ATEEZ dominates BST Hyde Park
- Kirsty Bright
- Jun 27
- 7 min read
American Express presents BST Hyde Park started week two of their Hyde Park festivities by welcoming in South Korean icons ATEEZ. A night that was, well, nothing short of spectacular, but before we dive into them, let's discuss the day that led up to the headliners. Kickstarting the day was Midnight Til Morning taking to the Great Oak Stage; before they took to the stage, screams could be heard from their fanbase, the Midnighters, who delivered just as much as the band. The four members have garnered attention since forming on the Netflix show Building The Band in 2024. For their first festival appearance they took to the stage well, eager for their set, Mason showed his gratitude. “We see you, Midnighters, down at the front, thank you for coming to see us.” Their latest single “Math” also made its live debut to the cheers of fans, clearly well received and popular hot off its release.
Headlining over on the rainbow stage was the duo known as the ‘Masters of Mash Up twin DJs', Altégo. The stage also saw British K-pop boy band dearALICE to the excitement of fans as they performed fan favourite "Ariana". Formed on the BBC TV series Made In Korea: The K-Pop Experience, the boys made a great impression as they gave their first festival appearance by thanking those who came. Thank you for giving us such a warm welcome to our first ever festival performance.”
The day saw a range of artists across three stages, with Liverpool quintet Girl Group over on the birdcage stage, bringing their fantastic attitude with loud tracks like “Food Shopping” and a girl group everyone should be watching right now. After the chaos came the calmness from the spiritually centred R&B artist, Jazzie Martian, bringing good vibes with her blend of alternative R&B, soul and rap to a climax.
Before the headliners came out, Bazzi, a 28-year-old singer-songwriter who has co-written songs for an array of bands, was signed with K-Pop SM Entertainment Company performed on the Great Oak stage. His attitude was light and charming as he lovingly stated, “How nice is it to just be here together right now… with the world being as crazy as it is, to be able to come together to listen to music?” That sentiment was something that could be attested to with earlier acts on the stage, BRIT Award and MOBO Award winners FLO, drawing in quite the crowd and gaining plenty of attention with tracks like Cardboard Box, and if you didn't know them before, you certainly walked away knowing after.
But there were two artists on the line-up that the audience were clearly there to see and Taemin was one of them. Chants of his name began long before he arrived onstage. The fans had their project banners ready and waiting as the screen flickered into action with just one word: Taemin. Powerful in its own right as his name is easily known across the K-pop industry. ‘Superstar,’ ‘Star quality,’ and ‘The king of K-pop' are words linked towards the singer.
Sure, there are phrases that when thrown around so casually can sound redundant and even overused when talking about a live performance. But with Taemin those words aren’t powerful enough; just like his discography, when he performs live it comes with a strong magnetic pull with a side of sensuality that just draws you in.
He doesn’t dance; he floats across the stage with such effortless precision. Delivering an eight track setlist that perfectly encapsulated his journey as a solo artist thus far. His styling was very on brand for Taemin, a simple black sharp suit and replacing a top with some sparkly chains instead. Together the whole package was chic, delicate yet very Taemin.
His recent release “Permission” shows his new era, one he continues to push and title his challenge part in, thanks to new heights with Coachella and Grammy exhibition. But it was "Guilty", "Advice", and “Criminal” that got crowd even more hyped up. The now iconic choreography for “Guilty” was executed deliciously, as the audience whooped and screamed as he performed alongside nine fantastic dancers. When he teased off his jacket during that trademark move the screams reached fever pitch.
What I love is the complete contrast of who he is. Taking a mini break to hydrate he softly joked how "I thought London would be cooler", going on to remind the crowd to take care of themselves and stay hydrated. He went on to share his excitement of being on the lineup. “I’m honoured to have been invited to the BST Hyde Park festival. There are so many legendary artists that have shared this stage. I’m so very honoured.”
However, for those like myself, who missed out on his recent London show, this felt like a long awaited opportunity to finally experience him live. As for those who know about Lee Taemin, they’ll know exactly what a treat it is to hear those angelic vocals mixed with the devilish details of his choreography and overall star power.
