Stray Kids Circle the Globe Seven Times, Enter Stadiums... 2 Million Tour Proves 'K-pop Champion'

Stray Kids held 'dominATE : celebrATE' at Incheon Asiad Main Stadium on the 18th and 19th. JYP Entertainment

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In their seventh year since debut, Stray Kids attracted 2 million audience members with their largest-ever world tour, successfully concluding their first solo stadium concert in Korea. Proving their reputation as 'K-pop Champions,' the group solidified their presence as global stadium artists by combining powerful performances with stages that incorporated Korean aesthetics.

On October 18 and 19, Stray Kids held the encore concert of their world tour, 'dominATE : celebrATE,' at Incheon Asiad Main Stadium, wrapping up a tour that spanned approximately 11 months. The concert title merges their mini-album 'ATE' with 'celebrate,' reflecting their intention to commemorate the tour together with their fans.

Starting at Seoul KSPO Dome in August last year and concluding at Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy, in July this year, they performed 54 concerts across 34 regions. They entered stadiums throughout Latin America, North America, and Europe, and in Japan, they achieved their first stadium concert five years after their official debut. They performed at a total of 27 stadiums for the first time, earning 'first' or 'best' titles at 13 of them. The total audience reached approximately 1.98 million, and with the encore included, it is expected to surpass 2 million. The total travel distance was about 285,000 kilometers, equivalent to circling the globe seven times.

Seungmin said, "Since our first concert in August last year, we have traveled around the world seven times, through both summer and winter," while Changbin remarked, "It's hard to believe we can hold such a large concert in Korea." This was Stray Kids' first solo stadium concert in Korea. After expanding their scale from KSPO Dome in 2022 to Gocheok Sky Dome in 2023, they set another record by performing at Incheon Asiad Main Stadium.

Stray Kids held 'dominATE : celebrATE' at Incheon Asiad Main Stadium on the 18th and 19th. JYP Entertainment

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From the opening song 'Mountains' to early performances like 'Thunderous' and 'Jjam,' the group delivered intense group choreography. For the stages of 'God's Menu' and 'S-Class,' they highlighted Korean rhythms with blue hanbok costumes and traditional instrument arrangements. In 'Walkin On Water,' they maximized the Korean essence of K-pop by incorporating lion mask dances and a horse commander's badge. During the drone show, they visualized the tour's symbolism with an image of a beast's fangs devouring the Earth.

The group's producing unit, 3RACHA (Changbin, Bang Chan, Han), has built the team's identity by producing all their tracks. During the tour, Stray Kids released their fourth full-length album 'KARMA,' achieving an unprecedented feat by topping the US Billboard 200 main album chart for the seventh consecutive time.

The members expressed their gratitude to fans. Hyunjin said, "There were moments when I thought it was the end, but thanks to STAY (the fandom), I was able to stand on stage again." Bang Chan added, "STAY is like the moon that shows us light in the darkness." Lee Know shared, "After traveling the world for 11 months, STAY and we now have a year of memories together."

During the encore, they reignited the energy of the concert by rearranging 'Ceremony' and 'Chk Chk Boom' into festival versions. Immediately after the concert ended, a video announcement revealed that a new album, 'SKZ IT TAPE DO IT,' will be released on November 21.

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