Stray Kids embark on new world tour after early contract renewals: 'A new chapter begins'

Stray Kids have embarked on their largest world tour to date, kicking off powerfully in their home country, South Korea.

On the afternoon of September 1st, the final performance of Stray Kids' new world tour 'dominATE' took place at KSPO Dome (Olympic Gymnastics Arena) in Songpa-gu, Seoul. This new world tour follows their second world tour, 'Stray Kids 2nd World Tour "MANIAC",' which spanned 42 performances across 18 regions worldwide last year.

Stray Kids opened the concert energetically with 'MOUNTAINS,' a track from their mini album 'ATE,' released in July. They continued with another track, 'JJAM,' and the title song 'Thunderous' from their 2021 full-length album 'NOEASY.' The fans, known as STAY, enthusiastically joined in with chants and cheers, raising the excitement from the very start.

After the opening, Seungmin greeted the audience by saying, "How did you like the taste of the stage right from the opening?" Lee Know added, "This is just the warm-up; I’ll be watching your energy grow." Hyunjin expressed his gratitude, "This is our third tour, and I'm so happy to be able to do it on a larger scale thanks to you all." Han introduced the band accompanying them on tour, saying, "We’ve prepared a lot to show you our best, as this is the start of an epic tour with you."

As the full-fledged performance began, Stray Kids performed non-stop, with little time for talk in between, save for the VCRs that played between sets. Their intense performance included hits like 'District 9,' 'Back Door,' 'TOPLINE,' 'Easy,' 'ITEM,' 'DOMINO,' 'God's Menu,' and 'Thunderous,' each igniting the crowd with explosive energy.

The concert also featured solo stages where each member showcased their unique charms: Han's free-spirited rockstar vibe in 'Hold My Hand,' Lee Know's refreshing 'Youth,' Seungmin's delicate vocals in 'Slowly, So We,' Hyunjin's artistic flair in 'So Good,' Bang Chan's mature atmosphere in 'Railway,' I.N's sensuous choreography in 'HALLUCINATION,' Felix's ethereal presence in 'Unfair,' and Changbin's powerful energy in 'ULTRA.' These solo performances set the hearts of STAY on fire.

Stray Kids took a moment to address the audience just before their final performance of 'MANIAC.' Seungmin said, "I feel like we’re opening a new chapter with this concert. We put a lot of thought into this performance along with our staff. I'm curious to know how you felt today." Felix added, "STAY’s energy strengthens us. We’ll continue to make you happy with our performances." Hyunjin reflected, "The fact that a new chapter has begun means we’ll be able to create more memories with you in the future. Let’s make lasting memories together." Changbin also commented, "During the fan meeting, I said you don’t have to worry about the 'seven-year curse,' and I’m glad we could live up to that promise."

Stray Kids, whose contracts were set to expire early next year, announced in July that all members had renewed their contracts early. Hyunjin revealed at an earlier Seoul concert that the renewal term is for five years.

As the Seoul concert concluded, Changbin shared, "I usually don’t get nervous before going on stage. I just feel excited, and this time I couldn’t wait to get up there. But on the first day of the Seoul concert, I was a bit nervous. However, thanks to STAY’s support, I was able to give it my all on stage. STAY, you devoured the audience seats. This place is a delicious spot, and it’s 0 calories, so no worries about gaining weight. This is just the beginning, but we’ll have a healthy and fun tour ahead. We’re not leaving; it’s just a short break. We’ll meet more STAYs, so please wait for us." Lee Know added, "We’re not leaving; we’re just going on a short journey to meet more STAYs and share our energy, so please wait for us. This concert came to fruition after much hardship. It wasn’t easy. I usually focus on enjoying the stage rather than feeling nervous, but with the comeback activities and everything else, there was a lot of pressure to satisfy everyone."

Stray Kids’ sincerity on stage, paired with STAY’s dedication, made for a synergy-filled concert, though there were a few disappointments. The stage effects, while impressive with giant LED screens, were sometimes hindered by overly complex graphics, and the video screens occasionally lagged and stuttered.

Stray Kids will take their largest world tour to date to major stadiums, including Singapore National Stadium, Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, Sydney’s Allianz Stadium, Kaohsiung National Stadium, Bangkok National Stadium, and Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Madya Stadium. The tour will kick off on September 28th in Singapore, followed by dates in Melbourne on October 19th, Sydney on October 26th, Kaohsiung on November 2nd, Tokyo on November 14th and 16th-17th, Manila on November 23rd, Macau on November 29th-30th, Osaka on December 5th and 7th-8th, Bangkok on December 14th, Jakarta on December 21st, and Hong Kong on January 18th-19th, 2025. Additional locations in Latin America, North America, and Europe are expected to be announced.