Writers: Pankaja Gamre and Aishwarya Khale (Mumbai, Maharashtra, India)
Editor: Pooja Vishwanathan (Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India)
Kim Seokjin, a member of the global phenomenon BTS, embarked on a tour spanning nine countries worldwide since June 28th. Beginning in Goyang, Korea, he concluded his tour with a final show on 10th August in Amsterdam as part of his ‘RunSeokjin_EpTour.’ One of the stops was in London at The O2 Stadium on the 5th and 6th of August, featuring two days dedicated to the international BTS Army.
Ms. Pankaja Gamre, a BTS fan from India, attended the second day of the concert at the O2 Stadium in London. She shared her journey of traveling to the concert and her experience. She traveled for almost two hours from Portsmouth to London for Seokjin’s concert. Upon reaching the Victoria terminal in London, she took the tube (an intercity underground railway) to reach the O2 Arena, where the concert took place.
Fans Embraced the Vibe and Atmosphere
The whole waiting area was filled with the BTS Army. Their energy dictated excitement and a little bit of nervousness as they patiently waited in line to enter the arena. The setting echoed with voices of the masses meeting each other for the first time or some with their known friends, sharing their journey with Bangtan while giving away photocards and planning surprises for their idol. It was a homely feeling for all of them.
Power-Packed Performance by Kim Seokjin
Once fans entered the arena, it filled with chaos and calm as they waited for Jin’s appearance on the stage. As he slowly walked onto the set and introduced himself, the audience rose with cheers and tears simultaneously.
With a youthful vibe, the concert began with his masterpiece, from 2024’s Happy album, ‘Running Wild,’ followed by ‘I’ll Be There,’ from the same EP, driving the fans wild and crazy afterwards. They were awestruck after experiencing ‘With the Clouds,’ the soft ballad full of an instrumental feel, live and surreal.
Tracks like ‘Don’t Say You Love Me,’ ‘Loser,’ and ‘Background’ from his recently released album Echo, and the songs ‘Abyss’ and ‘The Astronaut’ – his solo singles, were quite sentimental, upbeat, and comforting, full of heartfelt emotions. Jin, appearing in a grey suit jacket during the ‘SuperTuna’ song, was wholesome, with the BTS army singing along and dancing with him, creating a memorable moment.
During ‘Another Level,’ the energy of the audience boosted dramatically, leveling up the mood, while his playful performance during ‘Rope It’ left them giggling. The crowd went emotionally crazy when Jin started performing the beautiful BTS medley, including songs like Dynamite, Butter, Mikrokosmos, and Spring Day. It was nostalgic for everyone. The whole stadium glowed with Army Bombs swaying in the air with the beats of the songs.
Fans, along with their idol, followed the choreography and sang their hearts out. Especially when the Spring Day began, Jin sang the first part, letting the fans continue further; even after the song ended, the ARMY didn’t stop and continued singing the hook. He slowly kneeled on the floor, and while controlling his tears, cherished the moments and the shared love for him and the Bangtan boys. The minutes during the time indicated that the wait is finally over.
The Encore Stage includes the songs sung by him, ‘Epiphany’ from BTS’s album Love Yourself: Answer, followed by ‘Moon’ from Map of the Soul: 7, being the core of the day. Fans were spellbound like old times when Seokjin took up the stage to perform the songs; it was full of powerful grace and his raw, soulful voice. And lastly, songs like ‘Nothing Without Your Love’ and ‘To Me, Today’ (the last encore song) reflected gratitude towards the fans, leaving them in tears.
Fan Projects and Their Wholesome Interaction With the Idol
Kim Seokjin, the eldest of Bangtan, with the best sense of humor, was the reason the space was bursting with laughter. He planned a betrayal for the members, together with the Army’s, for their next stage in London. When all of them are back on the stage together, the fans will only cheer his name.
To surprise him during his Epiphany performance, fans planned a project by placing a small pink-colored sticker on their phone flashlights. And, the moment he started singing, the flashes lit up, forming a heart-shaped wave across the arena. He was happy with the surprise and remarked on how beautiful it felt during the ‘Epiphany’ (from BTS’s Love Yourself album) performance. He loved the posters prepared by fans, which stated ‘London’s Princess’ with his cute picture on them.
Many of them appeared in ultimately unique outfits; some of them wore tuna fish, cowboy, and banana-themed costumes, while some were dolled up in accessories like a hairband, and a few of them were imitating outfits from his earlier performance or his songs. Everyone was full of hope to be spotted and awaited his priceless reaction.
Fan Experience – Ms. Pankaja Gamre
Pankaja happily disclosed how the RunSeokjin_EpTour was one of her biggest accomplishments in life. She said,
In the beginning, I felt like, okay, fine, I am going to attend the concert. I dressed in pink, which was Jin’s old mic color, and I gathered BTS photo cards and accessories. Also, we made a poster to show our love for him. It was my first time seeing him; in fact, it was my first time seeing any of the BTS members’ concerts. And I was more excited for it. I was almost calm in the beginning, but the moment he stepped on the stage, I felt like my heart picked up its beat. It was racing louder; his too-good-to-handle aura almost mesmerized me, and when he introduced himself as “Hello, I am Kim Seokjin from BTS,” tears almost rolled down my face. I was completely sensitive, and the next moment, I was fully charged when he started performing.
Few songs were so cheerful and enjoyable that we couldn’t help but dance and scream. And, for some songs, we were extremely moved. Throughout the concert, we sang along with Jin. The songs ‘Spring Day,’ ‘Epiphany,’ and ‘Moon’ made me emotional, because all of them are too close to us fans and Bangtan’s heart. We, BTS Army, felt deeply connected to each other, and at the time of Super Tuna, we were smiling, laughing, and screaming “Chamchi,” i.e., tuna, filling the whole room with laughter and cheer.
Seokjin, I feel, might be the most sensitive person; he might have sensed our energy and knew exactly how we were feeling. From time to time, he made sure to cheer us and make us laugh. I healed by experiencing his concert. Seokjin’s concert taught me to be happy no matter what, and there’s no need to compare yourself to others. His song “Epiphany” particularly goes, “I am the one I should love in this world,” and he delivered this message to us throughout the concert.
This concert will stay with me in the form of his light, those touching words, his amazing voice, and the echo of his songs—everything will stay with me throughout, maybe forever in my life. I took the calmness, the sense of relief, the feeling of being healed, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience with me. He was the person with whom you share the same root, the person we crave to meet, and who makes us the happiest. The day almost felt impossible, but finally, my life blessed me with that moment. ‘Happiness’ is all I can state for his concert experience.
Conclusion
RunSeokjin_EpTour was the last solo tour of BTS member Kim Seokjin before he resumed his group projects with the other BTS members. The tour series is the end of the second chapter of BTS’s solo era as they step into the new beginnings as a group together. Fans being overwhelmed by their solo journey marked the era as the most mesmerizing and healing one.
The 6th of August was a wholesome day for the BTS army in London, who gathered together for Seokjin’s tour, experienced him performing live, felt his carefree aura full of humor and love, and lived the most beautiful moment of their life. The fans not only took memories but also the goodies gifted by the fanbases, including photocards, keychains, and merchandise.
Would you like to attend his concert someday? What is your favourite song from Jin and BTS? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.
