BTS kick off Arirang world tour with spectacular rain show in Goyang
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Fireworks explode at a stadium BTS are performing at in Goyang, South Korea, on April 9.
PHOTO: AFP
GOYANG, South Korea – Tens of thousands of fans filled a rain-swept stadium in South Korea on April 9 to watch BTS kick off their world tour, as the K-pop megastars ride the momentum of a chart-topping comeback album and a landmark performance in the heart of Seoul.
The seven-member group – widely regarded as the world’s biggest boy band – took the stage together for the first time in March following a years-long hiatus prompted by mandatory military service, and after releasing their latest studio album Arirang.
April 9’s spectacular concert in Goyang, about 16km from the capital Seoul, marked the start of a tour that will span 85 shows in 34 cities worldwide.
“So many things are special... I can’t really put it into words,” said a fan from Britain, who gave her name as Janine, after the performance in the home town of band leader RM. “It was just fantastic.”
Fans hold umbrellas featuring members of BTS as they arrive at a stadium where the group were due to perform in Goyang, South Korea, on April 9.
PHOTO: AFP
Ms Abbas Manahil, 27, a physical therapist from Pakistan, said she had worried that her idols might slip due to the heavy rain, but said they handled it well.
“It was my first time seeing them so close,” she said, recalling the moment she broke into tears. “That made my day.”
Hours before the show began, fans converged on Goyang, where landmarks have been lit up in purple – the colour symbolising BTS’ global fan base, known as Army.
The concertgoers – many dressed in purple – reflected the group’s global reach, with English, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese heard as they queued outside the venue.
“I think it was the hardest ticket I ever got. Even in Korea with fast internet, I was 80,000th in line,” said Ms Evelyn Soto Villarreal, 27, a Mexican fan living in Busan.
Despite the weather, many fans without seats remained outside the stadium after the show began, listening intently to the muffled music.
Fans watching a live concert by K-pop boy band BTS on their mobile phones outside a stadium where the group were performing in Goyang, South Korea, on April 9.
PHOTO: AFP
It follows March’s statement performance on the doorstep of the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace, which reportedly drew more than 100,000 fans to central Seoul.
BTS will travel to cities including Tokyo, Manila, Toronto and Buenos Aires as part of the highest number of shows for a single tour by any South Korean artiste, according to their label.
“Performing together as a group felt comfortable, and being in the same space with you all made it feel like home,” member Jin wrote on fan platform Weverse after the April 9 show.
Videos uploaded by fans showed the stadium awash in purple light as lightsticks rose in waves and the crowd sang Swim, the lead single from Arirang.
Other footage showed the band greeting fans. “We were so worried about the rain... but what mattered was seeing you,” member Jimin said, completely drenched.
Analysts have said some estimates pointed to total tour earnings of as much as 2.7 trillion won (S$2.3 billion), not including fans’ spending outside the concerts, which will feature a 360-degree in-the-round stage design. AFP
