On Friday, July 21, the French edition of Lollapalooza opened its doors with a particularly diverse lineup, including Stray Kids, the first South Korean artist to perform at the festival!
The year 2023 marks the 5th edition of Lollapalooza Paris, which takes place over three days at the Hippodrome de Longchamp. Even though the festival gates open at 3 p.m., patience was required to reach them as the organizers announced a whopping 170,000 visitors over the three days!
Stray Kids as headliners !
Stray Kids, Damso, Lindsey Stirling, and Niska. Seeing these names listed together may seem quite random, but they are the headliners for the opening day. The schedule indicates that these four artists will take turns performing on the two main stages, each delivering a minimum one-hour performance! Stray Kids thus becomes the first K-pop group to perform at the French edition of Lollapalooza!
In response to numerous requests, the organizers accepted the presence of lightsticks a few days before the festival began. This, of course, relieved and delighted the Stays. They responded enthusiastically, storming the Hippodrome! It's worth mentioning that seeing Stray Kids in concert in Europe is rare. The pandemic cut short their first world tour, "Unveil Tour I am" in 2019, while their second, "MANIAC" in 2022, had no European dates. It was only last April that fans could applaud them during their appearance at Music Bank.
A powerfull and dynamic performance !
The start of the concert set the tone! "Venom" and "Maniac" kicked off the show. The mechanical spider legs adorning the sides of the stage, accompanied by visual effects, videos, and high screens, reminded everyone of the quality of show Stray Kids delivers at each of their concerts. Every effort was made to make this performance historic and unforgettable for the entire audience!
After the first two songs, the group took a break to introduce each member one by one. And to everyone's surprise, since their appearance on Music Bank, all eight artists had learned a few words in French! The concert then resumed with a burst of energy, featuring three iconic tracks from Stray Kids' discography: "Thunderous", "Domino", and "God's Menu". Unfortunately, technical issues seemed to arise. The music and the artists' voices became increasingly faint. Special mention to the technical team, who reacted promptly and efficiently, as these problems disappeared after those three songs. The performance remained impressive, boosted by dynamic choreographies and stunning scenery, much to the delight of the Stays, who couldn't contain their enthusiasm!
Next, it was time for 3RACHA, Stray Kids' sub-unit, to steal the spotlight for a song: "HEYDAY"! Bangchan, Changbin, and Han delivered a rap performance that was on par with the French rappers who had performed earlier in the day! It solidified the group's international potential! The other members then joined them for four tracks from their latest album, "5-STARS": "S-Class", "Topline", "Superbowl" and "ITEM". This gave them a chance to showcase the newest choreographies, offering a touch of exclusivity to the 60,000 people who came to cheer for the group!
Stray Kids then took another break to interact with the Stays, who showed unparalleled passion! The fervor was such that BangChan guided the emergency teams from the stage to help fans who felt unwell. He repeatedly emphasized, "Safety first, give each other space, please take care of yourselves." Being very close to their audience, SKZ put the well-being of the fans before their performance. A show is a moment of exchange, complicity, and the Stray Kids members understood this perfectly! Once again, Lollapalooza's organization demonstrated unwavering responsiveness.
Subsequently, Stray Kids embarked on a journey into the past with songs like "Lonely St", "Cheese", and "Superboard" from their mini-album, "MAXIDENT", released in 2022. Then, going even further back, the group performed the tracks "My pace" and "Miroh". These two songs are pillars in the group's discography, and they allowed the Stays to accompany the group, creating a genuine moment of communion. Emotions ran high on stage as fans sang along with the famous "STRAY KIDS UH," the rallying cry from the chorus of "Miroh". There's no doubt that this bond will be etched in everyone's memories! In total, Stray Kids performed over fifteen songs for more than an hour, concluding with "Haven" accompanied by a magnificent fireworks display.
This epic day at Lollapalooza Paris will forever be etched in the memories of the Stays. Stray Kids, the first South Korean group to grace the stage of the French festival, delivered a powerful and dynamic performance, captivating the audience from the first notes. The presence of the Stays, who came in large numbers, testified to their unconditional love for the group. Despite some technical issues, the contagious energy and bond between Stray Kids and their audience created an unforgettable communion.
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