K-pop makes its Rock in Rio debut with NEXZ, HWASA and Stray Kids

Rock in Rio opened its doors to K-pop for the first time in its history on September 11, 2026. NEXZ × About group NEXZ NEXZ is a seven-member global boy group formed through Nizi Project Season 2, a joint audition project between JYP Entertainment and Sony Music. The group consists of TOMOYA, YU, HARU, SO GEON, SEITA, HYUI, and YUKI. NEXZ globally debuted on May 20, 2024 with Ride the Vibe. The group name represents Next Z(G)eneration. Tap again to view profile → Close , HWASA × Artist bio Hwasa Real name: Ahn Hye-jinPosition: Vocalist • PerformerNationality: South KoreanBirthday: 1995-07-23 Vocalist and performer of MAMAMOO. Tap again to view profile → Close and Stray Kids × About group Stray Kids Stray Kids is an eight-member self-producing boy group known for intense performances, experimental sound, and powerful rap lines. Tap again to view profile → Close took the World Stage during the festival’s fifth day, marking the genre’s debut at the City of Rock.

NEXZ opened the World Stage, followed by HWASA. Later, Brazilian DJ Alok presented his Keep Art Human show before Stray Kids, the night’s headliner. Although Alok is not a K-pop artist, the genre was also featured in his set.

K-pop’s debut also brought elements of fandom culture to the City of Rock. For the first time, the festival allowed lightsticks, official illuminated devices used by fans to represent and support their favorite artists, which lit up the crowd throughout the performances

NEXZ opens K-pop’s first chapter on the World Stage

NEXZ became the first K-pop group to perform on Rock in Rio’s World Stage. Formed by Tomoya × Artist bio TOMOYA Position: Leader, PerformerNationality: JapaneseBirthday: 2006-01-19 TOMOYA is the leader and a member of NEXZ, a global boy group under JYP Entertainment. TOMOYA has shown a confident, energetic, creative, and leadership-oriented public personality. Tap again to view profile → Close , Yu × Artist bio YU Position: Singer, PerformerNationality: JapaneseBirthday: 2005-04-27 YU is a Japanese singer and performer and a member of NEXZ. YU has shown a focused, hardworking, and warm public personality through NEXZ activities. Tap again to view profile → Close , Haru × Artist bio HARU Position: Singer, Dancer, PerformerNationality: JapaneseBirthday: 2006-01-23 HARU is a Japanese singer, dancer, and member of NEXZ. HARU has shown a focused, energetic, and performance-oriented public personality. Tap again to view profile → Close , So Geon × Artist bio SO GEON Position: Singer, PerformerNationality: Korean-JapaneseBirthday: 2006-09-13 SO GEON is a singer and performer and a member of NEXZ. SO GEON has shown an energetic, friendly, and performance-focused public personality. Tap again to view profile → Close , Seita × Artist bio SEITA Position: Singer, PerformerNationality: JapaneseBirthday: 2006-11-28 SEITA is a Japanese singer and performer and a member of NEXZ. SEITA has shown a thoughtful, calm, and dedicated public personality. Tap again to view profile → Close , Hyui × Artist bio HYUI Position: Singer, PerformerNationality: JapaneseBirthday: 2007-05-11 HYUI is a Japanese singer and performer and a member of NEXZ. HYUI has shown an energetic, expressive, and hardworking public personality. Tap again to view profile → Close and Yuki × Artist bio YUKI Position: Singer, Performer, MaknaeNationality: JapaneseBirthday: 2007-09-20 YUKI is a Japanese singer, performer, and the youngest member of NEXZ. YUKI has shown a youthful, energetic, positive, and hardworking public personality. Tap again to view profile → Close , the JYP Entertainment group debuted in 2024 and made its first appearance in Brazil at the festival.

Thousands of fans gathered in front of the stage from early in the day. During the performance, the members showcased their choreography and stage presence while interacting with the audience, including speaking some Portuguese.

HWASA stands out in her Brazilian solo debut

HWASA became the first K-pop soloist to perform at Rock in Rio. The festival also marked her first solo concert in Brazil, eight years after her first visit to the country with MAMAMOO × About group MAMAMOO MAMAMOO is a South Korean girl group known for powerful vocals, stage presence, and genre-blending hits. Tap again to view profile → Close in 2018.

Accompanied by a full live band, including drums, guitar and keyboards, as well as her dancers, HWASA delivered a performance combining live vocals and choreography. She moved across the stage, spoke to the audience and, at one point, stepped down toward the crowd to greet and embrace fans near the barricade.

Her performance also received significant attention from Brazilian media. In its ranking of Rock in Rio 2026 performances, G1, the news portal owned by Grupo Globo and one of Brazil’s largest news outlets, placed HWASA second, behind only British music legend Elton John.

Alok brings K-pop into his World Stage performance

Between HWASA and Stray Kids, Brazilian DJ Alok was the only non-K-pop artist to perform on the World Stage that day. Even so, the genre was also part of his *Keep Art Human* show.

