GLASTONBURY, ENGLAND – JUNE 28: Members of Seventeen perform on the Pyramid Stage during day three … [+]
In a week that could blaze trails to bring the K-pop and European music scenes closer, SEVENTEEN became the first group from the Korean-pop industry to perform on Glastonbury Festival’s iconic Pyramid Stage. This landmark event, held on June 28, 2024, took place just days after the group made a monumental visit to a United Nations headquarters in France, all marking significant milestones in SEVENTEEN’s career and the broader context of K-pop’s global reach, especially within Europe’s prominent music markets.
The 13-member boy band known for mixing an intricate performance style with infectious global-pop melodies, was a natural fit for the U.K. festival with an hour-long set that kicked off with member Woozi playing a piano introduction to their latest single, “MAESTRO,” before moving into singles like “Rock With You,” “HOT,” “God of Music,” “Very Nice” and more. SEVENTEEN also split into various sub-groups to change things up throughout the performance, not only seeing their well-known Performance Unit, Vocal Unit, and Hip-Hop Units deliver their songs, but members Joshua and Vernon performed their English pop-punk duet “2 Minus 1” as well.
Glastonbury follows SEVENTEEN’s recent appointment as the first-ever Goodwill Ambassador for Youth for UNESCO, the United Nations’ Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Reinforcing the K-pop idols’ dedication to inspiring and supporting young people worldwide, the band officially accepted the role in a ceremony in Paris, where they also announced a $1 million donation to a global grant aimed at youth well-being and creativity.
SEVENTEEN’s significant showings in the U.K. and France come ahead of their headlining slot at Lollapalooza Berlin this fall.
Despite Europe boasting some of the world’s largest music markets in the U.K., France, and Germany (all three countries rank within the Top 6 music markets in the world while South Korea is seventh, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry), SEVENTEEN traveling for these festivals and ceremonies point to top K-pop creating and embracing major moments in the often-underutilized Europe.
Like Joshua poignantly remarked to the Glastonbury audience, “Even though the language, country, and culture are all different, we can still connect as one through music.”
No doubt this message of unity resonated deeply, highlighting the universal appeal of SEVENTEEN’s music and globally focused philanthropic efforts, which show that their influence within Europe — and beyond — is set to grow even further.