BTS is expected to perform not only new tracks but also their previous global hits at their free comeback show, ‘BTS Comeback Live: ARIRANG,’ set to take place on March 21 at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul.
The Gwanghwamun performance has drawn major attention as it marks the first time in three years and nine months that BTS will unveil stages from a new album anywhere in the world.
According to a February 28 report by Yonhap News Agency, the group’s agency BigHit Music under HYBE is reportedly discussing a setlist that will span new songs from BTS’s fifth full-length album ‘ARIRANG’ as well as beloved hit tracks that have earned global acclaim.
The concert is expected to last approximately 1 hour. HYBE stated that it decided on the one-hour duration in consideration of the unique characteristics of Gwanghwamun Square, located in the heart of downtown Seoul.
In a statement to Yonhap, HYBE explained, “The company determined the concert duration, and we have decided to operate it within an appropriate timeframe to ensure safety and smooth progress.”
The agency added, “Unlike performances held at conventional venues, this Gwanghwamun concert will take place in a special outdoor public setting. We comprehensively considered overall stage operations, audience safety management, and on-site crowd control plans in determining the concert length.”
HYBE further noted, “Given that this is an event expected to draw a large crowd, we also took into account spectator safety, convenience in using public transportation after the show, and minimizing inconvenience to citizens due to late-night noise.”
When ticket reservations for the BTS Gwanghwamun concert opened on February 23, an overwhelming number of fans rushed to secure seats, and all 13,000 tickets allocated for general reservations sold out instantly. At the start of ticketing, the waiting queue reportedly reached as high as 100,000 people.
Police estimate that approximately 230,000 people could gather from the concert stage area to Deoksugung’s Daehanmun Gate, and up to 260,000 people as far as Sungnyemun Gate. Event organizers are also said to be discussing plans to install large screens near Seoul Plaza to allow more attendees to watch the performance.
Amid questions surrounding the concert’s duration, the Seoul Metropolitan Government stated, “The city is responsible for safety management and administrative support related to the use of Gwanghwamun Square, but decisions regarding the composition and duration of the performance fall entirely under the authority and responsibility of the organizer, HYBE.” The city added that HYBE had requested a one-hour concert from the initial consultation stage in December last year.
