Stray Kids at KSPO DOME: the beginning of a new era for the RUN IT tour
Stray Kids are coming to KSPO DOME in Seoul with a concert that is part of the opening series of their new RUN IT world tour. The performance is scheduled for August 1, 2026, at 18:00, and the ticket is valid for the selected single-day date. It is the fourth of five evenings in Seoul: the group performs on July 25, 26, and 29, as well as August 1 and 2. Such a schedule gives the city an important role in launching the new concert cycle before the tour continues to other markets.
This date comes at a particularly interesting moment. It is worth securing tickets in time. The single "RUN IT" was released on June 24, while the album "THIS & THAT" was announced for August 7. The concert therefore takes place only a few days before the new release arrives. The audience enters the arena while the group is between a newly released single, the beginning of a new tour, and the imminent arrival of an album that defines the next phase of their career.
Why RUN IT is an important step for Stray Kids
Stray Kids are recognizable for a sound that combines hip-hop, electronic music, pop, rock textures, and sudden rhythmic changes. Their songs often feel as though they were built for the stage: powerful choruses, rap sections, precise choreography, and moments when the audience takes over the key chants. "God's Menu", "Thunderous", "MANIAC", "S-Class", "LALALALA", "MIROH", and "Chk Chk Boom" have become important parts of their concert identity precisely because they leave room for mass singalongs and visually powerful performances.
The group's global relevance is not merely the result of a large fan base. IFPI placed Stray Kids second on the 2025 Global Artist Chart, their best result to date and their third consecutive year among the top five artists. The album "KARMA" finished sixth on the global albums chart for 2025, while it ranked second on the album sales chart with 3.49 million copies. These figures explain why the opening of a new tour in Seoul attracts audiences from outside South Korea and why international interest is forming around the KSPO DOME series.
Key facts about the concert series
- The August 1 concert begins at 18:00 at KSPO DOME.
- The Seoul series includes five performances between July 25 and August 2.
- "RUN IT" was released on June 24, while "THIS & THAT" comes out on August 7.
- The August 1 date is the penultimate evening of the tour's opening series.
- No opening acts or special guests are listed in the available announcements.
What the first evening reveals about the repertoire
Because the tour has already opened in the same arena, there is a more concrete framework for expectations than there would be for a concert whose program has not yet been heard live. According to a report from the first evening on July 25, a 30-song program was performed. It included songs from different phases of the group's career, from earlier titles such as "Hellevator", "District 9", "Side Effects", and "Double Knot" to major concert staples including "Back Door", "MANIAC", "God's Menu", "Thunderous", "LALALALA", "Chk Chk Boom", and "S-Class".
The first evening's program also included more current material such as "CREED", "DIVINE", "In My Head", "BLEEP", "Do It", "CEREMONY", "Phoenix", and the title single "RUN IT". The first performances of "I Do" and "After You", connected to the release "THIS & THAT", were also recorded. This is especially important for the audience attending on August 1: the concert is not merely a review of familiar songs, but also a place where the new repertoire receives its first full stage form.
The order and selection of songs may change between evenings, so the opening-night program should not be understood as a guarantee of an identical set list. Nevertheless, it demonstrates the tour's intention: to connect the group's early, rawer songs with mid-career hits and new material announcing the album. Such a structure is particularly suitable for fans who have followed Stray Kids from the beginning, as well as visitors who know them through several of their most globally recognizable singles.
How Stray Kids build a concert atmosphere
The previous dominATE tour provides useful context for their approach to live performance. At the opening of that tour at KSPO DOME in 2024, the group combined dramatic entrances, group performances, and separate member stages. Later stadium performances showed that they can maintain precise choreography and clear communication with the audience even in much larger venues.
A report from the Paris concerts in 2025 described a performance lasting more than three hours, with a live band, large choreographic blocks, pyrotechnics, and frequent interaction with the audience. This does not mean that RUN IT in Seoul will repeat the same effects, duration, or scenario. The production of the new tour may be different. However, previous performances show what the group considers important: a powerful rhythm, clearly defined visual sections, extensive movement around the stage, and regular moments of direct communication with the STAY audience.
In an indoor arena such as KSPO DOME, that relationship may feel more compact than in a stadium. The capacity and circular arrangement of the stands allow a large number of spectators to remain visually connected to the main stage, extended sections of the stage, and screens. The experience will nevertheless depend on the specific stage configuration and seating section, so it is useful to check in advance the seating plan listed with your ticket.
Light sticks, shared chants, and singing the choruses are an important part of the atmosphere at Stray Kids concerts. The audience is not merely an observer of the production, but an active layer of the performance. Songs such as "MIROH", "God's Menu", "Thunderous", and "S-Class" work especially well when the voices from the arena merge with the rhythm and choreography on stage. Tickets for this event are in demand, especially among fans who want to attend the early phase of the new tour.
