REVIEW NCT DREAM commands Seoul's biggest dome with 3-night spectacle ahead of new album

Members of K-pop boy band NCT DREAM, from left, Haechan, Jeno, Chenle, Renjun, Jaemin, Mark and Jisung, perform during their "2025 NCT DREAM TOUR 'THE DREAM SHOW 4 : DREAM THE FUTURE'" concert at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Saturday. Courtesy of SM Entertainment

By Pyo Kyung-min

• Published Jul 13, 2025 2:12 PM KST

In a city where only the biggest names can fill its largest arena, K-pop boy band NCT DREAM didn't just pack Seoul's symbolic Gocheok Sky Dome, they nearly blew its roof off.

The seven-piece NCT subunit, who first burst onto the stage on hoverboards nine years ago as SM Entertainment's youngest boy band, returned to the capital last week exuding arena-dominating aura in place of their once-teenage charm.

Now grown and backed by one of K-pop's most powerful fandoms, NCT DREAM drew 60,000 fans over three sold-out nights with their "2025 NCT DREAM TOUR 'THE DREAM SHOW 4 : DREAM THE FUTURE.'"

The dome, located in southwestern Seoul's Guro District, is the city's largest currently operating concert venue, a space that has hosted only a select few K-pop acts such as BTS, BLACKPINK, Seventeen, Stray Kids and BIGBANG.

But NCT DREAM and their fans made it look easy, even with the group's "THE DREAM SHOW" concert series returning regularly over the years.

Hours before Saturday's final concert, crowds filled the area around the dome, many dressed in their best looks and holding the group's official neon green lightsticks, hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorite idols.

The show began just after 7 p.m. with a literal bang, as fireworks burst across the stage to signal its kickoff. The members, emerging in flame-stitched outfits to an eruption of cheers, opened the show with "BTTF," one of the title tracks from their upcoming fifth full-length album, set for release Monday.

From there, NCT DREAM tore through a 26-song setlist without pause. The lineup spanned the group's biggest hits — "BOOM," "Hot Sauce," "ISTJ," "Candy" — along with early cuts like "We Young" and "Dunk Shot" that reminded fans of their debut days.

Softer fan-favorite tracks like "My Page" and "La La Love" added some time for emotional connection between the performers and their audience.

But the show wasn't just a nostalgia trip, as unit stages and solo segments gave each member room to shine.

Mark and Jisung's aggressive rendition of "Ridin'," Haechan and Chenle's duet opening of "1, 2, 3" and Renjun's ethereal intro to the Korean version of "Moonlight" showed just how far their artistry has come, proving the group's growth wasn't limited to a single talent.

Before the night hit overdrive, the concert took a sudden sultry turn with "Best of Me," performed under scarlet lighting as all seven members danced in black blindfolds.

Then came the night's biggest jaw-dropper as Jaemin and Jeno took center stage for "STRONGER," the undisputed highlight of the night. Midway through the track, Jaemin and Jeno shrugged off their black leather jackets to reveal sculpted physiques, sending the crowd into an absolute frenzy of screams. The dome's roof didn't quite come off, but it might as well have.

Once the poster boys for youth and innocence, NCT DREAM now stood fully in their grown-up era, and the crowd couldn't get enough of it.

The show's encore saw the group return with large-scale performances of "Broken Melodies," "Trigger the Fever" and "Hello Future." Though these songs have long served as the group's grand finales, their emotional resonance and the show's impeccable staging made the closing anything but routine.

After the three-day Seoul kickoff, NCT DREAM will take "THE DREAM SHOW 4" on the road, landing in Bangkok on Aug. 16 and 17, Hong Kong on Aug. 30, Jakarta on Sept. 27 and 28, Singapore on Oct. 18 and 19, Taipei on Dec. 6, and Kuala Lumpur on Dec. 13 and 14.

The band’s fifth full-length album, "Go Back To The Future," is set to drop Monday at 6 p.m.