BTS fans have finally witnessed a long-awaited reunion as the group’s seven members performed together on stage for the first time in nearly four years. The event, a free public concert in Seoul, marked the beginning of their comeback and was part of a promotional tour for their new album, Arirang. Named after a traditional Korean folk song and the country’s unofficial national anthem, the album explores themes of identity and belonging. The concert also served as a prelude to their global tour, which will span 34 regions from April 2026 to March 2027. A documentary capturing the reunion and the concert will be released on Netflix. The concert, held in Gwanghwamun Square near Gyeongbokgung Palace, drew thousands of fans, with 22,000 securing “Golden Tickets” to attend. Despite the limited number of tickets, the event was expected to attract up to 260,000 people, making it the largest public concert in South Korean history. Fans dressed in traditional hanbok attire, inspired by the album’s themes, flooded social media with photos of their outfits. Some, like Vivienne Ferrier from the U.S., wore hanbok-inspired designs in red and white to align with the album’s color scheme, while others incorporated purple, the symbolic color of BTS and their fanbase, ARMY. The concert’s stage design, created by Guy Carrington and Florian Wieder, was inspired by a picture frame, blending modern energy with historical significance. The venue, a sacred space in Seoul, required meticulous planning to ensure the performance honored its cultural context without disrupting its heritage. The event was directed by Hamish Hamilton, a renowned director known for productions like the Super Bowl halftime show and the Oscars. He described the logistical challenges as “among the most complex” of his career, noting the absence of rehearsals on the actual stage.#netflix #seoul #bts #hybe #gyeongbokgung
