Writers: Riya Choudhary (Delhi, India) and Pooja Vishwanathan (Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India)

Editor: Jasmine Khan (Dubai, UAE)

You know those rare days that just stay with you like vintage old stamps that are no longer in use but give you a very nostalgic and déjà vu feeling? That’s what SKZOOL was like. STAYs from all corners of India came together to celebrate Stray Kids’ 7th anniversary in a back-to-school-themed event that had everything. From dance and music to food, merch stalls, and many other things, fans became friends from unknown strangers and poured their heartfelt love for Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. through a never-before-seen avatar. It was party calling party in Pune, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, and not just a formal K-pop-themed event. Read ahead to know more about fan experiences, the organizer’s efforts to make this bash a success, and what went into making this occasion more like a festive season that turned out to be amazing on D-Day. 

SKZOOL in Delhi

SKZOOL in Delhi was organised on 13th April at Got Tea, GK, Delhi. The organizers arrived early at the venue to arrange the decor and preparations, whereas the event started at 11 AM. The event was themed for school, for which the event had a dress code. It was amazing to see the Stays arrive on theme. At around 1 PM, the crowd was at peak energy, and this lasted for the next few hours. Fans were interacting, capturing the event, sharing merch, enjoying the music, and having great vibes. There were STAYs from all age groups, which put the event together. Many STAYs were also accompanied by their parents. The organizer had SKZ-themed menus consisting of SKZ-themed drinks arranged for the event. Multiple activities and games were arranged for STAY, which included Stray Kids-themed board games like Ludo, Snakes and Ladders. Another activity they prepared was FIND THE STRAY KIDS MEME, where they hid small meme cutouts in the cafe throughout the day for the STAYS to find. They also arranged a message mirror for the fans to write messages on. Along with that, two Pop-up booths were also there at the event. One of them was by House of Hestia (@houseofhestia.shop), who provided a variety of Stray Kids-themed scented Candles and stickers, and one by Bloom House (@bloomhousedot), who set up a K-Pop merch stall with albums, photocards, posters, keychains, ID Holders, necklaces, accessories, and stationery. There was also a photobooth for the fans.

Towards the end of the event, the organizers danced and sang to Stray Kids songs while enjoying the time. The event was a great success, and of course, the food at Got Tea was outstanding, which everyone enjoyed thoroughly.

Fan Experience – Navya Roshan

This is my 4th time attending the Stray Kids event, and I’ve been a fan since 2019. I look forward to these events as they make me truly happy. Interacting with other fans and meeting old friends, and talking about music and jokes are some of my favourite parts.

For this event, I have many memorable moments, like chatting with the Got Tea staff. They always welcomed us and were extremely friendly; some of them were also fans! I also loved seeing parents accompanying their children to the event! Most of all, I loved volunteering and preparing for the event the most. Deciding the activities and setting up the place was one of my favourite parts because I could see the guests being happy and appreciating it with excitement, so it felt fulfilling for the Team and me. Looking forward to the next event!

Organizer Experience – Mudi, Stray Kids India 

Organizing SKZOOL – Our Stray Kids anniversary events across Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, and Hyderabad was such a beautiful experience. Before anything even begins, one of the most important things I handle is figuring out which cities we’ll host in. We do interest checks from across India to see where STAYs are most excited and likely to attend, and then based on that (and the availability of our regional admins), we finalize the cities. I feel so lucky to have such a dedicated team — people who genuinely care and take charge of their own regions to make these events possible.

And of course, we never just do a “birthday” or “anniversary” — there’s always a theme. From racing and space to Sanrio, we’ve done quite a few fun ones in the past. This time, it was all about a cute, nostalgic Back-to-School vibe. 

My role was to handle the main promotions for all cities and also to host and organize the Delhi event. I made the graphics, designed the menu and banners, handled registrations, curated the goodie bags, took care of the decor and logistics — basically, poured my entire soul into making the Delhi event as smooth and special as possible.

One challenge we always face is getting enough people to attend, because these events take so much effort, and they’re only worth it if people show up and enjoy. Thankfully this time, we were overbooked in every single city. The response was amazing, and I’m so, so grateful for that.

