Tens of thousands of BTS fans – better known as the BTS Army – filled Soldier Field on Thursday night for the K-pop band’s first concert in Chicago in seven years.

More than 60,000 members of the BTS Army filed into Solider Field for the BTS World Tour ARIRANG. The crowd was so large, stadium management had to open the gates half an hour early.

The merchandise store outside the stadium opened to fans yesterday, but the line grew much longer starting Friday morning as fans waited for doors to open.

BTS launched nearly 10 years ago, turning K-pop into a certifiable phenomenon in America. Starting Thursday night they will perform two sold out shows at Soldier Field, and their Army is here and ready.

If you don’t understand the craze behind the band, you’re not alone. The seven-member boy band has not gone on tour together since before the pandemic. So, after waiting years, this was the first time many people got to see them.

Fans came from as far away as Oregon, and, in some cases literally paid an arm and a leg to be there.

One family from Michigan said their sister, with a broken hand and all, postponed her surgery and was in immense pain, but that didn’t matter after making it to the concert.

“She’s going to need two surgeries at least. We got in a car accident,” one family member said. “I will do everything to see her smile, and that’s it.”

Fans showed off their Army bombs – BTS’s official light sticks – as well as the keychains they hand out to each other, and pictures of each BTS member they carry with them.

Carissa Loberger and her mom, Amber, were looking forward to the concert all day.

“We waited six years for this, because they had COVID in 2020 and we missed it,” Amber said.

After the pandemic halted their planned 2020 world tour, all seven members of the group had to complete mandatory South Korean military service for 18 months.

“The guys did have to do their mandatory military service, which all men before age 30 in South Korea have to do,” said Jeff Benjamin, a K-pop reporter and Billboard columnist.

Benjamin said people can expect a show for this long-awaited tour.

“They have these massive LEDs that almost look like music videos the way that they have different effects, different art going across it,” he said.

As for why the BTS Army only seems to grow, Benjamin said there’s a few reasons.

“BTS really kind of did shatter expectations when it comes to boy bands, when it comes to what pop singers and rappers look like,” he said.

Benjamin said the group’s songs touch on social justice, mental health, and politics to name a few themes.

And BTS Army members thank the band for being there during some difficult times.

“They really did get me out of a social anxiety hole,” BTS fan Sadie said.

“Their whole message is just to, like, be yourself, and do what you love, and stuff like that, and they’re really good at showing that,” BTS fan Sienna said.

Before the concert on Thursday, a BTS meetup was held at Buckingham Fountain, where fans traded bracelets, stickers, keychains and other items, and got to know each other ahead of the big show.

Joyce Donaldson, 78, drove from Ohio to Chicago for the concert, and while she only has one ticket, she said she won’t actually feel alone once she walks through Soldier Fields’ doors.

“It doesn’t matter how old you are, how young you are; you connect right away,” she said.

Members of the BTS Army have built community around their shared love for the members of the superstar group.  Many have a “bias” – a favorite member of the group – and often carry their photo around with them.

Many of the fans have grown up with the band. Others were introduced to BTS after the height of the pandemic and this will be the first time seeing the band together.  BTS has been on a hiatus for the past four years as its seven members completed their staggered mandatory military service in South Korea.

For 9 ½-year-old Rosie Velazquez, seeing the group is a dream she never thought would come true.

“The reason why I love BTS is because, like, how they sound and, like, I love them because they’re like seven uncles,” she said.  “Here I am at one of their BTS concerts and I’m officially going and I’m really happy and I think I’m about to cry right now because it’s the happiest day of my life.”

She’s also hoping the band might notice and sign her cast – she broke her arm, but she’s not letting that get in the way of her big night. She’s instead hoping it will create a moment that will help get her up close.

“It’s her very first concert and it’s BTS and it’s such a positive influence on her,” said her mother Eva Martinez. “I wanted to be able to create a special moment for her. She is such a special human being. She is so full of love and so full of life.”

There are Army meet-ups, restaurant deals and even art exhibits slated all weekend long to celebrate, and Gov. JB Pritzker declared Aug. 27 and 28 “BTS Days” to celebrate the group’s global impact and the shows.