Dream Theater has just announced a comeback to India – this time, it is Bangalore (30th January) and Kolkata (1st February), to celebrate the band’s 40th anniversary. Tickets out in 4 days! January 2026 will be the first time Indian fans will witness drummer Mike Portnoy with them!
Almost a decade since they last visited the country in October 2017, Dream Theater has announced they will return next year in January. Bangalore (January 30th) and Kolkata (February 1st) will get to witness them live at Phoenix Market City (back arena) and Aquatica Grounds, respectively.
The Asia-Australia tour celebrates the American prog–rock–metal band’s 40th anniversary. Tickets are expected to go live on Skillbox on Sept. 5, 2025. Prices, categories, and further details are yet to be announced.
Click here for ticket links! EBs are now available in 4 tiers – Silver, Gold, Diamond and Lounge. While Silver audiences can witness their favorite band from the back, Gold audiences will be in the middle, and Diamond holders get to be right in front! Lounge tier offers an elevated stage and exclusive bar access on top of Diamond benefits!
In a social media post, the band writes, “We can’t wait to return to India,” while also mentioning Indonesia, Australia, South Korea, and Japan.
Their 2017 visit to Mumbai, which was their first India tour, was a 25-year celebration of their second album “Images and Words”, which had taken fans by storm. So if we consider Kolkata and Bangalore, this will be their first show there.
Mike Portnoy’s First Performance In India With Dream Theater
One major change since then has been the fact that co-founder and drummer Mike Portnoy has returned this time. Portnoy left the band in 2010, but re-joined in 2023. Earlier this year, Dream Theater released their first studio album since the reunion, called ‘Parasomnia‘. The album had 8 tracks, including ‘Night Terror,’ ‘A Broken Man,’ and ‘Midnight Messiah’.
Their current lineup includes John Petrucci on guitars, John Myung on bass, vocalist James LaBrie, keyboardist Jordan Rudess and Mike Portnoy.
While Portnoy has performed in India with prog artist Neal Morse Band at 2013’s cultural festival Mood Indigo at IIT Bombay, Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess too, has had past connections to India, collaborating with fusion band Thaikkudam Bridge on their song “Salaikal”, as well as producer Mahesh Raghvan.
Dream Theater have sold more than 12 million albums globally. They have also earned three Grammy nominations, out of which they won one in 2022 for Best Metal Performance for their song ‘The Alien’.
