SEOUL, June 12 (Yonhap) — K-pop supergroup BTS will begin the Busan leg of its “Arirang” world tour Friday, returning to the southern South Korean port city, alongside its global fan base, known as ARMY.
The group will perform at Busan Asiad Main Stadium on Friday and Saturday, with the shows expected to draw a combined audience of around 110,000. Tickets for both shows have sold out.
The K-pop septet kicked off the tour in April at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, just northwest of Seoul, where it had three shows before heading overseas. The group has since performed in cities, including Tokyo, Tampa, El Paso, Mexico City, Stanford and Las Vegas, attracting roughly 840,000 fans across 15 shows during the first leg of its North American tour alone.
It marks BTS’ first performance in Busan in more than three years after staging the “Yet to Come in Busan” concert in October 2022 in support of the city’s bid to host the 2030 World Expo.
The upcoming shows also carry added significance as the group reunites with fans at the venue where it last performed before entering a hiatus for its members’ mandatory military service.
The second night of the Busan concerts coincides with the band’s 13th debut anniversary and will be broadcast via live viewing in about 3,800 movie theaters across more than 80 countries. In South Korea, screenings will be available at major multiplex chains, including CGV, Lotte Cinema and Megabox.
Alongside the concerts, BTS will roll out a cultural project titled “BTS The City Arirang Busan” through June 21, offering fans and visitors a range of BTS-themed events across the city. The program includes a drone lighting show over the Gwangan Bridge and a lighting show on the big roof of the Busan Cinema Center.
The group’s world tour is scheduled to run through March next year, spanning 86 shows in 34 cities. After the Busan concerts, BTS will continue the tour in Madrid on June 26–27.