What stood out for me? It’s always the little moments — like when parents register and attend with their kids. It’s the cutest thing ever, and honestly, seeing them engage with their child’s interests melts my heart every single time. It shows how far we’ve come — K-pop is no longer just a niche thing or a taboo. It’s a space where people connect, no matter their age.

Hosting these events and meeting fellow STAYs is one of my favorite things. I walked away from the event feeling so fulfilled. After a month or more of prep, seeing it all come together in one day, seeing the smiles, the laughter, the memories, it makes every bit of hard work worth it.

And nothing beats going home and seeing everyone’s Instagram stories from all cities, reading their captions, and knowing that we gave people a day they’ll always remember.

My only dream is to take these events to more and more cities — so that every STAY, no matter where they live, can be part of something magical.

SKZOOL in Pune

On 6th April, Stray Kids India organized the Stray Kids 7th Anniversary event, SKZOOL, in Pune. It was hosted by Buzz Box, held at Iya’s Korean Kitchen, Pashan, Pune. The event started around 12:30 with a quick icebreaker where all the people present introduced themselves by stating their name, how long they had been a STAY, and their favorite song. The host then briefed them about all the events that the day had in store for the fans. From games to performances to amazing food, there was no doubt that the event was going to be fun and exciting right from the very beginning. The basic concept was based on a “Stray Kids school” theme, so the games and activities were in the form of “classes”. The first round was the vocalracha class. For this part, they had to refer to the member ID, which was sent via email to attending fans after signing up, and then the teams were divided into vocalracha, 3racha, and danceracha.

The vocalracha class started with a performance by Shrija Gupta as she performed RAILWAY by Bang Chan and Seungmin’s cover of BIRDS OF A FEATHER, then another performance by Vanessa, who performed GOD’S MENU by Stray Kids and ReawakeR by LiSA (feat.. Felix of Stray Kids) from solo leveling. After the performances, they had two games where the divided teams had to guess which member was singing based on a short clip of a song, and the other game was to guess the song solely based on Changbin’s “YOH.” The teams were competitive, but in the end, it was Danceracha who won the changbin game, and 3racha won the guess the singer! 

Next, all attending fans took a little lunch break, where the food was just amazing. Iya’s Korean kitchen delivered the authentic Korean flavours. There was a variety of food and drinks that were being served, and the chilled drinks just cooled them off. During the lunch break, there were tables set outside with various activities for fans to do, which included colouring, a STAY profile form, and a nice little photo-booth area. After lunch, fans had the last round of games, which was the Danceracha games, where attendees had random dance play and an outstanding dance performance by Atharv. During the random dance play, although not everyone danced but everyone vibed and shouted out lyrics to their favourite songs. The highlight of that game was when Miroh started playing, and all the people attending the event screamed out “STRAY KIDS WOO!” unanimously. 

Fan Experience – Shrija Gupta

As a fan, the experience, the vibe and the people were amazing. Personally, I made a LOT of friends there, and in such an event you can make friends because you were basically surrounded by people who liked the same music as you. Such an event really brings you closer to people who are like you and really makes you believe that you’re not alone. My most memorable moments were:- when i met a girl who was my age and we both had the same favourite song, album and even had similar taste in music outside kpop! I made a really good friend there. Another fun memory was during the games when there was competitiveness in the air, people were yelling out their team names at the top of their lungs! Jamming along to kpop songs with a whole room of people who are just like you had to be my favourite memory of the day.

Organizer Experience – Kshitija Shinde (Admin NiNi), Buzz Box

When I first started planning this Stray Kids fan event in Pune, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I just knew one thing: I wanted to create a space where STAYs could come together, celebrate the music we love, and make memories we’d never forget. So, alongside Stray Kids India, we made it happen. 

And wow—Pune, you showed up. Big time.

From the moment we kicked off the event, the energy was unmatched. Whether it was cheering during random dance play, singing our hearts out during karaoke, or laughing through the SKZ quizzes, there was this unspoken connection in the room. Strangers turned into friends instantly, and the love for Stray Kids was the language we all understood.

Some moments I’ll never forget:

Watching STAYs absolutely own the dance floor during the random dance play. And those loud singing.. OH MY GOD!! Vocal racha will be proud of them! The performances were just WOW. 

