At 7 PM on the 11th, at the main stadium of Goyang Sports Complex in Gyeonggi Province, BTS's fandom ARMY heated up the atmosphere chanting "BTS, BTS, BTS, BTS..." and "Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, Jeon Jungkook, BTS" (BTS's official fan chant). Soon after, the folk song Arirang, sampled in the first track "Body to Body" from the new album "ARIRANG," echoed throughout. When BTS shouted "Now, let us hear your voices," 44,000 ARMYs began singing along in unison to the traditional melody of the hit song "IDOL."
"Jihwaja jotda~"
BTS's world tour "ARIRANG" has set sail. The members sang "IDOL" while circling the large stadium, and ARMYs went wild, arms around each other's shoulders, following along with the "deonggi-deok kung-deoreoreo" refrain.
On this day, BTS presented a 360-degree open stage at a large stadium accommodating over 40,000 people per show for the first time since their 2013 debut. This stage configuration can accommodate more audience members than a typical linear stage, making it possible only for top stars with guaranteed box office success.
As dancers holding red smoke flares appeared on the protruding stage, "Hooligan" began to play. When this unique opening scene unfolded, gasps of admiration erupted from the audience. ARMY chanted "BTS," saying "The concert is also 'BTS 2.0.'" The seven members, appearing amid ARMY's cheers loud enough to shake the main stadium, performed "Aliens," "Run BTS," and other songs consecutively with vivid live vocals.
This performance is evaluated as an "artist's concert" that infused Korean sensibilities throughout the production, in line with the "BTS 2.0" concept. Choreography was reduced to focus on live vocals, revealing their determination to evolve as artists through serious music instead of their existing bright and upbeat style. The stage set fully captured Korean aesthetics. A pavilion-style structure inspired by Gyeonghoeru was installed at the center of the 360-degree stage, offering a modern reinterpretation of a banquet space where everyone can enjoy together. The stage floor was designed with the Taegeukgi as its motif. The circular Taegeuk pattern anchors the center, while the protruding stages extending in four directions were designed with inspiration from the four trigrams (geon, gon, gam, ri). This simultaneously embodied the symbolism of the Taegeukgi and the practicality of getting closer to the audience. Throughout the performance, pillars of fire, fireworks, LED flags, and 50 dancers captivated the audience's eyes and ears. Particularly impressive was the sophisticated concert concept symbolizing that their musical roots are in "K."
Leader RM said, "We released '2.0' songs and showed you many changes," but added, "What's truly important hasn't changed. What matters is that the seven of us decided to do this together, and another thing is our sincere feelings for you." He continued, "We're all over thirty now. (Our change is) a decision we made to continue doing this together for a long time," and asked, "Please trust us a little more, generously watch over our changes, and enjoy them."
ARMY, who turned the main stadium purple, responded with group singing whenever BTS performed new songs. Especially during the title track "SWIM," the audience's unified chanting of "Swim~ Swim~" in the refrain echoed like rolling waves. The atmosphere heated up even more as they sang along familiarly to "Arirang~ Arirang~ Arariyo" sampled in "Body to Body."
Korean colors were deeply spread throughout the stage. During the "they don't know 'bout us" performance, dancers utilized screens displaying modern reinterpretations of traditional masks for their performance. In "Merry Go Round," large cloths inspired by seungmu (Buddhist monk dance) were used as props, revealing the identity of the "ARIRANG" tour.
They performed 22 songs including most tracks from the new album as well as "Butter" and "Fake Love," and spectacular fireworks were displayed during the "Into the Sun" stage at the end of the concert.
BTS met with 132,000 ARMYs at the Goyang performances on the 9th, 11th, and 12th. They will continue with performances at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 17th and 18th, followed by 85 shows in 34 cities across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia. This is the highest number of shows for a single tour by a Korean artist. With additional performances announced in Japan and the Middle East, the tour scale is expected to expand further.
