K-pop group Seventeen makes history at Glastonbury, named Unesco youth goodwill ambassadors

Dubai: K-pop group Seventeen is riding a wave of success. Last week, the group made history at Glastonbury, the prestigious UK music festival in Somerset, England, and became the first-ever K-pop artists designated by the Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation) as Youth Goodwill Ambassadors.

On June 28, the 13-member band became the first K-pop group to grace the main Pyramid Stage.

As the UK’s largest music festival, Glastonbury, is a dream stage for music artists across genres.

This year's Glastonbury featured over 20 main-stage acts including chart-toppers Dua Lipa and SZA.

Seventeen’s hour-long performance captivated the audience, solidifying K-pop's growing influence on the global music scene. Many fans took to social media to say that their performance showcased their talent, and their stage presence left a lasting impression on the crowd.

The group’s Glastonbury appearance is a significant milestone for K-pop.

“It’s unbelievable that we are the first K-pop group to perform at Glastonbury,” Seventeen member Woozi said while on stage.

The group delivered a powerful set, starting with Woozi's captivating keyboard solo before transitioning into hits like ‘Maestro’, ‘Ready to Love’, ‘Headliner’, and other popular numbers.

The performance was arranged to allow the 13 members to perform in smaller ‘sub-units’ – giving them each a solo spot.

According to an article on The Korea Herald website, the hip-hop unit performed ‘Lalali’, the performance team showcased ‘I Don’t Understand But I Luv U’, and the vocal group delivered ‘Youth Anthem’. Joshua and Vernon’s English track ‘2 Minus 1’ further elevated the concert atmosphere.

On June 26, Seventeen also became Unesco’s Youth Goodwill Ambassadors.

This prestigious title places them at the forefront of global youth empowerment initiatives. They also announced a generous $1 million (approximately Dh3.67 million) donation to launch a global youth grant scheme.

“Seventeen and Unesco share the same commitment to empowering young people to drive change and address the challenges of our century. They also inspire and support young people around the world with their music, and positive energy. Following several successful joint actions, I wanted our partnership to take on even greater strategic importance… I will be delighted to welcome the 13 members of the group into the family of Unesco Goodwill Ambassadors,” Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of Unesco said, according to a Unesco announcement.

This appointment follows Seventeen’s key participation in the 13th Unesco Youth Forum in Paris in November 2023, where the group highlighted the importance of youth solidarity and action with a powerful speech and dynamic live performance.

In 2022, the band also launched the initiative ‘#GoingTogether’ in collaboration with the Korean National Commission for Unesco, which helped establish new educational ceneres in Timor-Leste and provide educational aid in Malawi.

According to a recent article on the news website bbc.com, Seventeen were the biggest-selling group in the world last year, shifting more than 10 million albums.

This weekend, they also secured a spot on Billboard's latest chart announcement. The group’s album ‘17 is Right Here’ came in at the seventh spot in its eighth week on the World Albums chart. The chart lists the week's most popular albums, based on multi-metric consumption including traditional album sales, track equivalent albums and audio and video streaming.

Following the Glastonbury performance, Seventeen is to stay busy in Asia, including appearing on Fuji TV’s ‘FNS Music Festival’ in Japan on Wednesday and hosting fan meetings at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on July 23 and 24.