Seeing everyone take pictures at the photo booths and hyping up each other’s outfits, banners, and fan-made merch. The creativity in this fandom is next-level.

The way everyone turned into KIDS with the drawing activity and then filling out the stay slam book was absolutely adorable.. this made me realise that what I planned was worth it. 

And personally, the moment right before the event started—standing there, looking at everything we set up, nervous as ever—but then seeing the room fill with such warmth and excitement. I teared up. Because everything in the decorations was made from scratch. Literally nothing to everything. 

Planning it was chaos and excitement all rolled into one—late-night calls, endless to-do lists, moments of doubt—but the second the venue started filling up with smiling faces, lightsticks, and Stray Kids fan chants… all of it was worth it. But more than the activities, it was the vibe—the feeling of being surrounded by people who just get it. People who sing the same songs, quote the same memes, cry over the same MVs, and draw strength from the same lyrics.

Hosting this event reminded me just how powerful fandom can be. It’s not just about stanning—it’s about finding community, creativity, and connection. I’m so proud of what we built together, even if just for a day.

To every single STAY who came through—thank you for showing up with your hearts open and your energy full-on.
To Stray Kids—your music is the thread that brought us all here. Thank you for being the reason we found each other. Pune STAYs, you have my heart. Let’s keep making magic together.

SKZOOL in Bengaluru 

Stray Kids just celebrated 7 years of being the pioneers of the Mala taste genre in K-pop, and their adoring fans, their STAYs, commemorated this occasion by hosting the coolest event in this scorching summer – SKZOOL in Bengaluru! STAYs came together and made history as the NOEASY-est class ever, as the four-hour extravaganza was full of games, dancing, singing, rapping, and JJAMing out to Stray Kids! The celebrations took place on April 13th, 2025, in a cozy little cafe called “The Awesome Cafe” in HSR layout, Bengaluru, and went on from 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm, complete with SKZ-themed drinks and event special freebies!

Fan Experience – Pradeepta

First off, I wanted to share my experience of going to my first K-pop event ever. It was, in one word, amazing. All the people were so supportive, and there were more than 50 people there. We were given freebies just as we arrived, and I’m sure everyone liked that. The events included spinning the wheel, and 8 people who got lucky got photo cards of stray kids. Next was the karaoke and the dance event, which I also took part in, and honestly, every single person was cheering and making the participants feel happy. Overall, my first K-pop event was really memorable, to say the least.

Organizer Experience – Shaz (Admin), Stray Kids Bengaluru

As the admin of Stray Kids Bengaluru and the organizer of SKZOOL on April 13th, 2025, I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment as well as a profound amount of gratitude that our event was such a smashing success. Right from planning out the basics like the venue, activities, freebies, decor and aesthetics of the event to the detailed designing of posters, making of special goodie packages, an event-special drinks menu and hosting lucky draw events for all the amazing STAYs who registered and attended was the most memorable experience we’ve had as organizers of SKZ events in Bengaluru.

The event started off with a fun quiz, testing STAYs on their love for and knowledge of Stray Kids, quickly followed by “Who ATE the luck?” a segment inspired by ATE promos that allowed us to spin a wheel and gift photo cards to the lucky winners. We also had a Photo Booth called Cheese, with an oh-so-adorable Stray Kids cutout and some handmade SKZ+SKZOO pickets as props! Oh, and did I mention that STAYs could forever solidify their memories by taking the cutest Polaroid shots of themselves with the photobooth set up? 

We didn’t forget about the SKZ merchandise that we all love so much: @Mystic_charms7 held the coolest stall full of SKZ and SKZOO merch, and @valotonin had us going “WOW” with their jaw-dropping fanart prints! After the 3RACHA class quiz, we had the Vocalracha class: an open stage JJAM session where our most talented STAYs captivated the crowd with their mind-boggling raps and melodious renditions of SKZ songs!

Next up, we had the most awaited Danceracha class: enigmatic performers namely Mayur (@daenseo_mayur), Manasa (@lio.n.choom) and Akansha (@multistan.heart_19) kicked off the extravaganza, and so many other STAYs followed them, proceeding to tear the stage up in a truly mesmerising manner! We also got together for the Stray Kids Random Play Dance, which further made the day more memorable! 

