful. I would like to thank you for all these unforgettable moments. I never imagined I would perform in front of so many STAYs. I can’t wait to come back to Paris to see you all again.“- HYUNJIN
But STRAY KIDS weren’t the only ones to deliver an exceptional evening; the STAYs also marked this concert with unforgettable projects. During the traditional ending photo, the members were surprised by an animated video retracing the highlights of their careers and thanking them for their journey. This thoughtful gesture deeply touched both the audience and the members themselves, who were visibly moved. And that wasn’t the only thing. During the performance of “Stray kids“, fans unveiled an impressive light project: hearts, the French flag, the Eiffel Tower, as well as the names of STRAY KIDS and STAYs shone throughout the stadium. A powerfully emotional moment, which further strengthened the unique bond between the group and its fans.
To conclude, what will be remembered from this concert is the inexhaustible energy of the members of STRAY KIDS, who delivered a three-hour show driven by intense choreography and remarkable staging. The members once again demonstrated not only their talents as performers and vocalists with a concert that lived up to their fans’ expectations, but they also showed their immense popularity by bringing together approximately 120,000 fans at the Stade de France over a single weekend. Also notable is the significant involvement of the fans, who brought unique and touching projects to life, making this first Stade de France even more memorable for both fans and the group.
Finally, STRAY KIDS will conclude its European tour on July 30th at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy.
Journalist: Laura
Translator: Laura
Photos: JYP ENTERTAINMENT – MATTHIS VAN DER MEULEN
Source: KSTATION TV
