Writers: Aishwarya Khale (Mumbai, Maharashtra, India), Noopur Baghel (Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India), and Jahray (Nigeria, West Africa)

Editor: Pooja Vishwanathan (Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India)

After three years and nine months of their solo era and military enlistment, BTS (aka Bangtan Seonyeondan), the worldwide famous K-pop group, is back with their new album ‘Arirang.’ The album release led to their World Tour, which is taking place after almost seven years, beginning at Korea’s Goyang Stadium for three days, 9^th,11^th, and 12^th April, 2026. 

Noopur Baghel, a PhD student based in Seoul, South Korea, from Jodhpur, Rajasthan, who became a BTS fan in 2020 during lockdown, shared how she achieved her biggest wish on her setlist by attending this concert. She further disclosed how beautifully the most-awaited concert unfolded, leaving her with these memories for a lifetime. And how not only fans from the stadium but the whole country celebrated their comeback from cafes to banners and events, everything was about Bangtan. 

She attended the Day-2 concert, when talking about the significance of the album and tour, added,

This was quite a significant tour, as the theme itself plays a big role. When you talk about representing your own culture, which is the root of your country, it comes with a huge responsibility. BTS making ARMYs learn about it and ARMYs learning about Arirang is huge in itself, because I know I have been to the city where it originated, saw a play about it, and learned about the significance of the Arirang song and how much it means for Koreans. So definitely, for a global audience, people learning it correctly means a lot.

Jahray, from Nigeria, is a graduate student based in Seoul, South Korea. Being a BTS Army since 2015, 11 years in the fandom, and attending the BTS concert personally meant a lot to her, incredibly fulfilling her dream of the decade, and was quite a heartwarming day for her. She mentioned how her goal was to watch herself and Bangtan, enjoy the concert to the fullest.

She attended the Day-3 concert, when talking about the significance of the album and tour, added,

This is a significant moment for BTS and ARMYs. First, it’s their first tour in six years and the first time they’re performing in front of fans together after their military enlistment. It also feels special because ARMYs are finally getting to see a more mature side of them. It’s like BTS 2.0, a new beginning, a new chapter, a different version of BTS. That’s why I believe this tour means so much to both the members and the fandom.

Venue

The venue for the three consecutive days was the same in Korea. It was packed with an electrifying atmosphere, full of excitement. ARMYs from all over the world came together, along with so many Korean fans. It was more like a festival rather than just a concert. People were recording videos, ARMYs were gifting each other outfits. Some dressed in purple, some styled up as their BTS bias.

The crowd was managed securely, from receiving bands to the waiting line to get their verification done and enter the stadium. The vibe while waiting was unmatched, as fans happily interacted with their bias stories, exchanging freebies that included photocards and creative items curated by the fans themselves.

The most attractive part of the venue was the stage. They chose a 360–degree rotation stage, and fans had a good view of the angle. Even from the top floor, there were no bad seats; everything was clearly seen. It also moved up and down, making it even more dynamic. The coordination of light and sound was well set up.

Soundcheck

After the highly secured check and ticket verification, fans were allowed inside the venue for Soundcheck with bands of their assigned sections. Fans comfortably talked with each other until the soundcheck began, discussing bias, complimenting outfits, and exchanging freebies. They were dressed up in unique themes related to Bangtan and their biases. The stage stood out the most, as every fan was able to watch and appreciate the efforts by BTS.

Noopur stated,

It felt like we were watching from everywhere, but I also realized how hard the boys worked for it. Managing choreography on such a stage is huge. If we go in circles, we get dizzy too, so hats off.

She also added how excited she was for the segment, as it was the space with fewer crowds and interactive time with the artist. The boys practiced with cute and funny interactions, earning applause and loud cheers from the fans.

Witnessing the Power-Packed Day-2 & Day-3 Performances & Setlist

The setlist for both days was similar and included two different songs as a surprise, which was quite exciting for the fans to anticipate which they might include in the upcoming ones.  The storytelling was really powerful, especially with the patriotic elements like Arirang and the Korean flag; it added so much depth to the performance.

The beginning was quite intense with ‘Hooligan’ (track from their new album ‘ARIRANG’), with background performers ensembling on the stage with the ARIRANG album logo flags. Followed by all seven members of BTS walking towards the stage, fully hyped to perform, the venue atmosphere was engulfed in the thunderous fan-chant cheers by the BTS ARMY, showcasing the amount of love, admiration, and energy. With the electrifying beginning, they performed ‘Aliens’ and ‘Run BTS’, a B-side track from ‘PROOF’, enchanting the whole stadium with their powerful rap verses and ethereal vocals, which emerged proudly with the loud, unapologetic cheers from the fans, followed by a wave of Armybombs.

