By Lillian Gutsch,
Managing Editor.
“Have you been to one of our concerts before?” is the opening line for the trailer and film Stray Kids: DominATE Experience. This movie about the hit K-pop band not only shows real concert footage but also behind the scenes experiences of the members and their preparation for their World Tour.
Now, you may ask, why was this movie made in the first place? Stray Kids: DominATE Experience shows scenes from the sold-out LA shows from the similarly-titled World Tour. This tour was and is one of the biggest tours in music history. Stray Kids had roughly 55 stops in 34 regions across five continents, running from Aug. 24, 2024 to Oct. 19, 2025. According to the Billboard Substack website, the band brought in roughly $41.1 million from 361,000 tickets sold in the South American leg of their tour. The website stated, “That’s more than any other K-pop artist has earned or sold in Latin America on a single tour.”
DominATE Experience was meant to feel like the viewer was experiencing the concert using 4DX technology and special effects, while also having access to behind the scenes footage and member interviews. When camera drones flew at the artists on stage, the seats moved to follow the drones’ image. A highlight of most K-pop concerts, and Stray Kids’ specifically, is the members splashing buckets of water on fans from the stage to cool off attendees. “I was not expecting the seats to move and for us to get splashed with water,” said freshman Iris Cousins. As the members splashed water on fans on screen, viewers were sprayed with water coming from the chairs in front of them and from the theater’s ceilings.
Another fan-favorite experience at K-pop concerts is the trading of freebies, which are small gifts like bracelets that fans will make beforehand to bring to concerts and trade with other fans. This tradition carried on in theaters with fans arriving early to give away or trade their freebies. “All the Strays were incredibly sweet and it was so fun to interact with them,” said Cousins, referring to Stray Kids fans she met at the movie.
DominATE Experience has already been a massive hit after its release on Feb. 6, 2026, grossing roughly $20 million worldwide. The film also hit the Box Office #1 within two days of release, showing yet again how talented these artists are and how much hard work they put into giving their fans the best experiences possible.
