BTS opens ‘ARIRANG’ world tour, first in four years

BTS Launches Massive “ARIRANG” World Tour, First in Four Years

BTS took the stage at Goyang Stadium in South Korea on Thursday night, opening their “ARIRANG” world tour before a packed crowd in a moment fans had awaited since the group’s hiatus began in 2022. The concert marked the first time all seven members — RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook — performed together on a world tour since their “Permission to Dance on Stage” series ended in April 2022.elle

The tour, spanning 34 cities and more than 80 shows across five continents through early 2027, is being billed as the largest ever undertaken by a K-pop act. Two additional nights at Goyang are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday before the group moves on to Tokyo Dome and then to North American stadiums beginning in Tampa later this month.youtube

From Enlistment to ARIRANG

The road back began in earnest in June 2025, when the final member, Suga, completed his alternative military service, reuniting all seven members for the first time since they began staggering enlistments in late 2022. Jin had been the first to return, finishing his service in June 2024, followed by J-Hope in October of that year. RM, V, Jimin, and Jungkook were discharged over June 2025.cnn

BigHit Music confirmed on January 1, 2026, that BTS would release a new album on March 20, a date that crashed the Weverse platform under a wave of fan traffic. The album, titled “ARIRANG,” arrived as promised — a 14-track record reflecting the group’s identity and Korean roots, with sessions recorded in Los Angeles during the summer of 2025. Its lead single, “SWIM,” reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK charts.forbes

A Bumpy Comeback, Then a Sellout Tour

The path was not entirely smooth. A free comeback concert at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square on March 21, livestreamed on Netflix, drew roughly 104,000 in-person fans — less than half the 260,000 initially projected by local authorities, according to the South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo. HYBE shares fell 15 percent the following Monday in the company’s worst single-day decline since June 2022. Netflix said the livestream attracted about 18.4 million viewers worldwide.cnbc

But investor jitters did not dampen ticket demand. When ARMY membership presales opened on January 22, followed by general sales on January 24 through Live Nation, venues across the tour sold out rapidly, with many dates clearing on the first day. Resale prices for premium seats have climbed as high as several thousand dollars.today

What Comes Next

After concluding the Goyang dates this weekend, BTS heads to Tokyo before launching the North American leg in Tampa on April 25. European stadium dates follow in the summer, with the tour expected to wrap in early 2027 after stops in Asia, Latin America, and Oceania. The group’s management has hinted at additional dates still to be announced.forbes