[OSEN=Choi Lee-jung, Reporter] Group BTS has completely turned Mexico City purple. With their return after 10 years, the concert venue and its surroundings were truly a ‘festive scene,’ and the economic impact created by BTS surpassed all imagination.

BTS held the ‘BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’ IN MEXICO CITY’ at Estadio GNP Seguros in Mexico City on the 7th and 9–10th (local time) over three days, sharing the stage with approximately 150,000 fans. This concert marked the group’s first full-member solo performance in Mexico in approximately 10 years and 10 months since 2015, with all three sessions selling out immediately upon ticket release.

On the day, BTS captivated local fans with their unique live performances and precise dance moves without a single error. During the ‘Airplane pt.2’ stage, the lyrics “We goin’ from Mexico City” echoed, filling the stadium with deafening cheers. The song, spontaneously selected by the members, became an unforgettable gift for local fans.

Cultural details reflecting the local scene also shone. During the ‘Aliens’ stage, dancers wearing masks from Mexico’s traditional wrestling ‘Lucha Libre’ appeared, boosting the excitement. Member V enjoying the Mexican snack ‘banderilla’ during the ‘IDOL’ performance spread in real-time on SNS, eliciting explosive reactions from ARMYs worldwide.

The fervor spilled beyond the venue into the entire city. According to local authorities, approximately 35,000 fans who failed to secure tickets gathered around the venue, leading to temporary road closures in the vicinity.

Regarding this, the Los Angeles Times highlighted, “It is rare for a boy band to rise as a topic of international diplomacy,” focusing on the Mexican president’s official invitation and the ticket war involving over a million people. This suggests that BTS’s activities have transcended a simple performance to become a cultural phenomenon and a diplomatic event.

The Mexico City Chamber of Commerce estimated the economic effect from the concert, combining ticket sales, accommodation, and tourism spending, to reach approximately 107.5 million dollars (about 155.7 billion Korean won). With sales of about 24.6 billion won in the accommodation sector alone, it proved the might of ‘BTSnomics’ in revitalizing the local economy.

BTS conveyed sincere thanks in Spanish, saying, “You were truly the best. We will never forget the passion that continued from the Zócalo Square.”

After successfully completing their Mexico schedule, BTS heads to North America. They plan to continue the tour’s momentum at Stanford Stadium in the U.S. on the 16th–17th and 19th. The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) has already announced plans to operate special bus routes for concertgoers, showing how the city’s infrastructure is buzzing in anticipation of BTS’s arrival.