Sports-themed Stray Kids pop-up celebrates new album, successful world tour and devoted fans
Stray Kids has wrapped up its massive “dominATE” world tour, and a celebration is in order. “Spotify STAYdium,” the boy band's latest collaboration with Spotify, is just that: a tribute to the group’s global journey and Stay, the fans who made it possible.
Upon entering, visitors are greeted with “Karma Track,” an exhibition set up on a running track showcasing Stray Kids’ milestones, including its 10 billion streams on Spotify — which cemented it as the most-streamed fourth-gen K-pop group of 2024 — and record as the first K-pop artists to perform at 13 stadiums worldwide.
The group's catchphrase was printed on the floor at the end of the running track: “Stray Kids, everywhere, all around the world. You make Stray Kids stay.”
Stray Kids released its fourth full-length album, “Karma,” on Friday, featuring lead track “Ceremony” and B-sides “Bleep,” “Creed,” “Mess,” “In My Head,” “Half Time,” “Phoenix,” “Ghost,” “0801,” as well as two remixes. “Spotify STAYdium,” which launched on the same day in Seongsu-dong, eastern Seoul, will run through Monday. Following its stint in Korea, the pop-up will move to Jakarta, Indonesia, from Friday to Monday and to Tokyo from Saturday to Wednesday.
As its title suggests, the pop-up takes on a sports stadium theme, a fitting choice, as the “dominATE” world tour included 27 stadiums in its run from August of last year through July. In addition to “Karma Track,” fans can enjoy activities including a basketball game in which making three successful shots wins a gift set. A trophy room bursts with confetti, and “SKZ Locker Room” features dolls of SKZOO — animal characters inspired by each member — and artist-specific touches.
Fans can also pick up uniform-shaped key chains by participating in a social media event.
The venue was filled with handwritten messages from the members, greeting fans with playful comments and drawings throughout.
“Stray Kids’ journey has been nothing short of phenomenal, and the bond they’ve built with Stay is a testament to their artistry and hard work,” said Gautam Talwar, Spotify's general manager of Asia Pacific. “With ‘Spotify STAYdium,’ we wanted to create a space where fans can step into their story and feel their energy in a truly immersive way.”
“Our fans are the reason for our destiny,” Stray Kids said in a release on Friday.
“This space celebrates all that we’ve built together with Stay, and we hope they feel our love in every moment,” it added, noting that the band has been collaborating with the streaming platform since its debut. “Partnering with Spotify to bring ‘Spotify STAYdium’ to life feels like we’ve come full circle.”
BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]