The very first “2! 3! Bang! Tan! Hello, we are BTS!” had the fans go crazy across the stadium, a greeting quite significant. It was followed by short speeches by each member talking about their feelings for the D-Day while welcoming and cheering up the fans. Following, they sang two tracks from ARIRANG, ‘They don’t know about us’ and ‘Aliens,’ which had fans sing-along with them.

The fans had nostalgic moments when they performed on the tracks from their old albums like ‘Fake Love,’ ‘Not Today,’ ‘Mic Drop,’ ‘Fire,’ ‘Butter,’ and ‘Dynamite,’ in between with the three cinematic VCR interludes and tracks from their new albums before the encore stage. During the breaks, there were segments where backup dancers came out dressed in red and blue, and later in white, performing elegantly. It really reflected elements of traditional Korean culture, which fit perfectly with the ARIRANG theme of the world tour.

Most of the tracks from their new album included the title track ‘SWIM,’ which had an angelic choreography, followed by the emotional ‘Merry-Go-Round,’ to the upbeat songs like ‘2.0,’ ‘Normal,’ and ‘FYA.’ The biggest surprise before the encore stage was ‘Come Over,’ a hidden attachment track produced by SUGA. The ‘Body to Body’ performers gave goosebumps, and the transition to the ‘Idol’ track had the crowd screaming wildly.

The final talk before the closing, i.e., the encore stage, was quite sentimental. On the second day, the fans completely got lost when they started performing the track, which was like a promise of their return, ‘Take Two’ and the youthful verses of ‘DNA.’ On the third day, they surprised and engulfed the whole stadium with their comforting song ‘Spring Day,’ and the heart-racing song of their youth ‘RUN.’ On both days, the performance throughout made the ARMYs tearfully sing along, scream, chant their names, and happily dance their hearts out at the same time. They performed on the mesmerizing track ‘Please,’ and closed it with ‘Into The Sun,’ creating a purple ocean, an unforgettable moment for both BTS and BTS ARMY.

The ARMY chant throughout the concert gave butterflies. Also, the ARMYs across the venue did a wave before the concert and after the concert, making it possible for BTS to hear them.

Fans and Artists’ Interaction With Each Other

Day 2 – Goyang

Noopur shared a remarkable memory of her interaction during the concert of how, when she was yelling SUGA and V, both of them stopped and looked, as she was the only one in her section shouting, and they came closer. Most of the ARMY had their own share of interaction with the members. All seven of them tried to go around the whole venue to interact with the fans.

Many ARMYs communicated with each other. One of them approached Noopur before the concert, guessing her bias from her outfit, and gifting her SUGA and V items.  Many of them had unique outfits that stood out the most. One of the girls was dressed up as J-Hope from Jack in the Box. She was in Noopur’s section, and after soundcheck, she told her how J-Hope noticed her and made a heart, the perk of being in the front row. By the end of the concert, she had made many new ARMY friends from Australia, the USA, Canada, and Europe, and they are still connected. One of them is an amazing digital painter who makes beautiful SUGA artworks, gifted her one of the art pieces.

Day 3 – Goyang

Jahray disclosed how the crowd kept chanting Yoongi’s name. He had a cute reaction to it. One of the most adorable interactions she remembered was after Hobi introduced himself. Jimin jokingly introduced himself, saying, “I’m your Chim, you’re my Chim. Chimmm.” That was such a fun and memorable moment.

Following, she observed many fans dressed up. The ones that caught her eye included a lady dressed like a life-sized ARMY Bomb lightstick. Many attendees wore traditional hanbok, adding to the unique atmosphere. The most noticeable were two women dressed as Taehyung: one wore an outfit inspired by his look in the ‘2.0’ music video, while the other mimicked his attire from the Day 1 concert. Watching the creativity in these costumes was quite entertaining and impressive.

Attendee’s Experience

Day 2 – Goyang

Noopur Baghel, D2 attendee of the Goyang concert, not only disclosed her ticketing journey but also shared how significant the BTS comeback and this experience were. She stated,  

I had been waiting to attend their concert for the last six years, and getting tickets this year itself is a big thing, so it meant a lot to me. I remember how nervous I was while I booked the tickets for D1, which happened to not be VIP, but I was happy that I got one. Then my Korean friend called me and said to check the tickets again after midnight, as payments get cancelled and there is a high chance you can get one on the same days. As I wanted to give it a try, I went to a PC bang and started checking, constantly thinking whether I would make it or not. I knew that if I wanted to see them on the first day, I had to cancel my current ticket, and only then could I try booking VIP for Thursday if I got it. I didn’t want to take that risk, so I checked for the second day, Saturday concert, and I was lucky to grab one seat. Then I cancelled Thursday because I knew a lot of ARMYs wanted to go, and I didn’t want to be greedy. So, I believe if you truly want something, the universe works for it, maybe not immediately, but eventually it will.

