Writer: Aishwarya Khale (Mumbai, Maharashtra, India)

Editor: Prachi Vaid (New Delhi, India)

To celebrate the BTS‘ homecoming and their 12^th debut anniversary, the Mumbai-based fan clubs Mumbai.BTS and The Purple Door organized fan events for the BTS ARMY in Mumbai, Pune, and Bengaluru in India on 13^th and 22^nd of June, as well as 6^th of July, 2025, respectively.

 Ayushre A. Tari, who is the organizer of the page Mumbai.BTS and The Purple Door events shared how they made the events in three cities work—

“These events are a labor of love; it took two months of planning, from the ideation of décors and games to the preparations of marketing and logistics. With surprises and the last-minute hustle, it was all a dream come true.

In addition, she added, as an organizer, these events reminded me of the strength this fandom holds; the magic of BTS continues to bring light to our lives. We intended to create a safe and joyful space for the fans to come together and relive the 12-year journey of BTS—and for that, I’m beyond grateful.” 

FAN EVENT IN MUMBAI

The 13^th of June, 2025, radiated with an electrifying excitement from the BTS ARMY across Mumbai. They all gathered together in purple outfits to celebrate BTS’ 12^th anniversary and their homecoming from military service at Hengbok Restaurant in Powai, Mumbai.

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The location had a décor of cheery blossom trees, bright lights, Bangtan posters, and purple balloons, adding a warm and emotional touch to the celebration. The perfectly decorated venue began to glow more with energetic fans, their laughter, and cheers. Once everyone gathered, the event started with warm greetings from Mumbai.BTS’s founder and team members followed with a loud fan chant, which echoed across the venue.

Muster 2022 Sowoozoo was screened on the big screen, spreading liveliness among the fans. Throughout the screening, BTS ARMY danced and sang along with the members on the big screen. They enjoyed the showcase, reminiscing about moments with tears, screams, claps, and laughter, followed by loud fan chants with lightsticks, swaying to the sides with the bright glow. The audience was quite emotional during BTS’ Mikrokosmos, while their energy rose during tracks like Fire, Idol, etc. It nurtured the feeling of an actual concert, evoking multiple emotions within a short time. 

EVENT HIGHLIGHT

Fans enjoyed talented performers who danced energetically and sang soulful covers. They were also provided with leisure time between the event, where they explored all the BTS-themed stalls and the Korean bento meals. The BTS-themed stalls were crowded with fans taking turns to purchase high-quality photocards, posters, stickers, plushies, keychains, badges, calendars, and even custom nail art, among other items.

This was followed by a surge of excitement when the games began, which continued to be humorous and competitive until the very end. The BTS lyric game challenge—fans had to complete the lyrics of BTS songs, and the losing team was challenged to perform funny acts like doing aegyo, reenacting iconic BTS moments, or imitating the members. The site erupted in laughter over the other game. It was the BTS meme challenge, where the fans were shown photos of BTS, and they had to create a meme on the spot. The creative minds with savage and witty humor were on full display. It’s interesting to see how the ARMY shares the Bangtan Boys’ energy and spirit.

The cake-cutting ceremony was quite symbolic, dedicating the cheers and the iconic fan chant to welcome the boys from the military service. The fans’ favorite segment, ‘Random Dance Play,’ wrapped up the event, having each individual on their feet. The energy peaked during the BTS hits like Mic Drop, Run BTS, Boy With Luv, Permission to Dance, and Fire. Everyone was encouraging one another to sway and display their best moves. A sight of unity with individuals coming together and having a great time for a shared passion. 

In the end, the venue witnessed the contagious fan energy from cheering over performances, games, or the simple bonding moments over BTS and their bias; each of them had a bright smile as they hugged each other, shared contacts, captured memories together, cheered louder for the 12 years of BTS and their return from the military, and left with promises to meet again.

FAN’S EXPERIENCE

Sayli Randive, a BTS fan since 2020, shared how the interactions between fans reflected the purest connection—

“I have been to so many BTS events, and the celebrations have always been a reminder of how vast and connected the fandom is. One of the most unexpected and emotional moments for all of us on the day was the unannounced performances by Jungkook and Jin in J-Hope’s Final Stage D1 concert. It had the audience in tears as they performed ‘Jamais Vu’ after the songs ‘Wonder’ and ‘Spring Day’ with J-Hope, followed by the solo songs by Jungkook and Jin, respectively.

