[Concert Recap] Stray Kids in Amsterdam

On Friday, July 11th, STRAY KIDS kicked off the European leg of their Dominate World Tour with a powerful, high-energy performance at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam. This was the group's first time performing in the Netherlands, and with more than 50,000 fans in attendance, it was clear they had been eagerly awaited. It's also record-breaking due to being the first Kpop concert in the Johan Cruijff.

Photography by Vincent van den Boogaard, JYP Entertainment

The Venue

The Johan Cruijff Arena is known primarily as the home of Ajax, the biggest football stadium in the Netherlands. The pre-show atmosphere was incredible, with Click&Collect merch stations, freebie meet-ups and fan events happening all around the arena.

Despite the summer sunlight still shining at showtime, dimming the effect of lightsticks and stage lighting, the excitement in the air was electric. Fans were ready. Tons of them, because seeing the amount of fans together in a stadium like this was truly mindblowing!

Photography by Vincent van den Boogaard, JYP Entertainment

The Concert

STRAY KIDS wasted no time, opening with Mountains followed by Thunderous, two tracks packed with strong choreography and energy that immediately set the tone for the rest of the night. Dressed in black and silver, the members were joined by dancers in white, creating a striking visual contrast.

After those bangers they continued with JJAM from the "ATE" album (and yes, they really ate), before the members took a moment to introduce themselves. The screams from the crowd were deafening, especially when Bang Chan talked about this being their first Dutch show, and the very first stop on their European tour.

The setlist continued with District 9 and "Back Door", during which the members made use of the extended stage, getting closer to fans and hyping up every corner of the stadium.

Then came a rapid-fire sequence of songs: Hellevator, Easy, SOS, Walk On Water, Charmer, Venom, and Hall of Fame, all performed flawlessly with the support of a huge dance crew (about 30 dancers!). A VCR break with visuals from Maniac gave the audience a short breather, before the group reappeared in new black and red outfits for Chk Chk Boom, a bass-heavy performance that had the entire venue cheering.

Photography by Vincent van den Boogaard, JYP Entertainment

The energy didn’t let up. Domino, God’s Menu, and a live band segment followed, the latter giving members time to change outfits again. Han and Felix came out in white tracksuits for their unit stage Truman, which included smoke effects and lots of attitude. They were followed by Changbin and I.N performing Burnin’ Tires, complete with a dance formation that looked like a race on top of dancers, such a cool moment!

Escape by Bang Chan and Hyunjin was one of the most conceptual stages of the night, featuring dancers in white hoods standing still like statues while Hyunjin weaved between them. Bang Chan eventually joined, creating a theatrical moment that stood out.

For a change of pace, Lee Know and Seungmin performed the slower song CINEMA, a sweet duet about how fans keep their story going. After another VCR and a switch to denim-style outfits, the group returned for Giant, which included a literal giant figure on stage rising behind them. Definitely one of the freakiest (but coolest) visuals of the night!

They followed up with Walkin On Water, then launched into S-Class, backed by fireworks. The members talked with fans for a bit—Hyunjin joked that "Escape" was about Bang Chan's life, who in turn joked he did indeed “escape” Australia.

Photography by Vincent van den Boogaard, JYP Entertainment

The next section slowed things down with Lonely St. and Cover Me, where Bang Chan encouraged everyone to sing along. It was a more emotional moment; some fans were definitely teary-eyed. They thanked the live band, who each got a solo, before jumping right back into it with Topline and Social Path.

The stadium was completely hyped for LALALA, complete with lights, flames, and explosive choreography. The members took turns leading scream battles between different sections of the crowd, and even acknowledged the Dutch "Okaaay let’s goooo" meme, which was enthusiastically cheered on by all the fans who understood the reference.

Of course, it wasn’t over yet. Megaverse hit hard, rolling right into Maniac. Another short break followed, during which fans did a dance challenge shown on the big screens... Honestly, they crushed it.

Super Board came next, performed from moving carts that traveled around the venue, followed by I Like It, and My Pace, while giant SKZOO balloons floated along beside them. Then, with no rest in sight, they launched straight into Blind Spot, keeping the momentum going strong.

A sweet fan video played next—filmed across all 12 Dutch provinces—followed by the group’s self-titled track Stray Kids. They then performed Miroh, asking the crowd to jump along with them. The energy in the stadium at this point? Absolutely wild. The stadium was shaking.

They pretended to say goodbye, only to return a few seconds later for an encore: Chk Chk Boom (Festival Version), turning the entire arena into one last massive party. They closed with Hall Of Fame, with the members waving and interacting with fans one last time.

Photography by Vincent van den Boogaard, JYP Entertainment

Conclusion

STRAY KIDS gave everything in Amsterdam—from start to finish, it was a stadium-scale spectacle full of powerful performances, emotional moments, and fan interaction. Despite some sound issues and lingering daylight, nothing could dim the magic of their first show in the Netherlands. If this was only the beginning of their European tour, then the rest of Europe better buckle up!

Review by Eva Bergsma, KpopConcertsEurope

Photography by Vincent van den Boogaard, JYP Entertainment

Gallery

Setlist