BTS Ends Four-Year Hiatus with Massive Seoul Concert and New Album 'ARIRANG'

BTS performed their first full-group concert in nearly four years on Saturday, March 21, 2026, drawing an estimated 260,000 fans to the Gwanghwamun area of central Seoul and reaching millions more across approximately 190 countries via a live broadcast on Netflix. The show, titled "BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE," took place at Gwanghwamun Square, in front of the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace, and lasted roughly one hour. The concert followed the Friday release of the group's fifth album, "ARIRANG," which sold nearly four million copies on its first day, according to the group's label, Big Hit Music. The seven members — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook — completed their mandatory military service in South Korea before reuniting for the event. The concert also marks the launch of an 82-date world tour spanning 34 cities in 23 countries.

„It has been a long journey, but here we are at last!” — RM via AFP

„We are finally here and seeing you again... The fact that all seven of us are on stage again makes me so happy.” — Jimin via AFP

„BTS 2.0 is only just beginning.” — J-Hope via AFP

RM performs through ankle injury with adjusted choreography The concert was not without complications. HYBE, the parent company of Big Hit Music, announced on Friday that RM had sustained an ankle injury during rehearsals, and that his participation on stage would be limited. He nonetheless performed with adjusted choreography throughout the show. The setlist mixed new material from "ARIRANG" — including "Body to Body" and "Swim" — with established hits such as "Dynamite," "Butter," and "Mikrokosmos." The Gwanghwamun Gate was illuminated in rainbow colors for the occasion, while a large stage installation featuring three circular elements, symbolizing the new album, was erected beneath imposing lighting structures. Only 22,000 fans received what organizers called a "Golden Ticket" granting access to a designated viewing zone, making the event the largest public concert ever held in South Korea, according to RTE. Thousands of police officers were deployed around the venue, with roads, bus routes, and rail connections in the area suspended for the day.

82 (dates) — total shows on BTS world tour across 23 countries

New album 'ARIRANG' takes name from Korea's unofficial anthem The album "ARIRANG" takes its name from a traditional Korean folk song often described as South Korea's unofficial national anthem, according to RTE. The 14-track record features collaborations with multiple Western artists and producers, blending rap, heavy beats, and genre experimentation. Lee Ji-young, a university professor, told AFP that compared to BTS's earlier work, the album offers "a wider range of genres, which gives it a more mature and expansive feel." The album's first-day sales figure of approximately 3.98 million copies was cited by Big Hit Music and reported by Reuters. Fans traveled from across the world for the event, with attendees from Australia and Italy among those quoted by AFP outside the venue. Singer Becky G was among the celebrities reported by El Periódico to have attended in person.

World tour opens in Goyang on April 9, includes two France dates The world tour begins in Goyang, South Korea, on April 9, 2026, and concludes in the Philippines approximately eleven months later, according to RTE. The 82-show schedule includes around 30 performances in North America and two dates in France, as well as two concerts in Brussels at the King Baudouin Stadium on July 1 and 2, according to RTBF. Industry analysts cited by multiple outlets estimated the tour could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue per quarter, with some comparisons drawn to Taylor Swift's recent Eras Tour. The Gwanghwamun Square venue itself carries deep historical resonance: it sits in front of Gyeongbokgung Palace and features statues of King Sejong the Great and Admiral Yi Sun-sin, figures central to Korean national identity. Members of the group visibly showed emotion on stage, with Jin telling the crowd he still remembered asking fans to wait at the group's final concert in Busan years earlier.

BTS debuted in 2013 and rose to become one of the most commercially successful music groups in the world. In 2020, the group became the first K-pop act to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with their English-language single "Dynamite," according to Irish Examiner. The group announced a hiatus in 2022 so that all seven members could fulfill South Korea's mandatory military service requirement. The group's fanbase, known as "ARMY," is considered exceptionally stable despite the years-long pause in group activity.

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