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Boy band’s milestone party draws 10,000 to Seoul’s Hangang Park
It’s rare for a K-pop group — boy band or girl group — to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Most acts fail to survive the so-called “seven-year curse,” a widely observed trend where many disband or undergo significant member changes around their seventh year. The standard contract term set by the Fair Trade Commission in Korea is also seven years.
Seventeen, however, beat the odds. While members Jeonghan and Wonwoo were absent at the show due to their military service, the group marked its decadelong journey in a groundbreaking way — by performing on the Jamsu Bridge in central Seoul, the first K-pop act to do so.
The anniversary concert, titled “B-Day Party: Burst Stage,” kicked off 20 minutes behind schedule at 7:50 p.m., Sunday, opening with the premiere of the group’s new main track, “Thunder,” from the fifth studio album, “Happy Burstday,” released on Monday at 6 p.m. Around 6,000 Carats — Seventeen’s fandom — selected via online lottery, gathered on the low-lying bridge next to Banpo Hangang Park to sing along to the unreleased song in unison.
“We imagined all kinds of things when we first heard we’d be performing on Jamsu Bridge,” said member Mingyu during the show. “We wondered, ‘Will there be yachts? Will the sunset be pretty? What if it rains?’ But everything turned out perfect. I hope everyone enjoys the show to the end.”
Hoshi added, “They say we’re the first K-pop group to ever perform on Jamsu Bridge,” highlighting the occasion’s significance. DK followed up by thanking fans: “It’s all thanks to our Carats. None of this would’ve been possible without you.”
Those who without tickets still joined in, gathering around the nearby Banpo Hangang Park to watch the performance in real-time via large LED screens installed across the area.
After performing “Thunder,” Woozi shared a behind-the-scenes story about the song’s production.
“It’s a powerful track, but after 10 years of making albums, I started to doubt myself — ‘Maybe I don’t have it anymore.’ But inspiration struck like thunder. That’s how this song came about. I hope you enjoy it just as it is,” Woozi said.
The group then performed the B-side “HBD” from the new album and its 2022 hit “Hot” from the fourth album “Face the Sun.”
“This year marks our 10th anniversary, and since it’s our fifth full-length album, we titled it ‘Happy Burstday,’” said Mingyu. “It’s a celebration of our 10 years and a combination of the words ‘burst,’ as in explosion or release and ‘birthday.’”
“The album includes three group tracks including ‘Thunder’ and solo songs by all 13 members — 16 songs in total,” Vernon said.
The hour-long concert featured a total of 12 songs, including fan favorites like “Rock With You,” “God of Music” and “Very Nice.” The performance was followed by a dazzling fireworks display over the Han River, adding to the party atmosphere.
Visual effects using the Moonlight Rainbow Fountain — installed on Banpo Bridge directly above Jamsu Bridge — heightened the spectacle. As the group sang “Our Dawn is Hotter Than Day,” the fountain lit up in Seventeen’s official colors, rose quartz and serenity. During “God of Music,” the water jets danced in sync with the rhythm, amplifying the festive mood.
The event was livestreamed globally via Hybe’s global fandom platform, Weverse; Hybe Labels’ YouTube channel and Naver’s ZikZok platform — allowing fans from Japan, China, the US, Indonesia, Singapore and beyond to join in virtually.
As the concert neared its end, Hoshi said, “It feels like we just debuted yesterday, and now it’s already been 10 years. The concert just started, but it’s already over.”
DK added, “Performing here is truly overwhelming.” Seungkwan wrapped up the night by saying, “Just being able to perform in this space felt like a miracle.”
To mark the occasion, Seventeen also hosted a three-day fan event starting Friday on Some Sevit — a cluster of artificial islands on the Han River. The event included a “Seventeen History Zone” chronicling the group’s journey, an interactive message wall, an offline version of the group’s mobile game “Puzzle Seventeen,” a photo card exchange area and self-photo booths.
