On September 11, 2026, the eight members of Stray Kids—Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N—will step onto the legendary Palco Mundo (World Stage) at Rock in Rio and rewrite festival history. The JYP Entertainment powerhouses become the first Korean act ever to headline the iconic event and the first K-pop group to perform at it at all, placing them shoulder-to-shoulder with the greatest artists who have ever commanded that stage: Queen, AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Beyoncé, and countless other legends.
The announcement in late November 2025 sent shockwaves through the global STAYs fandom and beyond. Brazilian fans, already fiercely devoted after Stray Kids’ earlier sold-out stadium runs in the country, turned the news into a full-scale movement. The impact was immediate and measurable: the exclusive Rock in Rio Card presale sold out in a staggering 58 minutes—the fastest ticket sellout in the festival’s 41-year history. Industry observers quickly dubbed the phenomenon the “Stray Kids Effect,” as servers crashed under the surge of demand and social media filled with celebration and pure anticipation. Organizers expect roughly 100,000+ people at the Cidade do Rock each day of the seven-day event, meaning Stray Kids will close out one of the festival’s biggest nights in front of a massive, electric crowd.
Latin American STAYs have long been among the group’s most passionate and vocal supporters. In 2025, during the dominATE world tour, Stray Kids made their highly anticipated first visit to South America and Mexico, delivering an unforgettable stadium run that proved just how deeply the region loves them. They sold out shows in Santiago, Chile; drew around 55,000 at Rio de Janeiro’s Estádio Nilton Santos; packed São Paulo’s Estádio do Morumbi for two nights (approximately 120,000 fans combined), becoming the first K-pop act ever to perform a solo concert at the legendary venue; played Lima, Peru; and closed the leg with two record-breaking nights at Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguros (over 115,000 fans), the first Korean boy group to sell out the iconic stadium across consecutive dates. Across the Latin American leg they moved more than 360,000 tickets and generated tens of millions in revenue—the strongest single-tour K-pop showing the region had seen.
Members were visibly moved by the reception. They spoke Portuguese on stage, told Brazilian crowds the country felt like a new home, and repeatedly expressed gratitude for the years of patient support. Fans traveled across states and countries, filled stadiums with lightsticks and deafening chants, and created an atmosphere the group described as feeling like a massive hug. Argentine STAYs, left off the 2025 itinerary, launched massive campaigns—protests, hashtag trends, billboards, and fundraising—to demand a visit, underscoring the depth of devotion across the region.
That love continues in 2026. Stray Kids are currently in the middle of their own branded festival series, STRAYCITY (also styled Stray City), a special Latin American run co-produced with Live Nation. The series kicked off September 9 in Bogotá, Colombia (their first-ever performance in the country), continues with Rock in Rio on the 11th, heads to Buenos Aires, Argentina on the 14th (another national debut), and wraps in Mexico City later in the month. The festival-format shows feature local guest artists alongside labelmates NEXZ, giving STAYs a new way to experience the group’s high-energy live production.
Rock in Rio itself is no ordinary festival. Founded in 1985 by visionary producer Roberto Medina amid Brazil’s transition from military dictatorship to democracy, it began as a bold, almost impossible dream. The inaugural edition drew more than a million people over ten days and featured legends including Queen (with Freddie Mercury’s unforgettable performance), AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, Rod Stewart, and more. What started as a risky experiment became a cultural institution that has hosted tens of millions of fans across decades, opened South America to major international touring, and generated massive economic impact for Rio while evolving into a full-scale “City of Rock” experience.
To headline its main stage is to join an exclusive lineage that includes Queen, Guns N’ Roses, Beyoncé, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, and countless other icons. Stray Kids now stand shoulder-to-shoulder with those names. Their September 11 slot (set to begin at 12:05 a.m. local time, closing out a night that also features NEXZ, Hwasa, and Alok) places them at the peak of a star-studded 2026 lineup that includes Elton John, Foo Fighters, Maroon 5, and Demi Lovato.
This milestone is the natural next chapter for a group that has relentlessly proven its global dominance. Self-producing, boundary-pushing, and renowned for high-octane live performances, Stray Kids have stacked consecutive Billboard 200 No. 1 albums, headlined major festivals including Lollapalooza (Paris and Chicago), BST Hyde Park in London, and others, and built a reputation for connecting with massive crowds through sheer energy, intricate choreography, and authentic artistry. Their previous Brazilian stadium shows already proved they can command enormous audiences; returning as Rock in Rio headliners—while simultaneously launching STRAYCITY and making first-ever appearances in Colombia and Argentina—feels less like a debut and more like a coronation of their special bond with Latin America.
Organizers have embraced the moment, allowing lightsticks for the first time and highlighting the festival’s commitment to evolving with the times and embracing acts that resonate with new generations. The night represents more than one group’s achievement—it signals K-pop’s full arrival as a commanding force on the world’s biggest stages, powered in no small part by the unwavering love of LATAM STAYs. When Stray Kids take the Palco Mundo in front of an expected crowd of around 100,000, they will not simply perform. They will claim their place in the pantheon of music history, delivering the kind of explosive, unforgettable set that has made them one of the most dynamic live acts of their generation—and one of the most beloved in Latin America.
STAYs worldwide—and especially those across Latin America who have waited, campaigned, and cheered so loudly—will be watching. History is about to be made in the City of Rock.