The K-pop group became the first K-pop act to headline the legendary Brazilian music festival, performing in front of approximately 100,000 fans in Rio de Janeiro on September 11, 2026.
The performance placed Stray Kids on the same festival lineup as major international artists including Calvin Harris, the Black Eyed Peas, Maroon 5 and Elton John.
Stray Kids Become Rock in Rio’s First K-Pop Headliner
Stray Kids closed the festival’s first dedicated K-pop day with a powerful headline performance on the main stage.
The group performed songs including TOPLINE, S-Class, MANIAC, God’s Menu, Chk Chk Boom, LALALALA, MIROH and This & That.
According to JYP Entertainment, the group also performed newer songs such as After You and RUN IT. Fireworks lit up the sky during MIROH, creating one of the night’s biggest visual moments.
A Special Moment for Brazilian STAY
During the performance, the members surprised the audience by singing part of Brazilian singer Michel Teló’s song Ai Se Eu Te Pego.
The group also moved closer to the audience during the show, creating a stronger connection with Brazilian STAY. An impromptu performance of Hall of Fame was added as an encore.
The special interaction quickly became one of the most memorable moments shared by fans online.
Rock in Rio Allows K-Pop Lightsticks for the First Time
One of the most historic details was the use of official K-pop lightsticks inside the festival.
Rock in Rio allowed fans to bring official lightsticks for the first time since the festival began in 1985. Thousands of Stray Kids lightsticks, known as Nachimbongs, illuminated the venue during the performance.
The moment showed how K-pop concerts have developed their own fan culture, combining music, synchronized audience participation and official fandom merchandise.
K-Pop Day Creates Record Mobile Data Usage
The popularity of the K-pop lineup was also visible through mobile network activity.
Brazilian media reported that the K-pop day generated approximately 90.5 terabytes of mobile data traffic. Stray Kids’ performance alone reportedly generated around 2.3 terabytes, the highest amount recorded during the festival at that point.
Instagram and WhatsApp were among the most-used applications by festival attendees as fans shared concert clips, lightstick videos and reactions online.
A Major Global Moment for Stray Kids
Stray Kids’ Rock in Rio appearance represents another major step in the group’s international growth.
Performing before approximately 100,000 fans at one of the world’s most recognized music festivals showed the expanding influence of K-pop beyond traditional Korean music events.
The group’s performance also introduced many festivalgoers to the energy of K-pop concerts, where the audience is an important part of the entire experience.
Stray Kids Continue Their Latin American Activities
Following their historic Rock in Rio appearance, Stray Kids are continuing their Latin American activities through STRAYCITY, a new music festival project created with JYP Entertainment and Live Nation.
The festival is scheduled to continue in Buenos Aires on September 14 and 15, followed by Mexico City on September 25 and 26.
For Stray Kids, Rock in Rio was more than another festival performance. It became a landmark moment for the group, Brazilian STAY and the global K-pop community.
Were you watching Stray Kids at Rock in Rio? Which performance moment was your favorite?
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