Seventeen make history as first K-pop band to perform at Glastonbury

K-pop band Seventeen said they were ‘extremely honoured’ to perform on the Glastonbury Pyramid stage. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

When they bought their Glastonbury tickets last year, Leah Townsend and Taz Delarosa never expected their favourite K-pop band to end up in the lineup. “I cried so much when we found out,” said Delarosa, 26. “I think this is going to be massive for them.”

“I was over the moon,” added Townsend, 26. “It was completely unexpected – we didn’t think it was going to happen.”

Taking to the stage on Friday afternoon, Seventeen made history as the first K-pop band to ever perform at Glastonbury. Their appearance – dubbed by fans as ‘“GlasTeen” – on the Pyramid stage marked a huge moment for a fanbase often overlooked by western festivals.

One group of dedicated supporters in the front row had travelled all the way from South Korea specifically to see the band play in Somerset.

Byeongiu Lee, 36, said: “A lot of British people don’t like Seventeen, but it’s a very meaningful moment to play Glastonbury for the fans. We came here to witness this historic moment. I flew more than 14 hours for this. I am really proud of them. It’s like a dream.”

The South Korean 13-piece boyband produce their own music, with various members involved in songwriting, music production and choreography.

They perform as a full ensemble unit, and as three subgroups, which each specialise in hip-hop, vocals and performance – their name derives from 13 members + 3 teams + 1 group.

The group had the biggest-selling album worldwide last year and were the second biggest selling artist of 2023, surpassed only by Taylor Swift, according to IFPI.

The prestige of playing Glastonbury, one of the biggest festivals in the world with a 200,000 crowd, was not lost on the band. “We are extremely honoured to be here,” they said on stage. “We’ll show you what kind of team Seventeen is.”

Townsend said: “I think K-pop is becoming more accepted in general. It’s way more global now, more common. It’s huge that they’re the first K-pop band to play Glastonbury, and it just helps break the barrier, bring K-pop to the rest of the world. I’m so happy for them – and for me.

“A lot of people would have bought Glastonbury tickets just to see them.”

Ewan Zhang, 32, from London, said: “K-pop is becoming much more international, and I’m so happy to see it get on a bigger stage now. It’s a genre that encapsulates everything. This is my first time seeing them live, and I’m very excited.”

When the group burst on to the stage on Friday, with their slick synchronised dance moves and captivating energy, the front rows were packed with fans wearing custom T-shirts or clutching homemade signs.

Zoe Li, 32, had a flag with the Seventeen logo on it, and a sign saying “Aju Nice”, the title of her favourite Seventeen song.

“I love their dancing, all their choreography,” she said. “This is huge for them, and I really hope they get a good crowd. The songs are catchy, regardless of the language. I really hope they get more fans from this.”

Seventeen’s Glastonbury set follows girl group Blackpink making history as the first K-pop group to headline a UK festival when they played BST Hyde Park last year.

Hundreds of Seventeen fans across the world spent the past week calling on the BBC to livestream the band’s set globally, after the broadcaster announced that it would be doing so for headliners Dua Lipa and Coldplay.

Along with their dedicated fanbase, there were likely many in the crowd experiencing K-pop for the first time. Seventeen member Seungkwan previously told NME: “Some of the audience members might not know us that well, but we just hope that everyone would leave with the impression that these guys can really smash it on stage.”