lightstick

A lightstick is the official glowing baton K-pop fans wave at concerts, and every group has its own. Thousands of them lit in the same color are part of the show.

What lightstick means

In K-pop, a lightstick isn’t a cheap glow stick from a gas station. Each group has an official design and color, and carrying one marks you as part of the fandom. At big concerts the lightsticks are often synced, so a whole stadium can ripple in waves and patterns that match the music.

Fans bring them to fan meetings and watch parties too, and plenty collect them, since groups release updated versions over the years.

Examples

• “Don’t forget your lightstick. We’re in the top tier, but still.”
• “The whole stadium turned purple when the lightsticks synced.”
• “I bought the new lightstick version and I regret nothing.”

Lightsticks at protests

Lightsticks have even moved into politics. During the December 2024 protests in South Korea against the declaration of emergency martial law, many young protesters swapped traditional candles for K-pop lightsticks. Wikipedia describes it as an evolution of the country’s candlelight rallies, and the tactic later spread to protests in Japan and Taiwan.

Where it came from

Light plus stick. The word covers any glowing stick, but in fandom it means the official concert gear. A group announcing its first official lightstick is a milestone fans celebrate, often timed with a first big concert.

Related terms

• Fanchant: the cheer fans shout along to a song.
• Bias: your favorite member.
• Comeback: a group’s new release.
• Fancam: fan-filmed concert video.

More fandom words are in our K-pop slang guide.