Stray Kids to Make a High-Stakes Comeback with THIS & THAT

Highlights

• Stray Kids' homecoming after a nine-month break could redefine the group's global momentum.
• With Stray Kids, JYP is making a bigger bet on live entertainment, with plans to scale their recent return with an even bigger world tour.
• A festival-first expansion strategy hints at Stray Kids' next phase beyond usual arena tours.

JYP Entertainment announced on June 22, 2026, that Stray Kids will be making a high-stakes summer comeback with a new album and a world tour. The announcement comes as the group is attempting to establish itself as a dominant force in the global festival circuit, which potentially falls under the live music market.

Stray Kids to Return With THIS & THAT After Nine-Month Hiatus

Stray Kids’ new rollout begins on June 24 with a pre-release digital single, RUN IT. Meanwhile, their upcoming album, THIS & THAT, is scheduled for an August 7, 2026, launch. Fresh off their success streak as their first eight consecutive charting albums entered No. 1 on the Billboard 200, rounded out by DO IT in late 2025. Notably, SKZ IT TAPE DO IT sold about 2.2 million copies in its opening week, thereby cementing Stray Kids’ baseline market power. With such a history, the group’s latest album is set to test their sustainability.

THIS & THAT is the group’s first major release of 2026, which will break their nine-month-long recording hiatus. With this new album and an associated tour, the group and its agency potentially aims to surpass their own touring records to solidify their footprint in Western and Latin American live music markets.

JYP Bets on Live Tours as Stray Kids Expand Global Reach

Driven by their in-house production trio, 3RACHA, composed of members Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han, Stray Kids have created a unique, self-produced identity that includes a string of hit songs like MEGAVERSE, MANIAC, Thunderous, and Chk Chk Boom. Stray Kids’ upcoming eight-track album could leverage that very consistency of their music as they transition into larger global venues.

As reported widely by many Korean media houses, live performance will dictate the second phase of JYP's monetization strategy this year. The agency confirmed the upcoming RUN IT world tour will surpass the scale of the group's earlier dominATE circuit, which concluded in October 2025 and raked in about $185.7M USD in revenue, according to Billboard tours data. Reportedly, the tour sold 1.3M tickets across the initial 31 reported show dates.

The huge scale of the tour had also significantly pushed JYP’s finances towards an upward trajectory. Backed by ticket sales and tour-associated merchandise, the group’s agency reportedly recorded an explosive 125.5% year-over-year revenue increase, reaching ₩215.8B(~ $140M) in Q2 2025 earnings. Additionally, a major 342% surge in the live entertainment sector during that time drove JYP's overall operating profit to an astronomical 466.3% increase on a year-over-year basis.

Festival Strategy Signals Stray Kids’ Global Expansion Push

Apart from their traditional arena routing, Stray Kids is moving towards a festival-heavy schedule to target a broader set of audiences. After headlining the New York’s Governors Ball on June 6, the group will now be performing at Brazil’s Rock in Rio in September. Also, the group will launch its own festival IP, STRAYCITY, across major Latin American regions. With such an aggressive push, Stray Kids depicts an increasing industry shift, where top-most K-pop acts are progressively leaning towards regional events and not just standard tour stops.