TS lit up the second night of its large-scale world tour — one that could signal a new beginning not only for the group but perhaps for K-pop itself — with a performance steeped in Korean aesthetics.
The group is currently engaged in its “BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’” with three concerts, starting Thursday and continuing over the following weekend at Goyang Stadium, west of Seoul. The tour marks its return roughly four years after wrapping up “BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE” tour in April 2022.
The Saturday show signaled a deep infusion of Korean aesthetics even before the official kickoff. Melodies of gayageum, a traditional 12-stringed zither, filled the venue alongside VCR visuals evoking ink-wash paintings, prompting chants of the group’s name from fans in anticipation.
Shortly after 7 p.m., all seven members stormed in from the edge of the stage alongside a black-clad mega crew, launching straight into the hip-hop openers “Hooligans” and “Aliens.” Pyrotechnics and fireworks ripped through the air from the very start, but it was the group’s sheer command of the stage that tipped the crowd into chaos.
As the intro of the group’s 2022 hit “Run BTS” rang out, the venue had already transformed into a uniquely immersive K-pop space. The members responded to the fans’ fervor with powerful moves reminiscent of their early days, before pausing to greet the audience.
With the open-roof stadium leaving the show vulnerable to the elements, Jungkook drew loud cheers by asking fans if they were cold.
“I’m glad the weather is better than yesterday,” he said. “We’ll heat things up even more tonight.”
“It’s been a long time since we’ve held a concert like this,” Jimin added. “Along with the album, we’ve tried a lot of new things. We worked really hard on it, so I hope you enjoy it.”
The concert then shifted in tone, moving into lyrical stages with “They Don’t Know ’Bout Us” and “Like Animals,” before weaving together the group’s past and future through performances of “Fake Love” (2018), the leade single “SWIM,” and the B-side “Merry Go Round” from the “ARIRANG” album.
Korean elements continued to appear throughout the early portion of the show. “They Don’t Know ’Bout Us” featured reinterpretations of traditional tal, or Korean masks on screen, while “Merry Go Round” incorporated choreography inspired by Seungmu, a Korean dance performed by Buddhist monks.
The stage design itself, built to ensure unobstructed, 360-degree views across the stadium, also reflected Korean aesthetics. A pavilion modeled after Gyeonghoeru was installed in the center of the stage, while the floor was designed with motifs inspired by the country’s national flag.
Midway through, the group traded sleek black stage outfits for more relaxed, street inspired looks and rolled into “2.0” and “NORMAL,” building on their special show at Gwanghwamun Plaza. This time, the difference was clear: the members moved with greater ease, fully in command as they drove the performance forward.
They then delivered a high-energy sequence of their peak-era hip-hop hits — “Not Today,” “Mic Drop,” “FYA,” and a mashup featuring “FIRE” — showcasing the group’s enduring K-pop power.
By the midpoint of the show, their vocals cut through with striking clarity, honed over the group’s military hiatus. Each member’s solo color was evident, but onstage, BTS made a stronger case for the whole — tight, commanding and unmistakably greater than the sum of its parts.
Then came “Body to Body,” a full-scale spectacle pairing bursts of fireworks with choreography echoing Korea’s Ganggangsullae circle dance. When “IDOL” hit, the members dropped off the stage and took to the floor, circling the stadium in a victory lap that felt almost like a statement of K-pop’s global reach.
The energy showed no signs of fading even as the concert neared its end. BTS performed a newly unveiled track from “ARIRANG,” “Come Over,” alongside global hits “Butter” and “Dynamite,” popular across generations.
For the final encore, the group chose “Please,” a serenade dedicated to fans, and “Into the Sun” as a farewell, closing the night with a sky filled with fireworks.
Outside the stadium, fans without tickets gathered to listen from afar, creating a striking scene of their own. Sharing the music spilling out from the venue, they transformed their disappointment into what could be described as “the romance of waiting” — a uniquely BTS and ARMY moment, where absence became another form of devotion.
Following the Goyang kickoff, which concludes Sunday, the tour is set to span 85 shows across 34 cities, including stops in Tokyo, North America, Europe, Latin America and across Asia. Additional dates in Japan and the Middle East are also being planned.
