BTS to turn Seoul into cultural stage with ‘The City Seoul’
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BTS, seen here performing at the Grammys in 2022, will transform Seoul into a massive, immersive cultural venue this spring to mark the release of their fifth album, Arirang.
PHOTO: AFP
SEOUL – BTS will be extending their comeback celebrations beyond the stage and into Seoul, as they transform the city into a massive, immersive cultural venue this spring.
BTS The City Arirang Seoul, launching on March 20 and running till April 12, is a citywide project marking the release of the K-pop boy band’s fifth album Arirang
The event will also follow their comeback show
“In collaboration with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, we designed a series of programmes so that both visitors and residents in Seoul can experience culture and the arts in new ways and engage more immersively with BTS’ comeback during The City Seoul period,” BigHit Music said in a statement on Feb 6.
The project will feature experiential content that blends music, media and urban landscapes, with installations and programmes unfolding across key areas of the capital.
On March 20, the album’s release day, major Seoul landmarks such as Sungnyemun and N Seoul Tower will be illuminated with media facades.
By overlaying contemporary visual media onto historic and symbolic sites, the project aims to create scenes where tradition and the present coexist, offering a fresh global spotlight on South Korea’s cultural heritage.
From March 22, Yeouido Hangang Park will host a lounge-style programme where visitors can gather to experience and share BTS’ music in a relaxed outdoor setting.
In April, the project will expand into central Seoul, with stone walls, stairways and tree-lined streets temporarily transformed into exhibition-like spaces.
BTS’ song lyrics will be reinterpreted through light-based and video installations integrated into the urban environment.
Detailed schedules and programme information for The City Arirang Seoul will be announced later via the BTS channel on Weverse, the global fandom platform of BigHit Music’s parent company Hybe.
The project will begin in Seoul before rolling out sequentially to major cities around the world.
BTS previously introduced The City concept in April 2022 in Las Vegas with BTS Permission To Dance The City – Las Vegas, followed by BTS Yet To Come The City in Busan in October that same year.
The initiative is positioned as a “city play park”, offering expanded fan experiences through events and attractions spread throughout an entire city. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