The day felt like a reunion of all seven, with the three members of BTS blasting on the stage while the other four members cheered from VIP zones. 

It felt like a home, sharing all these precious moments with fellow BTS ARMY. From concert screenings, games, cake cutting, trying Korean food, to dancing my heart out to BTS hits during RDP. Also, the photocards, posters, and photostrips of the Delulu merch stall were worth spending money on. We all left the venue with a lingering feeling, hoping for the event to last longer.” 

FAN EVENT IN PUNE 

On 22^nd June, 2025, BTS ARMY from Pune city gathered in the vibrant area of Viman Nagar at Her Highness Hall to celebrate BTS’ Homecoming from the military and their 12^th debut anniversary. The atmosphere glowed with balloons, BTS-customized posters, and banners with a ‘Welcome Back’ message while every corner screamed the shared love for the group. It officially transformed the venue into a ‘Bora-World.’ 

The fans began to enter the location with big smiles on their face, while capturing the beauty on their phones. Slowly, the room buzzed with talks of Biases, Bangtan military moments, their reunion, and Suga’s return. 

The organizers welcomed all the fans present at the location, marking the start of the honored celebration. The first segment of the day, ‘Magicshop in Busan,’ was a concert screening that had the entire audience hyped up with cheers, fan chants, waving light sticks in the air, followed by singing and dancing along with the members of BTS, all showcased on the big screen. The entire audience together shared and lived a joyous and heartfelt series of moments.

EVENT HIGHLIGHT

The event was full of games that included a BTS trivia challenge with group games having a K-pop twist, while cheers were evoked among the fans. There was a live photo shoot corner for all attendees, allowing them to capture beautiful and lasting memories from the celebration.

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With louder cheers, the fans enjoyed the electrifying stage performances on BTS tracks by Future Ninja—a group of Duo, R-Unit Dance Crew, and many more talented performers. The RDP (Random Dance Play) segment rose with unmatched energy, setting the space open for all the fans. With full enthusiasm, everyone joined, cheered, and showcased powerful moves on varied BTS and K-pop tracks. BTS songs buzzed throughout the venue, and the energy of the fans remained intact from the beginning until the end, accompanied by fan chants that are an ARMY tradition.

Multiple stalls were lined up, adding a glow to the festivity. It was an opportunity for all the fans to purchase the merchandise of their liking. The stalls featured BTS official and unofficial merch, including the albums, photocards, posters with the digital art, K-pop jewelry, and authentic Korean food—packaged food, snacks, and drinks. It turned out as a mini-crowded market with attendees exploring stalls with their fellow mates.

The cake-cutting ceremony was the last segment of the event before the wrap-up. It was quite heartfelt, with all the attendees cheering for Bangtan with the anthem of fan chants, while the organizers handed out custom BTS cupcakes to everyone. With big smiles on everyone’s faces and a bag full of merch, they all left with cherished memories.

FAN EVENT IN BENGALURU

A fan meet took place in Bengaluru on the 6^th July, 2025, in order to celebrate the return of Bangtan (BTS) and their 12^th year as a group. BTS Army across the region came together in Malleshwaram in Shukra Auditorium.  The event was divided into two slots, with different timings, to create an enjoyable and comforting environment for all the fans. 

The outdoor and indoor areas of the venue were decorated beautifully with posters and pictures of the group across the years, homecoming, and a specific one from their debut era in 2013, commemorating all 12 years of BTS. 

EVENT HIGHLIGHT FOR SLOT: 1

The fans entered the main hall feeling nostalgic, watching the BTS-themed décor. They were greeted by admins at the registration desk. The venue was bustling with excited fans talking about the Baby ARMY era, their biases, their shared passion for the group, and the upcoming comeback. 

With the warmest welcome from Mumbai.BTS organizers and team members, the event started with the concert screening of BTS Muster Magic Shop, while the cheers and fan chants echoed across the space, setting the mood of an actual concert. The setlist was full of multiple title tracks, B-sides, and some of their special performances. Fans went from getting emotional during the tracks of ‘Whalien 52’ and ‘134340’ to giggling at teatime and the VCR while dancing on tracks like ‘Jump’ and ‘Spine Breaker.’ It felt like a real-time concert to the attendees.

The games segment began with a Trivia that included questions about the band. The next game was a Debate, giving off a similar vibe to Run BTS. The chaos in the room was filled with delightful laughter and cheers for each other, which was a fun experience. The series continued with guessing the BTS songs, which were played in reverse. It ended with the Red Light, Green Light Game.

