GOYANG, South Korea, April 09 (AJP) — Neither unseasonable spring rain nor distance kept fans from gathering for BTS’ first full-member stadium concert in seven years, as the group kicked off its three-night home run in Goyang, just west of Seoul, on Thursday night.
Thousands filled the 41,311-seat Goyang Stadium, where a 360-degree in-the-round stage allowed all seven members to face every section of the crowd. Police estimated that roughly half of those arriving from early afternoon were foreign nationals, underscoring the group’s global pull.
Tickets for all three nights sold out immediately, bringing total attendance in Goyang to about 120,000.
The steady rain did little to dampen the mood. Purple umbrellas — the band’s signature color — blanketed the venue in an orderly scene that drew notice from authorities on standby. Fans freely exchanged phones with strangers to take photos, bound by little more than shared trust as members of ARMY, BTS’s global fan base.
Tripti, 25, from India who came from India alone just for the show, was impressed how at home she felt.
"I felt as if I wasn't alone at all. Everyone offered to take picture of me. I'm grateful and proud to be an ARMY."
Jessi (24), like her Indian peer, also has come to Korea just for the show, and is hardly affected by the bad weather.
Cho Eun-joo (44), who introduced herself as “Ms. Hanbok,” handed out purple daenggi hair ribbons inspired by traditional Korean dress, while others reciprocated with gifts they had brought from home — a reflection of the communal, festival-like atmosphere.
The concerts mark the live debut of BTS’s fifth studio album, ARIRANG, their first group release since completing mandatory military service in mid-2025. The album, released March 20, topped the Billboard 200 for two consecutive weeks — a first for a K-pop act — while lead single “SWIM” debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100.
The “BTS World Tour ‘ARIRANG’” will span 85 shows across 34 cities through 2027, setting a new benchmark for a K-pop tour. Industry estimates suggest total revenue could reach 2.7 trillion won ($1.81 billion), excluding additional spending by fans.
The expanded schedule includes Latin American stops such as Lima, Santiago and Buenos Aires, marking the group’s first full-member performances in several of those markets and new milestones at major venues across the region.
Demand has already translated into strong ticket sales, with multiple dates across Asia, North America and Europe sold out. Promoter Live Nation said about 2.4 million tickets have been sold for 41 shows in North America and Europe alone.
Beyond touring, BTS has sustained momentum through a staggered content rollout. A Netflix documentary, BTS: THE RETURN, traces the making of ARIRANG, while a series of music and performance videos has continued to drive global engagement across platforms.
The group has also sustained engagement through a staggered release strategy, spacing out new content instead of concentrating attention around a single promotional window.
The music video for “SWIM,” released on March 20, has drawn more than 92.1 million views and reached No. 3 on YouTube’s trending chart. An official performance video followed on March 25, topping 22.9 million views and ranking No. 5 on the same chart.
On April 2, the “BTS 2.0” video surpassed 34.1 million views and climbed to No. 2 on YouTube’s music trending chart. Most recently, the music video for “Hooligan,” released on April 8, drew more than 4.9 million views within hours.
Joonha Yoo contributed to the story.
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