Alok included K-pop songs in his set and also premiered a new track in collaboration with K-pop girl group TWICE × About group TWICE TWICE is a nine-member girl group famous for bright concepts, addictive choruses, and a huge discography of K-pop hits. Tap again to view profile → Close , further connecting his performance with the audience gathered at the festival.

Stray Kids makes history as a Rock in Rio headliner

Stray Kids closed the night as the first K-pop act to headline Rock in Rio. The performance took place on the World Stage, the festival’s main stage, in front of a large crowd of STAYs who had been waiting for the group since early in the day.

The show also marked Bang Chan × Artist bio Bang Chan Real name: Christopher BangPosition: Leader, Producer, Vocalist, Rapper, DancerNationality: Korean-AustralianBirthday: 1997-10-03Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea / raised in Sydney, Australia Leader and producer of Stray Kids. Tap again to view profile → Close , Lee Know × Artist bio Lee Know Real name: Lee Min-hoPosition: Dancer, Vocalist, RapperNationality: South KoreanBirthday: 1998-10-25Birthplace: Gimpo, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea Dancer and vocalist of Stray Kids. Lee Know is playful and teasing with members, but very serious about dance, with a straightforward and sometimes savage sense of humor. Tap again to view profile → Close , Changbin × Artist bio Changbin Real name: Seo Chang-binPosition: Rapper, Vocalist, ProducerNationality: South KoreanBirthday: 1999-08-11Birthplace: Yongin, South Korea Rapper and producer of Stray Kids. Tap again to view profile → Close , Hyunjin × Artist bio Hyunjin Real name: Hwang Hyun-jinPosition: Main Dancer, Rapper, VisualNationality: South KoreanBirthday: 2000-03-20Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea Main dancer and visual of Stray Kids. Hyunjin is emotional and expressive, both in dance and personality, with a sensitive, artistic side. Tap again to view profile → Close , HAN × Artist bio Han Real name: Han Ji-sungPosition: Rapper, Vocalist, ProducerNationality: South KoreanBirthday: 2000-09-14Birthplace: Incheon, South Korea Rapper and vocalist of Stray Kids. Han is energetic, witty, and talkative, with a mix of comedic personality and serious focus on music and producing. Tap again to view profile → Close , Felix × Artist bio Felix Real name: Lee Yong-bokPosition: Dancer, RapperNationality: Korean-AustralianBirthday: 2000-09-15Birthplace: Sydney, Australia Rapper and dancer of Stray Kids. Felix is warm and gentle, famous for his deep voice contrasted with soft, sweet behavior and love for baking and fans. Tap again to view profile → Close , Seungmin × Artist bio Seungmin Real name: Kim Seung-minPosition: Main VocalistNationality: South KoreanBirthday: 2000-09-22Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea Main vocalist of Stray Kids. Seungmin is diligent, polite, and straightforward, with a calm personality, strong work ethic, and clear vocal tone. Tap again to view profile → Close and I.N × Artist bio I.N Real name: Yang Jeong-inPosition: Vocalist, MaknaeNationality: South KoreanBirthday: 2001-02-08Birthplace: Busan, South Korea Maknae of Stray Kids. I.N is the bright, slightly shy maknae with a growing confidence, known for his improving vocals and cute, earnest personality. Tap again to view profile → Close ’s return to Brazil just over a year after bringing their *dominATE* tour to the country, where they performed two concerts in São Paulo and one in Rio de Janeiro.

At Rock in Rio, Stray Kids adapted their show to the festival format. Backed by a live band, the members presented new arrangements of parts of their repertoire and alternated between group performances and moments of interaction with the audience.

Their connection with Brazilian fans remained present throughout the show. The members spoke to the crowd, tried out words in Portuguese and responded to the STAYs’ cheers. Bang Chan also surprised the audience by singing part of “Ai Se Eu Te Pego,” a hit by Brazilian singer Michel Teló that he had previously sung years earlier during a livestream.

The performance closed the first K-pop night in Rock in Rio’s history and placed a South Korean group in the top billing slot of a stage that, throughout the festival’s history, has hosted some of the biggest names in international music.

Kpop expands its presence at Brazil’s major music festivals

K-pop’s Rock in Rio debut comes at a time when artists from the genre are becoming increasingly present at Brazil’s major music festivals. In March, RIIZE × About group RIIZE RIIZE (라이즈) is a South Korean boy group under SM Entertainment. The group is known for its “emotional pop” musical identity and has built a strong international fandom known as BRIIZE. Tap again to view profile → Close performed at Lollapalooza Brasil 2026, months before NEXZ, HWASA and Stray Kids arrived at the City of Rock.

The genre’s presence was also highlighted in Rock in Rio’s official post-festival recap. After the 2026 edition came to an end, the festival cited the arrival of K-pop among the events that marked the year, which brought more than 700,000 people to the City of Rock across seven days.

Founded in Rio de Janeiro in 1985, Rock in Rio has grown into an international festival brand, with editions also held in countries including Portugal, Spain and the United States. K-pop’s arrival on its main stage connects the genre with that global history and expands its presence within a festival circuit that brings together artists and audiences from around the world.