BTS Kicked Off the Second Leg of Their Arirang World Tour at MetLife Stadium with Epic Energy and More Surprise Songs

BTS is back on the road!

In April, the South Korean musical act — consisting of RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook — began their Arirang World Tour in South Korea shortly after the release of their album, ARIRANG, on March 20. And following a sold-out first leg across Asia, the U.S., Mexico and Europe, the group returned to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey for the second leg of their circuit.

The kick-off show on Saturday, Aug. 1 was electrifying with fans excited to celebrate BTS’ return to the stage, especially because it was the first time in seven years the members performed a concert at MetLife Stadium since 2019 (though the group was among the artists hitting the field on July 19 for the first-ever FIFA World Cup halftime show).

On the grounds, fans dressed to impress in inspired looks, some nodding to BTS’ most memorable internet memes and others in red and black as a nod to ARIRANG, which is the group’s first record since they completed South Korea’s mandatory military service in June 2025.

ARMY, the BTS fandom, were also able to participate in an interactive activation hosted by Samsung, a global partner of the tour. In collaboration with HYBE, the brand offered both experiences across New York City landmarks and on site, where fans got to test out the new Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Flip8 phones, which are available for pre-order before the Aug. 7 launch date.

With the Z Fold8’s new features, fans were able to fully immerse in the BTS universe; the AI feature Photo Assist provided a music video-inspired backdrop for a souvenir photo, while the AI Interpreter translator offered a special opportunity to send a message to BTS.

Timed to the East Coast shows, Samsung also hosted the Samsung Galaxy Experience booth at the Korean Culture Center of New York from Aug. 1 to Aug. 3, where attendees received limited-edition BTS THE CITY New York merch and photos captured on the new phones.

The energy continued as the show began with an electric performance of “Hooligan.” The setlist included new and beloved tracks in addition to “Dis-ease” off BE and the 2015 hit “RUN,” which continued the show’s surprise song segment. Other moments included RM sharing a special shout-out to rapper, Nas, who was in attendance, j-hope saying he felt like Spider-Man “flying through New York” thanks to the screams from fans, and Jin calling the crowd “sexy.”

During a part of the show, the camera panned to fan-made signs, many of which nodded to the group’s decision to forgo submitting their work for the 2027 Grammy Awards after the Recording Academy debuted the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category for K-pop, J-pop and C-pop genres.

“We hope music can be heard and loved for itself, beyond regions or languages,” they shared in a joint statement. “We are grateful to our ‘ARMY’ and everyone who has always supported us.”

Throughout their career, BTS has earned five Grammy nominations: Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Dynamite,” “Butter” and “My Universe” with Coldplay, Album of the Year for Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres and Best Music Video for “Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment).”