BTS have reached another historic milestone in their career, drawing more than 92,000 fans to Stade de France for each of their two concerts in Paris. The shows marked the largest single-concert audience the group has ever performed for, with even French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron attending the event.

The concerts concluded the European leg of BTS’ “Arirang” World Tour, their first full-group tour since all seven members completed their military service and released the Arirang album earlier this year. Although Stade de France officially seats around 80,000 spectators, the addition of standing-room tickets increased attendance to more than 92,000 people, setting a new attendance record for the group.

The performances also marked BTS’ long-awaited return to Paris for the first time since June 2019.

Hours before the stadium gates opened, thousands of ARMY members filled the streets surrounding the venue. Fans dressed in BTS-themed outfits, carried official merchandise, exchanged handmade bracelets and keychains, and sang together while waiting to enter. Long lines also formed outside the official merchandise store throughout the day.

The audience reflected BTS’ broad global appeal. While women in their twenties and thirties made up much of the crowd, families and older fans were also well represented. One concertgoer, 46-year-old Romain, attended the show with his four daughters and his 70-year-old mother, illustrating the group’s ability to connect with multiple generations.

BTS opened the concert with “Hooligan,” emerging through red smoke as the stadium erupted in cheers. The setlist blended beloved classics—including “Not Today,” “IDOL,” “Butter,” and “Dynamite”—with songs from their latest album, Arirang. For their Paris audience, the group also performed fan favorites “Boy With Luv” and “Jump.”

Between songs, heartfelt messages submitted by fans appeared on the stadium’s giant screens. One message described Paris as “romance” and BTS as “emotion,” while another thanked the group for always standing beside their fans. One humorous message drew laughter throughout the stadium:

“You make me happy. My bank account doesn’t. But I still love you.”

One of the evening’s biggest surprises came when television cameras captured President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron holding BTS’ official light sticks in the audience. After the concert, President Macron shared his own video from the event on Instagram with the caption:

“Bienvenue à Paris!” (“Welcome to Paris!”)

He also included the iconic finger-heart gesture closely associated with Korean pop culture.

Throughout the encore, the members thanked fans in both Korean and French.

Jungkook admitted he had expected the concert to be special because of the enormous crowd, but said the experience had exceeded even his highest expectations. Jin expressed how happy he was to spend the evening with fans, while RM greeted the audience in French and described them as some of the best concertgoers BTS had ever performed for. J-Hope also addressed the crowd in French, calling Paris home to some of the world’s greatest ARMYs.

The night’s most memorable announcement came from Jimin, who revealed that the Paris concert had officially become the largest-attended concert of BTS’ career.

Suga reflected on the group’s previous visit to the same stadium before the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that the audience this time was roughly twice as large. He predicted that Paris would likely remain the biggest and most energetic stop of the entire tour.

The significance of the event extended beyond the concert itself. French newspaper Le Monde highlighted BTS’ journey since their 2013 debut, writing that while their military hiatus could have threatened the group’s future, the members instead returned appearing closer, stronger, and more confident than ever.

Following two record-breaking nights in Paris, BTS now head to the United States, where they are scheduled to perform during the first-ever halftime show at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final, adding yet another historic chapter to one of the group’s most successful years.