K-pop supergroup BTS is starting a world tour in South Korea after a 4-year hiatus
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A huge crowd of BTS fans packed a stadium near Seoul, South Korea, on Thursday to see the K-pop giant kick off its long-awaited world tour.
Returning to the stage after a hiatus of almost four years, RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook will perform a sketch set from both their catalog and the new album, ARIRANG – the fifth, and the first since the team members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service.
Despite the pouring rain, Thursday’s crowd packed the 40,000-plus capacity arena for the show, which marks the group’s first major performance since the 2021-22 Permission to Dance on Stage.
The shows in South Korea, which run until April 12, launch a multi-day global tour across the United States, Europe and Asia, which analysts say could bring in hundreds of millions of dollars per quarter.
Thursday’s concert comes less than a month after BTS marked their comeback with a huge free concert at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square in front of more than 20,000 fans in person, with many more tuning in live on Netflix.
All seven BTS members completed their mandatory military service, with Suga being the last to be released in June 2025. He reportedly served in government-related institutions and organizations instead of military camps, due to a shoulder injury.
In South Korea, all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 28 are required by law to do up to 21 months of military service under a conscription system aimed at curbing the violence of rival North Korea.
ARIRANGnamed after a centuries-old Korean folk song considered illegal throughout the Korean peninsula, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Single Swimming it also reached the top of the charts.
One of the biggest groups in the world, BTS, is returning after a multi-year hiatus with a world tour and a new album. The K-pop band’s comeback will kick off on Saturday at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square, one of South Korea’s most popular spots.
BTS — short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, or “Bulletproof Boy Scouts” in Korean — debuted in June 2013 and launched with a hip-hop-heavy album 2 Cool 4 Schoolreleasing three full-length projects before really gaining momentum with their 2016 album, Wings.
Their worldwide success came in 2017 when the song DNA entered the Billboard Hot 100, making BTS the first Korean boy band to achieve such success. The success of this song was followed by a performance at the American Music Awards, further expanding their international fan base.
The group’s world tour heads to Tokyo next, before moving on to North America, Europe, South America and Asia. BTS will play Australia in early 2027, with a final stop in Manila, Philippines, next March.
