I-5 traffic tips and other advice during major K-pop concert in Tacoma next week

Going to a K-pop concert can be a big commitment.

Long lines for admission and merch, booming venues and fans all waiting with bated breath for the appearance of their favorite members on-stage can cause emotions to run high. Having a plan for the concert can make for a smoother outing.

Jordan Alcantara attended an ATEEZ concert at the Tacoma Dome last summer. She’s also seen other K-pop groups perform there, like the girl group TWICE.

“In my experience, the Dome entrances are usually pretty smooth, and if you want to arrive when doors open, you totally can,” Alcantara, 32, told The News Tribune. She plans to arrive at around 4:30 p.m. to attend this year’s ATEEZ concert in Tacoma. 

ATEEZ returns to the Dome for their ATEEZ 2025 WORLD TOUR [IN YOUR FANTASY] at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 30. The South Korean boy group members — Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho — made their debut in October 2018. The name ATEEZ stands for “A TEEnager Z” and initially stood for “everything teenagers need from A to Z,” a tour announcement press release says.

Briana Lamont, 35, messaged The News Tribune saying that last summer’s ATEEZ concert was her first K-pop concert. She’s met many close friends among other ATEEZ fans, she said

“Atiny, the Ateez fans, are the most kind and inclusive people I have ever met,” she wrote. “Ateez may be from Korea, but they have created a family that goes beyond borders, social class and skin color.”

The News Tribune spoke to fans and Tacoma Dome officials to create a guide to this week’s ATEEZ concert at the Dome. Here’s what you need to know. 

Getting there

General doors open at 6 p.m., Tacoma Dome Marketing Director Hillary Chynoweth wrote in an email. The plaza opens at noon and offers extras including “a merchandise stand, food and beverages for purchase (including food trucks), guest services staff, and fan activities such as a banner signing station.” Parking lots open at 9 a.m.

The Tacoma Dome is at 2727 East D St. in Tacoma. It’s the largest indoor venue in the state and can hold up to 21,000 visitors, according to the venue’s website.

It’s a few minutes off of I-5. Venue staff recommend that drivers take Exit 135 if going southbound, or Exit 134 if northbound. Avoid taking Exit 133 because it’s “generally closed for high volume traffic events and traffic will be re-routed,” the website says.

Parking is limited at the Dome and can sell out. Chynoweth wrote that lots are expected to fill for this event.

Parking rates range from $15 to $60 per vehicle and can be paid using a mobile device by scanning QR codes on nearby signs or using the Premium Parking system’s TextPay service or mobile app, according to the Dome website. All lots offer space on a first-come, first-served basis. ADA-accessible parking is available in Lots E and K.

Public transit options are available through a range of commuter trains and buses that stop at the Tacoma Dome Station, which is about an eight minute walk from the Dome. Sound Transit offers the Tacoma Link Light Rail (T Line), which runs through downtown Tacoma; the Sounder (S Line), which takes riders to and from Seattle; and several local bus routes, according to their website. Pierce Transit, which serves Pierce County, and Intercity Transit, which serves Thurston County, also have stops at the station.

Sound Transit offered extended service hours on the T Line for last year’s ATEEZ concert, but due to low usage will not be offering that this year, according to Sound Transit spokesperson David Jackson.

If you’re getting dropped off or picked up, you can catch your ride in the drop-off and pick-up zone on Wiley Avenue, but the Dome website recommends other locations such as the Tacoma Dome Station for better access.

ATEEZ fan Jordan Alcantara said that she and her friends didn’t have to wait too long to get inside at last year’s concert. She recalled people starting to line up “pretty early for entry,” but there were staff directing people to the shortest line and the Dome had several entrances open.

Inside the Dome

The Dome doesn’t allow outdoor food or beverages inside. Exceptions may be granted in cases including baby food, baby formula, medication or “other special health-related needs,” the venue website says.

The venue has a clear bag policy. Bags must be clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC, with dimensions a maximum of 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches, unless they’re a small clutch purse 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches or smaller. You’re allowed to bring a gallon plastic storage bag. The Dome offers clear bags for sale at Stocklist Goods, and attendees can rent a limited number of Binbox lockers outside the Dome for most major events on a first-come, first served basis, for a fee of $10-$15 subject to change. 

Camera policies depend on the event: “For most events, non-professional (no detachable lens) cameras are allowed. No video cameras, audio recording devices, GoPros, iPads, selfie sticks, gimbals, or tripods.”

As a cashless facility, the Dome only accepts card or mobile payments, such as Google Pay or Apple Pay, inside the venue. This includes all concessions and merchandise sales. If you find yourself stuck with only cash, you can access one of the venue’s cash-to-card kiosks to convert your cash to a prepaid VISA card. 

“These reverse ATMs are placed on the concourse near Section 109 and on the floor level in the NW Corner,” the website says.

Complete accessibility information, including details on parking, seating, sensory assistance and wheelchair rentals, is available on the venue’s accessibility page.

Tacoma Police Department officers will be “working the ATEEZ concert in a police capacity, both inside the venue and outside on traffic control,” police spokesperson Shelbie Boyd told The News Tribune via email.

She added that the level of police staffing is “in line, or standard, with other events of this crowd size,” such as the Ado: Hibana and A.R. Rahman shows this month. Private security company Allied Universal provides security services including gate checks, Boyd wrote.

Merch pop-up and fan events

Official merch will be sold from July 28-July 31 at a pop-up in Kpop Nara Seattle, located at 500 E. Pike St. in Seattle. The pop-up’s hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. each day, and more information is available at ateezgoods.com/tacoma-1.

ATEEZ fan Lamont wrote that at last year’s concert, there were multiple lines for merch both outside and inside the Dome. She noted that merch stands last year also sold light sticks, and recommended that fans come prepared with a fully-charged phone and batteries for their light stick, though she recalled batteries were also sold there.

Jade Lounge, a boba shop at 2421 S. Union Ave. in Tacoma, is hosting several events for fans around the concert.

▪ Sunday, July 27: In Your Fantasy Cupsleeve Event, 12-6 p.m. Hosted by @moonlightkpopevents, @tinyriboshop and @ghostly.heartss, offering cupsleeves, stickers and prints for sale; photocard trading; games and a donation raffle.

▪ Tuesday, July 29: In Your Fantasy pre-concert event, 2-9 p.m. Hosted by @magicshopinseattle and @c6felix, with cupsleeves, photocard trading and a K-pop merch pop-up.

▪ Wednesday, July 30: Late Nite ATEEZ After Party, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Hosted by Jade Lounge.

This story was originally published July 26, 2025 at 12:30 PM.

Julia Park

The News Tribune

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Julia Park is the Gig Harbor reporter at The News Tribune and writes stories about Gig Harbor, Key Peninsula, Fox Island and other areas across the Tacoma Narrows. She started as a news intern in summer 2024 after graduating from the University of Washington, where she wrote for her student paper, The Daily, freelanced for the South Seattle Emerald and interned at Cascade PBS News (formerly Crosscut).