Fans enjoyed the raps, singing, and dance performances of solos and groups. Both the preplanned and surprise additions stole the show. Especially during Random Play Dance, the energy of the fans doubled as they sang along and took over the dance floor to showcase their powerful moves. The selection of the setlist for RDP was top-notch, setting the energy of the audience on fire.

Many stalls were lined up in the venue, offering official, unofficial BTS and K-pop merchandise, with anime and handmade items, etc. Fans hovered across the stalls to purchase and explore the available products. A pixel photobooth was available for all attendees to capture moments. The event came to an end after the most amazing segments. One of those was a surprise for the fans prepared by the team members. It was a video that included moments of all seven members, from their enlistment to their homecoming. The other one was a cake-cutting ceremony that had a BTS-themed cake and cupcakes. The fans left with smiles, heavy hearts, and promises to meet again, as they captured unforgettable memories together. 

FAN’S EXPERIENCE

Keertana Gowda shared how welcoming and amazing things were throughout the event—

“The event was well organized. The energy of the fans stood out the most. The noticeable part of the event was that I got to see many ARMYS of all ages, from babies to mothers, and from teenagers to middle-aged people. Music connects people to artists, and these events deepen the bonds between fans. It is difficult to remember unexpected moments that came as a surprise since there were too many. The most remarkable was when I found out that the cupcakes were made by the fans, which touched my heart. Such a sweet gesture added a meaningful touch to the event. My other favorite game series was Debate; it was amazing and vibed like Run BTS. The event turned more special because of the video, which was filled with roller coaster emotions, reminding us of the time of their enlistment to their homecoming.”

EVENT HIGHLIGHT FOR SLOT-2

The second slot began with the admins and the team members greeting and welcoming all the attendees, who were fully energized and excited for the unforgettable evening. As soon as the screening of BTS Muster Sowoozoo started, the fan chants were heard across the venue. The emotions of the attendees shifted from smiles to being filled with tears and into hype mode, singing along and dancing through the songs on the setlist. 

The series of games was amazing, starting with a Confetti Game, where all the confetti contained the questionnaires related to BTS. The team with the most caught confetti and answered questions was given points. There was also a Treasure Hunt Game, which had good hints. 

The fans during the break time explored the merch stalls, which had official and unofficial merchandise, including handmade items and anime merch. With that, a pixel booth was set up for fans to collect memories as keepsakes of the eventful day.

The segment on the introduction of fans to the fandom and their story was quite an interactive session. Following the homecoming video surprise, the audience was in tears, as it was a mixture of clips from the enlistment day and their return from the military. The event was brought to an end with a cake-cutting ceremony, and the team members gave fan-made cupcakes to the attendees. Before leaving, the audience captured the memories together with team members.

FAN’S EXPERIENCE  

Piki Nath, one of the fans, recalled her experience about how the event was a great opportunity to enjoy together and deepen the connection with the ARMY-

“The choice of concert screening was the real highlight of the event. There were multiple displays of the BTS banner for taking pictures. The photo booth was the best. We had fun fitting ourselves into the tiny booth and experiencing the process. Various merch stalls were set up with official and unofficial merch, cute accessories and aesthetic items. All the games were adorable, funny, and sweet. Throughout, we enjoyed ourselves and made new bonds while playing the games. We could’ve continued playing more games if we had more time. The freebies and the ARMY card given at the registration were of such good quality. The best part was the pretty cupcakes with BTS cutouts. I especially loved that the video was curated to honor BTS’ years in the military and their homecoming. Eventually, we all reunited once again. I had tears watching it. Lastly, the host and organizers did a fabulous job of bringing us together to celebrate the special day. Every aspect of the event was well planned, managed, and executed. Kudos to the Mumbai.BTS team for showing such enthusiasm during the whole-day event. Borahae!”

CONCLUSION

The 12^th Anniversary Festa & BTS Homecoming event was like stepping into a world specifically curated by and for BTS ARMYs. From the warm welcome, marathon concerts on the big screen, games, merch stalls, photobooths, surprises, random dance play, and performances to the cake cutting and giving out freebies to all attendees of each city, it set a remarkable impression. It gave an opportunity for all the fans across the cities to enjoy a concert-like atmosphere and live with memorable moments they created with fellow BTS ARMYs. 

Comment down below what you look forward to after BTS’ Homecoming!