As all good things must come to an end, so did the event. But not before some of the lovely STAYs shared their feelings on the stage, and we all commemorated Stray Kids’ journey so far by watching and singing along to their music videos! 

The SKZOOL Super Board was full of messages from the attendees, but our hearts are fuller with love, admiration, and the feeling of feeling completely at home in a warm and comforting community of legendary STAYs.As an organiser, I daresay we’ve outdone ourselves this time. Can’t wait to do the same in future events.

To all the STAYs who were at SKZOOL and made the day so magical, you make Stray Kids STAY.

SKZOOL in Hyderabad 

The “SKZOOL” cupsleeve event for Stray Kids’ 7th anniversary took place at Panchatantra Cafe in Begumpet, Hyderabad from 12:30 to 4:30 PM on 13th April, 2025. We had 35 STAYs join us for this school-themed celebration. This event was all about bringing fans together to build community and celebrate our love for Stray Kids. The day was divided into fun periods: GeniusRacha featured SKZ quizzes that tested everyone’s knowledge, ArtistRacha had STAYs showing their creative sides with SKZOO coloring sheets, and TalentRacha showcased some amazing performances from talented fans.

As the event wrapped up during Recess, we all sang along to our favorite Stray Kids songs and even had a spontaneous mini random play dance session that got STAYs busting moves and laughing together. The energy was incredible! Thanks to Stray Kids India for their support in making this fan gathering possible! These four hours of shared excitement and friendship perfectly captured what being a STAY is all about.

Fan Experience – Gladvin 

I had so much fun attending the Stray Kids 7th Anniversary event, SKZOOL. The school theme was really refreshing and nostalgic and I had so much fun colouring using crayons, singing along to #Lovestay and learning choreo on the spot and dancing with fellow Stays. It was such a memorable experience, and I thank the organizers for doing an amazing job!!

Fan Experience: Anjali 

This was my first Stray Kids event, and it was a great experience! It’s the first time in an event when you are not just an audience but are actually a part of the event. The theme was very unique, it’s like we’re going to a school class, and periods defined by the words genius racha, art Racha, and talent racha are so creative and fun! And also, we get to take the goodies home along with the art that we made, which is a satisfying thing. The performances were crazy! It was so fun to watch Stray Kids’ songs performed! I loved the event, I got to meet so many STAY and talk with them about Stray Kids was so fun. It was a really fun event; I enjoyed it a lot!

Organizer Experience: Yathigna (Admin), Stray Kids Hyderabad 

Wow, what a day we had at our SKZOOL event celebrating Stray Kids’ 7th anniversary in Hyderabad! We had 35 amazing STAYs join us, and honestly, the whole place was just buzzing with laughter, excitement, and so much love for SKZ!

We really put our all into making this special for everyone, and seeing all the STAYs having fun made all the late nights planning totally worth it! We broke the day into four fun periods: First period was “GeniusRacha” with those SKZ quizzes – the STAYs really know their stuff, huh? 

For “Artist Racha” in the second period, it was so heartwarming watching STAYs coloring those SKZOO sheets. The way everyone just let loose and became kids again was honestly the cutest thing!

“TalentRacha” in the third period? Mind-blowing! Our performers absolutely killed it and got all the STAYs screaming and cheering! And then “Recess” was such a perfect way to wrap things up – singing our hearts out to SKZ hits and saying our goodbyes (for now).

Big thanks to Stray Kids India for backing us up, and the biggest thanks to all the STAYs who showed up and made this day so special. STAY really are the best!

Can’t wait to see everyone at the next one! 💙

Overall Experience

Overall, the SKZOOL event, organized in four cities, was a testament to fans’ unwavering love and support for the boy band. Such loyalty and emotional bonding are rare these days, but STAYs proved it wrong. The event might have been for Stray Kids, but the plethora of memories created on their day will last longer than fans and people, unlike they can imagine. Everyone who was part of it—whether in person or online—walked away with something they’ll hold onto for a long time. It wasn’t just about the music or the performances. It was about the feeling, the shared smiles, the loud chants, and that unspoken connection that only STAYs would understand.

Have you ever been to a fan event that felt this special? Tell us your favorite moment in the comments below.