Stray Kids Dominate London at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Stray Kids came to London to dominATE and did just that
South Korean pop culture is at its peak in the UK at the moment.
K-Pop is the music phenomenon that has swept the globe, particularly in the last five to ten years.
KPop Demon Hunters dropped on Netflix this month, dominating memes and FYP.
K-Drama is huge, with the phenomenally successful Squid Game wrapping up its story last month. Actors Gong Yoo, Lee Byung-hun and Lee Jung-jae becoming household names in the UK thanks to both their performances in the show and by extension TikToks.
And Stray Kids sold out two dates at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last week.
After huge success at last year’s BST Hyde Park, almost a year to the date, Stray Kids returned to ‘dominATE’ London.
The group are probably the most stand-out of the K-Pop genre. This is down to the strong individual personalities of the 8 band members and that they self-produce their music. This comes through 3Racha which are Stray Kids members Bang Chan, Changbin and Han.
Whilst K-pop stands for Korean Popular Music, the style Stray Kids embraces brings together edgy mixes of hip-hop, dubstep, pop, rap as well as sub genres within each and a rich, experimental element with complex rhythms.
The high-energy choreography is powerful yet highly detailed and extremely precise – the choreography of LALALALA chef’s kiss perfection.
What’s even more impressive is that this is performed whilst singing live in a three-hour concert. There are no warm-up bands, no support acts. When the show starts it’s electrifying. The intensity of the band’s world tour, which started in August 2024 and finishes on 30 July 2025, must make them some of the hardest working people in the world.
We went to see Stray Kids on both the 18 and 19 July 2025. On day one, we sat in Section 242. This was a really decent view. Day two, we sat in Section 525. We were in the very back row at the top of the stadium against the wall. I would not recommend this if anyone has a fear of heights. Although we had quite a bird’s-eye view, it was higher up than it looked with very steep steps.
If you’ve never been to a Stray Kids concert before, it’s worth taking some ear protection. Yes, the music is loud, but with a heady mix of swirling lightsticks, music and screaming fans it is extra. No shade to the cheering mind, after someone’s granny two rows in front of me manifested some evils at our vocal appreciation of Changbin’s rapping. It is what it is and the energy from the fans is fantastic.
The show as a package was really well designed. As well as the main stage, the band utilised a B-Stage. This brought the energy of their performance right into the heart of the arena. It’s fairly normal for big acts to do this, but Stray Kids bring with them an energy, particularly through movement, dance, charisma and stage presence as well as a lot of play and a connection with their multi-generational audience.
The band also moved around the outskirts in trolleys followed by giant inflatables of their Skzoo characters. With pyrotechnics, flames and confetti throughout it really was a spectacle to experience.
The carefully curated programme of songs moved the audience through moods of older and newer songs. There were costume changes matching the vibe. Social Path, LALALALA, Megaverse and Maniac brought the stadium to fever pitch. Stray Kids then launched into two encores, including the nostalgia ridden Stray Kids before finally bringing the night to an end with Haven.
It’s the best stadium show I have ever experienced and leaves you with such a sense of wanting more.
K-Pop as an overall package is marketing genius. It’s not just about the music. Albums usually come with photo books, posters and one of the most important elements after the CD itself – photo cards.
There is usually a very small number of photo cards in these albums, which encourages people to collect. K-Pop fans are identifiable from the clunking number of photo card holders on their bags containing pictures of their bias.
The stadium dressed in Stray Kids promotional posters saw self-organised fans queuing up ahead of the start to take photographs of their bias outside Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In K-Pop, you don’t have a favourite group member, you have a bias. For Stray Kids, Felix is usually the gateway member.
Another key part of the event for fans is ‘freebies’. These are small items usually handmade which are swapped or handed out by generous fans for free before the start of the event.
If you’ve managed to successfully navigate the concert, the freebies, the photos and the price of water, then you might have just about psyched yourself up for the merch. It was always going to be hideously priced, but it’s a fact you must willing accept at these events. The Tottenham Experience – the official football club shop – was kitted out over two floors of pricey t-shirts, jumpers and lightsticks. We paid a princely sum which will never be discussed ever again.
Whether you’re long-term fans of the band or only just discovering them now, it’s impossible not to love them. Not just on an artistic level, but on a personal level, they have nothing but the highest standards of manners and respect and an infectious sense of fun that shines through what they do.
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