K-pop singers BTS’s debut concert in almost four years drew over 100,000 people, according to their label on Sunday. This was a lower turnout than anticipated for the eagerly awaited event in central Seoul.
After a years-long break due to mandatory military service, the seven members of the group—some of whom were stationed close to the heavily guarded border with North Korea—took the stage together for the first time.
Thousands of fans from South Korea and beyond sang along to the comeback concert, which took place on Saturday against the backdrop of the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace, perfect for the “Kings of K-pop”.
“An estimated 104,000 fans attended the Gwanghwamun Square concert, based on ticket sales and data from the country’s three major mobile carriers,” HYBE said in a statement to AFP.
The figure was lower than an initial projection of 260,000, while police estimates of the crowd size were far lower at about 42,000, according to Yonhap news agency.
Netflix livestreamed the concert to about 190 countries.
Fans waved a sea of glowsticks and sang along to the group’s hits, holding their phones aloft to film the performance as giant screens set up across the venue allowed the crowd to watch.
Some 15,000 police officers and security personnel were mobilised for the concert, with barricades lining the roads and nearby venues shut.
The latest album, “ARIRANG”, released Friday, is billed as reflecting the maturing boy band’s Korean identity. It sold nearly four million copies on its first day, according to the label.
Following Saturday’s concert, the superstars will embark on their “ARIRANG” world tour, beginning April 9 in Goyang, South Korea.
Spanning 82 concerts across 34 cities, the 2026-27 tour will take in Asia, North America, Europe and Latin America.
Tickets for shows in South Korea, North America and Europe sold out within hours.
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