Fans of BTS’s J-Hope showed up in full force—and in full ponchos—for his headlining performance at Lollapalooza Berlin.
Held on July 13th (local time), the show marked J-Hope’s triumphant return to the global festival stage, three years after becoming the first Korean artist to headline a U.S. music festival at Lollapalooza Chicago in 2022.
Taking over the main stage, J-Hope delivered a powerhouse 90-minute set, performing 23 songs in front of a crowd of 60,000. He closed out the festival with a bang—and with heartfelt fan chants echoing throughout the venue, even including Korean shout-outs.
What turned heads just as much as the performance was the dedication of his global fanbase. ARMYs flew in from all over the world—Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas—with some logging more than 20-hour flights to get there. Some of them began lining up as early as 8 PM the night before, camping out in the rain for a full 24 hours to secure a front-row spot. German broadcaster MagentaTV highlighted the scene, showing fans curled up in gold thermal blankets braving the downpour overnight.
By 4 AM the day of the show, the line had swelled to hundreds. By 7 AM, the queue stretched beyond sight. Once gates opened, fans made a mad dash—over 10 minutes of full-on sprinting—to claim spots at the front of the stage.
Merch sold out fast. After J-Hope’s goods sold out on day one, organizers created a J-Hope-only merch booth for day two to meet demand.
Outside the venue, Berlin itself was buzzing. Official posters announcing J-Hope’s headliner slot became impromptu photo ops across the city. German ARMYs launched citywide billboard ads and ran cup sleeve events celebrating the performance, drawing massive crowds and even piquing curiosity from locals.
Even J-Hope’s off-stage moments became ARMY landmarks. After he was spotted taking photos at the Berlin Wall’s East Side Gallery, fans flocked to the mural for their own photo ops, mimicking his pose. One restaurant he visited on his first day—where he ordered schnitzel—was soon overwhelmed by fans eager to try the exact same dish.
Following the concert, J-Hope went live on Weverse to thank the fans. “Berlin ARMY was the best,” he said, bowing multiple times. “Thank you to everyone who came from all over the world. I’ll never forget this night.”
Meanwhile, IVE also performed at Lollapalooza Berlin, and TWICE is set to headline Lollapalooza Chicago on August 2nd at Grant Park in Illinois.
>> BTS’s J-Hope Connects With 178,000 Fans on North American Tour
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