Despite continuing rain at Citi Field, the stadium gave the all-clear for attendees to head to their seats around 8:30 p.m., signaling the show would go on, eliciting a stadium-wide cheer that those outside the venue could even hear. With just over an hour of delay, Stray Kids would soon dominate the stage with a flood of relief and joy palpable, and clear skies predicted within an hour. Phew.

Even before Stray Kids sang their first note on stage, it became clear that this show went beyond spreading Stray Kids’ messages but also sharing elements of broader Korean culture. The show opened with dancers swinging and striking sticks against traditional Korean drums on the stadium’s massive LED screens, timed to stadium-wide sonorous booms announcing the show was truly starting.

It wasn’t the only time the audience enjoyed Korean-specific aesthetics throughout the night, but this grand opening truly set the stage for the group to dominATE the night.

When Citi Field gave the OK for fans to take their seats for the concert to begin, it still rained in the NY area for another half hour, which meant Stray Kids’ massive stage was also wet. While staff members had run through the platform with mops before showtime, the runway that extended out into the crowd pit was apparently particularly slippery as both Han and Hyunjin slipped and fell during the group’s first performance on it in “District 9.”

Yet both of the guys hopped right back into action (with Han even seeming slightly amused that he had fallen), showing a real dedication to professionalism and showmanship, even when it was completely understandable to take the choreography more easily. Beyond a bit of sliding on stage, there were no other major falls throughout the night, and everyone ended the show safe and (mostly) dry.

Most K-pop tours do not travel with a live band, but the dominATE Tour fortunately boasted a guitarist, bassist, keyboardist and drummer quartet. While the live instruments enhanced every song (particularly the remixed versions of singles like “Thunderous” and “S-Class”), one of the best musical moments of the night was a special spotlight put on the band as Stray Kids changed outfits. With a huge “TEAM SKZ” displayed behind them, the band performed a heavy-rock instrumental medley interpolating elements of songs like “God’s Menu.”

Throughout the show, the Kids continued to shout out and thank their band members in appreciation, but this solo spotlight was uniquely special, keeping the audience engaged while also showcasing how hard SKZ songs can rock.

Perhaps it was the rain-delayed start, but the guys were already getting rowdy by the eighth song of the night. Before starting “God’s Menu,” I.N opted to chuck off his jacket and perform with just his slinky black tank top and black pants.

Bang Chan must have been on the same vibe, at one point teasing that he was going to lift his suit jacket to flash his famously rock-hard abs only to laugh and go back to performing. (He seemed not to realize the coat’s angular cropped cut already exposed most of his six-pack.)

While Stray Kids brought every one of the duo songs included in the March 2025 mixtape dominATE on tour, the standout unit performance of Thursday’s show goes to Changbin and I.N for “Burnin’ Tires” — and it wasn’t only because Changbin wore a T-shirt with New York embroidered on it.

The two looked like they were having the best time, with I.N looking more confident than perhaps he ever had and Changbin delivering his spitfire, speedy raps a breakneck pace. The top highlight came when the two linked up with their dancers to create a humongous human motorcycle, where I.N. leaned on arms and shoulders to imitate driving and swerving, as the backdrop LED screens panned through cityscapes.

With Citi Field so near LaGuardia Airport, one of New York’s two major airports, spectators could see planes flying in and out of the city throughout the show. The group noticed this too with Bang Chan at one point wondering if the people flying above could see them.

“Now, all we have to do is wait for a plane to pass,” he joked while pausing as if he’d put the show on hold for one to fly by. The members began imitating airplane sounds through their mics — with Felix recreating something that sounded remarkably like an airplane whooshing by and the camera catching Lee Know looking hilariously unamused by it all — until it was time to move on in the setlist.

Yet just as things were going forward, those seated in the upper section near right field began hollering for SKZ’s attention because an actual airplane was coming through the skies. Soon enough, the entire stadium spotted the Southwest Airlines jet soaring over the field with the octet waving at passengers in hopes of being noticed.

For the two-song section of the softer “Lonely St.” and “Cover Me,” Stray Kids took a break from the heavy choreography to wander around the stage to interact with and sing directly to STAY. Both songs contain some of SKZ’s best and most uplifting lyrics, with the pair of tracks acting more like a love fest between artists and fans. The guys must have gotten a boost of power from the support too with Seungmin and Bang Chan both delivering some of the most dynamic belts of the show towards the end of “Cover Me.”

As the show winded down, Bang Chan stepped up in his leadership role to address everything before the guys could exit the stage. After first apologizing for the delay from the rain (which had the crowd howling that he needn’t apologize), the 27-year-old gave his thanks to essentially everyone who worked at the concert: Stray Kids’ dancers, the backing band, the concert production crew, the venue staff, stage security, the sign language interpreters and, of course, STAY. It’s rare to see artists acknowledge so many of the behind-the-scenes people who make a concert come together, further proving why Bang Chan is such a natural and perfect leader.

Before Stray Kids took the stage for the encore, the stadium crowd participated in dance-alongs featuring classic SKZ choreography, with the camera picking out certain fans to perform on screen. As “Chk Chk Boom” played throughout Citi Field, thousands soon saw a familiar face on the screen. Singer-songwriter Hannah Bang — aka Bang Chan’s sister — appeared on screen and busted out some key moves from the 2024 track.

Some fans reported that Bang Chan’s parents were also in attendance, making this NYC show a real family reunion that STAYs got to (slightly) partake in.

Many large-scale concerts in South Korea and Japan feature a section where artists stand on mobile carts that can roll around the entire venue, bringing the stars up close to those in the further sections for a few songs. Stateside shows don’t commonly utilize this tradition. However, the Citi Field baseball stadium setup offered a perfect opportunity for Stray Kids to be carted around the field and connect with even more STAYs in the bleachers. While performing feel-good songs like “I Like It” and “Stray Kids,” the guys waved and sang at as many fans as they could to mark a particularly special close-up moment as the show drew to a close.