Stray Kids made their historic Rock in Rio debut on Sept. 11, becoming the first K-pop headliner in the Brazilian festival’s 41-year history. The South Korean group closed the festival’s first-ever K-pop-focused day at the Palco Mundo in Rio de Janeiro.
The group delivered a high-energy performance featuring its live band, choreography and a set built around some of its biggest songs. The performance marked another major festival appearance for Stray Kids following their headline performances at international events in 2026.
Fans began gathering at the Palco Mundo early in the day, with the crowd becoming particularly concentrated ahead of Stray Kids’ appearance. Rock in Rio organizers issued a safety announcement before Hwasa’s performance asking people near the front of the stage to move back because of the heavy crowd.
The Sept. 11 program was the first full day dedicated to K-pop in Rock in Rio history. NEXZ opened the K-pop programming, followed by Hwasa, before Stray Kids closed the night. Alok also performed during the day, while Jamiroquai appeared on the Sunset stage.
The K-pop-focused day also produced the festival’s highest mobile-data usage of the 2026 edition at that point. Brazilian telecommunications data reported 90.5 terabytes of mobile traffic during the day, with Stray Kids’ performance generating approximately 2.3 terabytes by itself.
Stray Kids’ appearance comes as the group continues its large-scale international activities in 2026. Their Rock in Rio performance followed their headline appearance at Governors Ball in New York earlier in the year and further expanded their festival presence across the Americas.
The 2026 Rock in Rio festival continues through Sept. 13 at Rio de Janeiro’s Cidade do Rock, with additional performances scheduled after Stray Kids’ historic Sept. 11 appearance.
