When Leah Townsend and Taz Delarosa bought tickets to Glastonbury last year, they never expected their favorite K-pop band to be on the lineup. “When we found out, we cried our eyes out,” says Delarosa, 26. “We knew this was going to be a big thing for them.”
“I was so happy,” added Townsend, 26. “It was totally unexpected. I never thought something like this would happen.”
Seventeen made history when they took to the stage on Friday afternoon as the first K-pop band to perform at Glastonbury. “Glasteen,” as fans call them, their appearance on the Pyramid Stage was a big moment for a fanbase that’s often overlooked at Western festivals.
A group of enthusiastic supporters sat in the front row, having travelled all the way from South Korea to see the band play in Somerset.
“A lot of people in the UK hate Seventeen but it’s a very meaningful moment for our fans to play at Glastonbury,” said Byung-Gyu Lee, 36. “We came here to witness this historic moment. We flew over 14 hours for this. I’m really proud of them. It feels like a dream.”
This 13-member Korean boy band creates their own music, with many of the members involved in songwriting, music production and choreography.
They work as a full ensemble unit and as three subgroups specializing in hip hop, vocals and performance respectively. Their name comes from 13 members + 3 teams + 1 group.
This group The world’s best selling album According to the IFPI, she was last year’s top-selling artist and is the second-best-selling artist of 2023 after Taylor Swift.
The honor of playing at Glastonbury, one of the world’s biggest festivals with an audience of 200,000, was not lost on the band. “It’s such an honor to be here,” the band said onstage. “We’re going to show you what kind of team Seventeen is.”
Townsend said: “I think K-pop is becoming more accepted in general. It’s a lot more global now and a lot more common. The fact that they’re the first K-pop band to play Glastonbury is a huge thing and it helps break down barriers and get K-pop out into the world. I’m so happy for them and for me.”
“A lot of people would have bought tickets to Glastonbury just to see them.”
“K-pop is becoming more and more international. I’m really happy to be able to see it on a bigger stage. It’s an all-encompassing genre. This is my first time seeing it live and I’m really excited,” said Ewan Chang, 32, from London.
When the group took to the stage Friday with a display of slick synchronized dance moves and captivating energy, the front row was packed with fans wearing special edition T-shirts and clutching handmade signs.
Zoe Lee, 32, held a flag with Seventeen’s logo and a sign that read “Aju Nice”, the title of her favourite Seventeen song.
“I love all of their dancing, all of their choreography,” she said. “This is a big thing for them. I really hope they get a big audience. The song is catchy no matter the language. I really hope this brings them more fans.”
Seventeen’s Glastonbury performance will follow girl group Blackpink, who made history last year by playing BST Hyde Park and becoming the first K-pop group to headline the UK festival.
Hundreds of Seventeen fans around the world called on the BBC to livestream the band’s concerts globally last week, after the BBC announced it would livestream headliners Dua Lipa and Coldplay shows worldwide.
In addition to their devoted fanbase, many in the audience will have been experiencing K-pop for the first time, with SEVENTEEN member Seungkwan previously telling NME: “Some in the audience may not know us that well, but I hope they leave with the impression that these guys can really do something amazing on stage.”
