Thousands of fans gather as BTS launches world tour in South Korea

K-pop band BTS fans from Philippines take a souvenir photo at the venue for the BTS World Tour Arirang in Goyang, South Korea, Thursday, April 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

SEOUL — Tens of thousands of BTS fans packed into a stadium near Seoul on Thursday to see the K-pop supergroup kick off their long-awaited world tour.

Returning to the stage after a nearly four-year hiatus, RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook will perform a set drawing from both their catalog and new fifth album, “ARIRANG,” their first since band members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service.

Despite pouring rain, the band’s fans -- including some hailing from Russia, the United States and Brazil -- packed a stadium with a capacity for over 40,000 for the show, which marks the group’s first headline tour performance since their 2021--22 Permission to Dance on Stage tour.

Over a hundred fans, including some who had failed to get tickets, stood outside the stadium with umbrellas to listen to the band perform.

Kim Eunhee, a South Korean fan who came with her 30-year-old daughter, said the hope of attending a live BTS concert helped her power through her battle with cancer.

“Even during my hardest times last year while fighting it, this was the one thing I kept waiting for,” she said. “Coming to an actual concert venue and seeing them in person for the first time -- it was just so meaningful.”

The shows in South Korea, running through April 12, launch a global tour spanning dozens of shows across the United States, Europe and Asia, which analysts say could generate hundreds of million s of dollars in revenue per quarter.

The concert comes less than a month after BTS marked their comeback with a free concert at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square.

All seven members of BTS completed their mandatory military service, with Suga being the last to be discharged in June 2025. He reportedly served at government-related facilities and organizations instead of military camps due to a shoulder injury.

In South Korea, all able-bodied men between 18 and 28 years old are required by law to perform up to 21 months of military service under a conscription system meant to deter aggression from rival North Korea.

“ARIRANG” -- named after a centuries-old Korean folk song regarded as an unofficial anthem across the Korean peninsula -- debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The single “Swim” also made it to the top of the charts.

BTS -- short for Bangtan Sonyeondan, or “Bulletproof Boy Scouts” in Korean -- debuted in June 2013. The seven-member group launched in 2013 with the hip-hop heavy single album “2 Cool 4 Skool,” releasing three full-length projects before gaining momentum with their 2016 album “Wings.”

Their global breakthrough came in 2017 when “DNA” entered the Billboard Hot 100, making BTS the first Korean boy band to achieve such a feat. The song’s success was followed by a performance at the American Music Awards, further fueling their international fan base called “Army.”

The band’s world tour heads to Tokyo next, before moving through North America, Europe, South America and Asia. BTS is set to play Australian in early 2027, with a final stop in Manila next March.

Juwon Park, The Associated Press