Progressive Metal icons Dream Theater have had one of their busiest years to date. Former drummer/founding member Mike Portnoy returned to the drum throne after 15 years of absence. During that time, Portnoy stayed busy drumming in various other bands such as Avenged Sevenfold, Winery Dogs, Transatlantic, and he even toured with Twisted Sister sitting in for sadly departed drummer A.J Pero.
In 2023, Dream Theater announced the return of Portnoy in 2023 to much praise from his band mates and fans alike.
Dream Theater members had these things to say:
John Myung: “It’s great to be back true to form with our original drummer Mike Portnoy. We started playing together as Majesty almost 40 years ago and I am excited to see what this next phase of Dream Theater creates for the future.”
John Petrucci: “I’m incredibly excited to welcome Mike Portnoy back into Dream Theater! As an original founding member, longtime friend and incredibly talented and creative drummer, I know that his return will bring a renewed spirit, passion and energy into DT that all of us, including our fans, will joyfully welcome. I can’t wait to roll up our sleeves and get back into the studio together!”
James LaBrie: “Having Mike Portnoy back in the band is exactly where we and things should be. Things have a way of going full circle and in this case, it makes perfect sense. I am excited with the prospects of this classic DT lineup being reunited. I can say with absolute confidence this will be the final incarnation of DT with many chapters still to be written well into our future. Onward and upward guys!! Welcome back MP.”
Jordan Rudess: “We are so excited to reunite the core Dream Theater family. There is a resonance of spirit and vision that is unique and goes beyond words within our relationship with Mike Portnoy. On the stage and off there is no denying the magic that happens when we are together. I’m thankful we have the opportunity to work together again as Dream Theater and am looking forward to sharing our excitement and passion with our amazing fans for a long time to come.”
Mike Portnoy himself had this to say:
“I am overwhelmed with joy to be returning home and reuniting with my brothers! There is so much shared history between us all…so many memories, so much music…to think we’re coming up on 40 years since this journey began! The idea of creating new music together is so exciting and I absolutely cannot wait to hit the road and get to play live for a whole new generation of fans that weren’t ever able to see this lineup before…There’s no place like home!!”
October of 2o24, Dream Theater announced the release of their 2025 epic release, Parasomnia. After a very successful run of shows in 2024, Dream Theater is hitting the road again like warriors for a summer tour that will cover four months worth of shows. The tour kicks off on June 3rd in Finland and will conclude on October 25 at the legendary Nassau Coliseum.
2025 European Tour
June
3 – Turku, Finland – Logomo
5 – Solvesborg, Sweden – Sweden Rock Festival
7 – Nancy, France – Heavy Weekend Festival
10 – MareNostrum, Spain – MareNostrum Festival
12 – Zamora, Spain – Z Live Festival
14 – Nickelsdorf, Austria – Nova Rock Festival
19 – Dessel, Belgium – Graspop
20 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Copenhell Festival
21 – Clisson, France – Hellfest
23 – Sopot, Poland – Opera Lesna
25 – Oslo, Norway – Tons Of Rock
27 – Tallinn, Estonia – Tallinn Rock Festival
28 – Grenchen, Switzerland – Summerside Festival
30 – Marostica, Italy – Piazza Degli Scacchi
July
1 – Lucca, Italy – Piazza Napoleone
2 – Pompei, Italy – Anfiteatro Degli Scavi
4 – Sicily, Italy – Teatro Antico di Taormina
6 – Valletta, Malta – Pinto Wharf
10 – Bonn, Germany – Kunst! Rasen
11 – Hannover, Germany – Gilde Parkbihne
12 – Nurnberg, Germany – Stadionpark
14 – Hamburg, Germany – Stadtpark
15 – Leipzig, Germany – Parkbühne
17 – Turin, Italy – Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi
18 – St Julien En Genevois, France – Guitar En Scene
20t – Plovdiv, Bulgaria – Ancient Theatre
21 – Plovdiv, Bulgaria – Ancient Theatre
23 – Athens, Greece – Water Square
25 – Sibiu, Romania – ARTmania
27 – Istanbul, Turkey – Kücükçiftlik Park
29 – Orange, France – Theatre Antique d’Orange
2025 North American Tour
SEPTEMBER:
5 – Reading, PA – Santander PAC
6 – Baltimore, MD – The Lyric
9 – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston PAC
10 – Clearwater, FL – The BayCare Sound Amphitheater
12 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
13 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy
14 – Atlanta, GA – Coca-Cola Roxy (40th Anniversary Tour Rescheduled Date)
16 – Charlotte, NC – Owens Auditorium
18 – Pittsburgh, PA – Benedum Center
19 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life (Festival)
21 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
22 – Peoria, IL – Prairie Home Alliance Theater
24 – Milwaukee, WI – Miller High Life Theatre
25 – Minneapolis, MN – Orpheum Theatre
27 – Des Moines, IA – Vibrant Music Hall
OCTOBER
29 – Colorado Springs, CO – Pikes Peak Center
3 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock (Festival)
4 – Oceanside, CA – Frontwave Arena
5 – Long Beach, CA – Long Beach Terrace Theater
7 – Mesa, AZ – Mesa Arts Center – Ikeda Theater
8 – El Paso, TX – Abraham Chavez Theatre
11 – Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Theater
13 – Kansas City, MO – Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland
14 – St. Louis, MO – The Factory
17 – Hammond, IN – The Venue at Horseshoe Hammond
18 – Columbus, OH – Palace Theatre
20 – Syracuse, NY – Landmark Theatre
22 – Providence, RI – Veterans Memorial Auditorium
23 – Schenectady, NY – Proctor’s Theatre
25 – Long Island, NY – Nassau Coliseum
All ticket links, VIP upgrades and more info at dreamtheater.net.
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