Over on the Birdcage stage, South Korean DJ, Radien threw in a mix of well-known R&B '00s classics alongside recent releases of K-pop songs. aespa's “Lemonade” into Cortis’s “REDRED” got an already hyped crowd going to full rave and bounce mode. Known for his work alongside ATEEZ’s Mingi, the crowd roared literally as he turned the dial up to play their collab, the recent release of "Roar". The rapper even made an appearance supporting his friend from the sidelines; in short, it was the perfect pre-party for what was to come later on in the evening. ATEEZ.
Then the time came to see the giants in action, and for those who've not seen ATEEZ live or even know of the genre, I truly implore you to go watch. Their genre-blending, high-concept visuals of pirate utopia lore are an incredible watch. Having only been in the UK last January selling out London's O2, the fans were ready to be submerged in their world once again. With fans dressed as their bias, adorning conceptual outfits seen in music videos such as "Guerrilla", this was a crowd ready to party with their favourite artists.
All eight members – Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho – easily catch the eye, with each having a showstopping talent, yet when coming together, they are nothing short of memorable. With a packed discography over a short amount of time since their debut in 2018, it was interesting to see how different their setlist was compared to their tours. As always, their opening segments are cinematic, and this arrival was no different. Red hues and smoke drifted along the staging and screens full of drama as each member dressed in regal white outfits arrived to adoring screams rippling across the field.
Kickstarting with the perfect opening track their phenomenally catchy “Bouncy” complete with tight choreography, transitioning into more hits like “Say My Name,” "Shaboom", and “WORK”, what worked well was the setlist structure: a party at the start and emotional power in the middle. Sure, this band can capture attention with their heavy rap and Latin American sounds on tracks like “Blind” and "Arriba", which saw a makeshift bar and members cheering together on the chorus, screaming out "Arrrrribaaa", complete with a seductive choreography which over time has become something as a signature for the group.
But it was the halfway point of them telling the crowd that they wanted to hear their voices and sing along with us. “Now this house ain’t a home," as the sun slowly set against the London skyline, a soft glow protruded from the house, projected across the screens.
With the lightsticks from the crowd glowing, I think some can forget just how well ATEEZ can sing songs like this. Vocally they are all sound even the rap-focused members such as Hoongjoong and Seongwha do a great job at blending in against the gentler vocals of Yunho and Yeonsang. Of course, the shining star when it comes to the notes is always Jongho, whose vocal range is always so exciting to watch live. Commanding attention even from the back on the more rap-centred party songs, he’s always the backbone, appearing to remind everyone of the powerful notes he can carry out.
The beauty of K-pop is the language. In moments of tenderness such as these songs, the barrier is broken as we hear the gorgeous lyrics sung across, and as Yeosang beautifully stated about the crowd, “I see so many people here from different languages and different backgrounds – and they are enjoying the music together,” adding how “I like that.”
Their latest single “BAD” made its live debut to a very happy crowd who wanted to prove they already knew the words and choreography considering it was only released on Friday. ATINY (ATEEZ's fanbase) did a great job of showing how well received this latest comeback had been.
Once the ballads were sung and the new song covered it was time to turn up the party another notch. Seongwha teased the crowd, asking, “BST, do you think you still have some energy left?"
A somewhat naive question as of course a resounding “Yes” was screamed back. This is when that energy levelled up with 2025’s “Adrenaline” leading into a song that many had been waiting for. Guerrilla is always a track that is so fun to participate in live. One where a wall of noise is not only encouraged but demanded. Thousands of fans broke out into the famous fan chant of “Break the Wall.” As always it’s a fan favourite and for a reason it’s a moment for the boys to see the fans perform.
As always, it’s explosive to watch ATEEZ, but there is just one downside when watching them: It goes so damn quick with 19 tracks sprinted through; they did a great job at interacting with the crowd, not having too many endments making for a well-balanced set.
For the closing songs, the members spread across the extended stage to interact with the crowd, dancing freely while joking with one another, and waving to fans. Making every little section of the crowd get some form of interaction.
There's a reason ATEEZ has risen so fast to the top of the industry. Known as the performance powerhouses rising to the top in such a short amount of time. It’s the combination of intricate choreography, incredible live vocals, strong concepts, and self-produced music that have made them stand out. They also know how to balance fun with pure talent. You leave an ATEEZ show running on nothing but adrenaline and ready to go again. That's the price you pay when watching the best live acts in K-pop today. They rightfully deserved that headline slot and hoped they would return to the UK on their next tour stop.
Written by Kirsty Bright