I still remember how I embarked on being a BTS Army. During the 2020 lockdown, I attended a lecture about historic structures, started watching HWARANG (a historical K-drama), and then searched about V and started stanning them, and then BLACKPINK too. So, from seeing them on screen to listening to them and then seeing them in front of me is a huge manifestation that has been completed. I knew BTS concerts were amazing. I have been to BTS SUGA’s concert (Day 1), and I won a raffle that time. So, definitely, I had huge expectations from it.

The crowd was huge, but I got pushed directly to the entry while waiting in line during soundcheck. I was so excited, especially because I will be able to see them due to fewer crowds, haha. The ARMY sitting next to me told me about their entry, so I kept an eye on that. I literally shouted so much. I could see how comfortable the members were while talking. I feel, though, I guess throughout they are the same; their home country is basically ARMY. So, they were enjoying it too, while ARMY were having the time of their life. I really loved the idea of a 360-degree stage with the VCRs, showcase of each member was amazing, plus the confetti. I was screaming and had tears at that time, I knew I made it, and I brought a few home to store for memories.

The whole experience was amazing. But if I have to pick my strongest impression of performances, I would choose ‘Mic Drop’ and ‘DNA,’ as they were the ones I heard first. Watching them dance and sing left me speechless. In the new songs, when the Arirang part came, when RM said “jump,” every ARMY was literally jumping. Swim had amazing choreography as well. The effects and the whole arrangement were just beautiful. When Jin and RM did DNA, I was like, “Wow.” Then, when all of them performed together while holding hands in a circle on DNA, I got crazy since it was their OG song.

BTS outfits had Korean-inspired details by designer Juntae Kim, and the ARIRANG section itself, with RM sitting on a symbolic throne and flags, felt very cultural and meaningful. It was beyond words. Yoongi said once you come to our concert, you can’t go anywhere else, I understood what he meant. They owned it. Fans sang along, danced, some cried—we were all screaming. I recommend attending at least once. You will experience a rollercoaster of emotions. Attending the BTS concert itself will stay with me for a lifetime.

Day 3 – Goyang

Jahray, D3 attendee of the Goyang concert, disclosed how it was a dream come true of decades, and how this experience led her to make many ARMY friends, and everyone is now looking forward to their future meet-ups. She also shared,

It’s been a journey of both beautiful and difficult moments. I started stanning BTS at 17, back in 2015, and they’ve shaped so much of who I am today (even my career). Their music and words have carried me through some of my toughest times. I had never been to a BTS concert before, so my expectations were really high. I’d watched many of their live viewings and online concerts, so I hoped to have just as much fun as they did and to finally experience their music live. When they appeared on the stage, my immediate reaction was ‘Oh! My god, are they real?

I really loved the VCR segments; they were so well-produced and exciting to watch. And the fire effects were incredible, especially during high-energy songs like Fire and Mic Drop. It made the whole performance feel even more powerful. Their stage presence is incredible; they command the stage no matter where they are. I loved how I could follow them around, which made the whole experience even more engaging. After seeing the boys struggle with perfectionism for so long, it felt really special to finally see them relax and truly enjoy themselves. That’s why FYA and IDOL made the strongest Impression on me.

I also loved the choreography, especially ‘2.0,’ but what I enjoyed even more was seeing how much the boys love being themselves, beyond just executing the choreography. Being able to experience and share that cultural moment with them in the same space made it even more special. The crowd went wild during ‘Run’ and ‘Spring Day.’ I’ll forever hold onto their performance of ‘Into the Sun, ’ my favorite song on the album. It was such an emotional and unforgettable moment.

The experience with the crowd was so beautiful. It’s something I’ve always wanted, and being there made it even more powerful. Hearing everyone chant their names, sing along, jump, and dance, it made me feel more alive than when I watched their concerts on my own. Also, Bangtan members speaking in Korean and connecting with ARMYs in their native language made the experience feel even more genuine and special. It’s something I truly appreciated. The concert day deepened my connection with BTS. It made me realize that they’re human too. I think after watching them through a screen for over 11 years, it’s easy to forget that. But being there in person reminded me, and it made me want to support and root for them even more.

Conclusion

After almost six and a half years, including the gap of their solo era and the break of military enlistment, fans across the announced countries are overwhelmed and excited to welcome and watch the splendid performances of the BTS members, together as a group. The evenings of the 9th, 11th, and 12th of April were taken over by BTS, setting a thrilling start to their BTS’s ARIRANG World Tour from their home ground. The BTS Army across the venue was united by their love for the boys, making the whole experience feel even more beautiful and special.

Which song from BTS is your favourite? Will you attend their upcoming concerts? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.