Stray Kids is closing out 2025 with record-setting momentum and opening 2026 with a clear signal that another major chapter is underway.
At midnight on January 1, the group released Stray Kids “STEP OUT 2026” across official channels, outlining their plans for the new year. The announcement follows a landmark 2025 that included the digital single Mixtape : dominATE, their fourth full-length album KARMA—which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a seventh consecutive time with triple-million first-week sales—and SKZ IT TAPE DO IT, whose title track “Do It” became the group’s fifth Billboard Hot 100 entry. In total, Stray Kids released two albums and one digital single last year.
Their <dominATE> world tour, which began in Seoul in August 2024, continued throughout 2025 with 35 concerts across 23 cities in Asia, Latin America, North America, and Europe. Many shows were held in stadiums, culminating in encore performances at Incheon Asiad Main Stadium—marking the group’s first domestic stadium concerts seven years after debut and closing a tour that spanned 56 shows across 35 locations.
In parallel, the group maintained strong fan engagement through content such as 2 Kids Room, RACHA LOG, and SKZ CODE, along with their fifth official fan meeting and expanded SKZOO collaborations. Their achievements were reflected in multiple year-end grand prizes.
Looking ahead, STEP OUT 2026 confirms a new album, a new world tour, the return of their online show ‘Kids Room’, a sixth fan meeting, SKZOO events in Korea and overseas, SKZ-REPLAY 2026, a documentary film (Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience), and music festival appearances.
There is also added significance to the timing. Stray Kids’ oldest member and dance leader, Lee Know, turns 28 this year (30 by Korean age, the system still used for military service). Depending on enlistment timing, this could place 2026 as his final album and tour cycle with the group for the near term. It remains unclear whether Stray Kids will align enlistments closely, as BTS did, to shorten any full-group hiatus.
Taken together, the scale of Stray Kids’ 2026 plans suggests both confidence and strategic planning. After a year defined by growth and records, the group is entering its next phase with momentum firmly intact.