KSPO DOME as a concert venue
KSPO DOME is located in Olympic Park in the Songpa-gu district. The arena accommodates up to 15,000 spectators, has one underground and three above-ground levels, and approximately 30,548 square meters of total floor area. Flexible stands and a system for installing equipment above the stage allow for different concert configurations, which means that the actual number of available seats may depend on the production.
The venue was thoroughly renovated with the aim of adapting it for large concerts. The renovation project was developed from 2015 and completed in 2018. The historic structure of the former Olympic gymnastics arena was preserved, while audience circulation, the roof structure, and concert production capabilities were adapted to contemporary events.
For Stray Kids, the location carries additional significance. The group opened the dominATE tour in the same arena in 2024 and is now returning with a new tour title and a new musical cycle. KSPO DOME is therefore not a random stop, but a venue where their tours are presented to domestic and international audiences before expanding to other cities.
Practical venue information
- Address: 424 Olympic-ro, Songpa-gu, Seoul.
- Capacity: up to 15,000 seats, depending on the stage setup.
- Nearest metro: Olympic Park Station, Lines 5 and 9, Exit 3.
- Nearest vehicle entrances: East Gate 2 and North Gate 2.
- Nearest parking lot: P5, with 181 spaces and opening hours from 06:00 to 22:00.
The parking capacity is small compared with the number of visitors the arena can accommodate. For this reason, the metro is a more practical choice, especially after the concert ends, when a large number of people move toward the exits of Olympic Park at the same time. Visitors who still arrive by car should expect congestion, possible waiting, and a longer walk if the nearest spaces are full.
Arriving at Olympic Park without unnecessary stress
Olympic Park Station is connected by Lines 5 and 9, and Exit 3 is listed as the main access point for KSPO DOME. The arena is located within a large park complex, so arriving at the station is not the final step. Time should be allowed for walking, security checks, finding the entrance, and navigating between sections.
For a concert beginning at 18:00, it is reasonable to arrive significantly earlier, especially if it is necessary to collect a ticket, verify identification documents, buy tour merchandise, or find your way around Olympic Park for the first time. The exact door-opening time is not stated in the reviewed announcements, so it should be checked alongside the information accompanying the specific ticket and any subsequent notices from the organizer.
Before leaving, it is useful to prepare:
- the ticket and any document required to verify the ticket holder;
- a fully charged phone and a portable battery, if permitted by the entry rules;
- a plan for returning by metro after the concert;
- light clothing for a summer evening and an extra layer for the air-conditioned arena;
- enough time for queues when entering and leaving.
Rules concerning bags, bottles, professional cameras, batteries, and other items may differ from one event to another. Visitors should not rely solely on the venue's general rules. The safest option is to check the latest notice connected to this specific date before arrival.
Who will find this concert especially interesting
Long-time STAY fans will receive a program that, according to the tour's first evening, reaches back to early songs and connects them with current releases. This creates room for a strong sense of continuity: the audience can hear how the group's sound has changed from "Hellevator" and "District 9" to "S-Class", "Chk Chk Boom", and "RUN IT".
Newer listeners will not need to know the entire discography to understand the performance's energy. The best-known choruses, distinctive choreography, and clear transitions between rap, pop, and rock elements make the concert accessible even to audiences who discovered the group through a few major singles. At the same time, deeper cuts and newer songs provide enough content for fans who follow every release.
The concert is also particularly attractive to visitors who want to see a K-pop production in a medium-capacity arena rather than in an enormous stadium. KSPO DOME retains the scale of a major event while allowing for a more compact sense of space. In such an environment, shared chants, synchronized light sticks, and audience reactions become as important as the screens and stage design.
Seats disappear quickly when the beginning of a new tour, a multi-day series in the group's home city, and an album arriving only a few days later come together. It is worth planning the arrival, return journey, and ticket collection before the day of the concert instead of dealing with everything immediately before it begins.
What else is worth seeing nearby
Olympic Park is not merely a complex of arenas. The area connects sports facilities, open green spaces, sculptures, and attractions related to the legacy of the Seoul Olympic Games. For visitors arriving from other parts of the city or from abroad, it is practical to spend part of the day in Songpa-gu and avoid additional travel across the city immediately before the concert.
The park is large, so it should be kept in mind that the entrances, stations, arenas, and public spaces are not located at a single point. Arrangements with friends are best tied to a precise metro exit or a clearly marked landmark, rather than merely to the general name Olympic Park. After the concert, the same principle makes it easier to reunite if the group becomes separated in the crowd.
Sources:
- JYP Entertainment - dates of the RUN IT SEOUL series, venue, and announcements of the single "RUN IT" and the album "THIS & THAT".
- IFPI - Stray Kids' placement on the Global Artist Chart and the 2025 results of the album "KARMA".
- KSPO&CO / Olympic Park - capacity, address, level layout, metro, parking, and technical features of KSPO DOME.
- HAEAHN Architecture - information about the renovation, floor area, and adaptation of the arena for contemporary concerts.
- The Korea Herald and Le Monde - descriptions of the performance style on the dominATE tour and audience experiences at previous concerts.
- InMusic - report on the program of the first evening of the RUN IT tour in Seoul.