Progressive metal titans Dream Theater will perform in Paraguay for the first time on 28 April 2026. The band will play at Puerto de Asunción as part of their Parasomnia 2026 tour. More significantly, this marks the first time the band’s classic lineup will appear together since 2009, with founding drummer Mike Portnoy reuniting with the ensemble after a sixteen-year absence.
The announcement was made on 9 February 2026 by production company G5 Pro. For a nation sandwiched between Argentina and Brazil, both regular international tour stops, the arrival of Dream Theater represents a cultural milestone. This is not merely another concert. It is the first time Paraguayan audiences will witness one of metal’s most influential bands at full strength.
Understanding the reunion: Why Portnoy’s return matters
Dream Theater emerged from Boston’s Berklee College of Music in the mid-1980s. The band combined 1970s progressive rock with heavy metal, creating a new subgenre: progressive metal. Mike Portnoy was the drummer who helped define that sound. His technical precision and innovative approach became central to the band’s identity.
However, Portnoy left Dream Theater in 2009 to focus on The Winery Dogs, a side project with bassist Billy Sheehan and guitarist Richie Kotzen. The band performed in Paraguay at Teatro del Hotel Guaraní in Asunción during 2016. For the next sixteen years, Dream Theater continued recording and touring, but with various fill-in drummers.
Portnoy has now returned to Dream Theater. He appears on Parasomnia, the band’s sixteenth studio album, released in February 2025. The album immediately reached number one on Billboard’s hard rock and rock charts. His reunion with the band brings the original chemistry back to the stage.
What Dream Theater will perform in Asunción
Dream Theater will perform the complete Parasomnia album. This is a concept record exploring sleep disorders, hence exploring night terrors, sleep paralysis, and sleepwalking. Consequently, the band treats these phenomena as metaphors for modern anxiety and disconnection.
Besides Parasomnia, Dream Theater will perform A Change of Seasons. This is a single composition lasting twenty-three minutes. The song was so long that the band released it as its own extended play in 1995. 2026 marks thirty years since that release. For instance, playing the piece with the original lineup represents a rare event.
The setlist will also include material from Images and Words, Awake, and Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. These albums span the band’s four decades of work.
The historical significance of Dream Theater
Dream Theater fundamentally changed what metal could be. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, heavy metal favoured simplicity and directness. Nonetheless, Dream Theater asked different questions: Why could metal not be complex? Why could it not tell stories? Why could it not explore philosophy and literature?
The band included vocalist James LaBrie, guitarists John Petrucci, bassist John Myung, drummer Mike Portnoy, and keyboardist Jordan Rudess. Together, they created ambitious compositions. These songs often exceeded ten minutes. Therefore, albums functioned as complete narratives.
This approach worked. Dream Theater has sold over 42 million albums worldwide. They have earned multiple Grammy Awards. Countless bands have imitated their formula. However, few have matched their uncompromising commitment to complexity and storytelling.
The meaning of this concert for Paraguay
International acts of Dream Theater’s stature visit Paraguay less frequently than Argentina or Brazil. This concert represents something beyond entertainment. It is a reunion for fans who have carried the band’s music through decades of personal change.
For those encountering Dream Theater for the first time, the Asunción concert offers an education. It is a chance to understand why progressive metal matters. It is a chance to experience technical musicianship at the highest level.
Everything you need to know before the show
Tickets are available through Ticketea, both online and at physical locations throughout Asunción. The concert will take place at Puerto de Asunción, on 28 April 2026 at 21:00. The venue, located in Asunción’s central district, has hosted numerous international acts.
Production is being handled by G5 Pro, the same company that organized Korn’s 2026 return to Paraguay.
For a look at other international metal acts heading to Paraguay, discover how Asunciónico 2026 returns with The Killers, Sabrina Carpenter, and Deftones as headliners.
