Mike Portnoy recently announced that Dream Theater is taking a break following an extensive touring period. He shared details about the band’s schedule in a statement posted on Instagram.
The drummer reflected on the band’s remarkable year of touring and outlined their plans for the upcoming months.
“That’s a wrap on 2025! Between Oct 20th 2024 thru Oct 25th 2025 we played 123 Shows across the globe…(and we’re not done yet!),” Portnoy said. “We’re gonna take a much deserved break for the holidays and then after the new year, we’ll be back at it throughout Asia and Australia…(and even more TBA).”
Portnoy also expressed gratitude to those who made the tour possible.
“Thank you to our amazing crew for getting this incredible show up and down each and every night…and to our amazing fans around the world that have made this DT’s biggest and best tour ever!” he continued.
The band will resume touring in Asia and Australia after the holiday break. Additional dates are to be announced.
The extensive 2025 touring cycle marks a significant milestone for Dream Theater. It represents Portnoy’s first full year back with the band since rejoining in October 2023. IMDB reported that the 40th Anniversary North American tour from February to March 2025 was Portnoy’s first U.S. tour with the band in 14 years after his departure.
The 2025 tour supported Dream Theater’s new album Parasomnia. The band performed all eight songs from the album during their shows. Loudwire noted that the fall U.S. leg included 30 cities from September 5 to October 25, 2025. The setlist featured the lengthy closer “The Shadow Man Incident” plus classics and fan favorites nightly.
Portnoy has expressed strong enthusiasm about the band’s current creative direction. Loudwire revealed that he named Parasomnia his favorite album of 2025 so far. He praised the creative synergy upon his return and called it a classic Dream Theater album that blends their past and future style.
“It definitely sounds like classic Dream Theater,” Portnoy said in a recent interview, as Metal Injection documented.
The tour also featured special performances of epic tracks like A Change of Seasons. Portnoy hinted that the song might not be performed in future tours. Wikipedia indicated that this could be among the last live runs of the iconic song, making the 2025 tour particularly significant for longtime fans.
