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A huge crowd of BTS fans packed into a stadium near Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday to see the K-pop supergroup kick off their long-awaited world tour.
Returning to the stage after a nearly four-year hiatus, RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook will perform a set drawing on both their back catalogue and new album, ARIRANG — their fifth, and the first since band members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service.
Despite pouring rain, Thursday’s crowd packed a stadium with a capacity of more than 40,000 for the show, which marks the group’s first headline tour performance since their 2021–22 Permission to Dance on Stage tour.
The shows in South Korea, running through April 12, launch a global tour spanning dozens of dates across the United States, Europe and Asia, which analysts say could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue per quarter.
Thursday’s concert comes less than a month after BTS marked their comeback with a massive free concert at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square in front of more than 20,000 fans in person, and many more who tuned in to the livestream on Netflix.
All seven members of BTS completed their mandatory military service, with Suga being the last to be discharged in June 2025. He reportedly served at government-related facilities and organizations instead of military camps, due to a shoulder injury.
In South Korea, all able-bodied men between 18 and 28 years old are required by law to perform up to 21 months of military service under a conscription system meant to deter aggression from rival North Korea.
ARIRANG, named after a centuries-old Korean folk song regarded as an unofficial anthem across the Korean peninsula, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The single Swim also made it to the top of the charts.
One of the biggest bands in the world, BTS, is making its comeback after a multi-year hiatus with a global tour and a new album. The K-pop band’s return kicks off Saturday at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square, one of South Korea’s most famous landmarks.
BTS — short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, or “Bulletproof Boy Scouts” in Korean — debuted in June 2013 and launched with the hip-hop-heavy album 2 Cool 4 Skool, releasing three full-length projects before really gaining momentum with their 2016 album, Wings.
Their global breakthrough came in 2017 when the song DNA entered the Billboard Hot 100, making BTS the first Korean boy band to achieve such a feat. The song’s success was followed by a performance at the American Music Awards, further fuelling their international fan base.
The band’s world tour heads to Tokyo next, before moving through North America, Europe, South America and Asia. BTS is set to play Australia in early 2027, with a final stop in Manila, Philippines, next March.
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