BTS celebrated their 13th anniversary with a massive concert at Busan Asiad Main Stadium, drawing around 110,000 fans across the event.
The concert, titled BTS WORLD TOUR “ARIRANG” IN BUSAN, was also streamed globally through Weverse and shown through live viewings in theaters across 191 countries and regions, turning the show into a worldwide celebration with fans.
Held in honor of the group’s debut date, June 13th, the concert unfolded in a heated, emotional atmosphere. Taking the stage in Busan for the first time in three years and eight months, the members welcomed their reunion with fans.
“Celebrating our birthday in our hometown and singing with you all in this moment feels truly meaningful and beautiful,” they said. “We’ve spent 13 years together. We think we were able to get through all this time because all of you were there. We want to keep making music with ARMY for a long time. We’ll never forget today. We hope you fully feel and enjoy these precious emotions that can only exist here.”
The group kept the energy high with special performances, unit stages from the vocal line, Jin, Jimin, V and Jungkook, and the rap line, RM, Suga and J-Hope, as well as the reveal of a new song.
However, the large crowds also led to some logistical issues. On the first day, the show was delayed by more than an hour due to problems, including slow entry, while several areas around the venue remained congested. Police also issued fines after catching illegal ticket scalping near the stadium.
The concert wrapped safely with crowd-control support in place, but the event still left behind several issues caused by the massive turnout. The city of Busan said around 110,000 people attended over the two days, with thousands of overseas fans also gathering outside the venue.
Controversy continued after the show when gifts the members had prepared for ARMY began appearing on secondhand resale platforms. Listings for the concert gift bags appeared on platforms including Bunjang and Karrot, with prices ranging from the mid-100,000 won range to the 200,000 won range (roughly $110 to $145). Some prices varied depending on whether photo cards were included.
The resale sparked divided reactions, with some fans expressing disappointment that gifts meant for fans were being sold, while others argued that people are free to do what they want with their personal belongings.
Meanwhile, BTS will open the European leg of their tour in Madrid, Spain, on June 26th and 27th local time. The group is scheduled to perform 10 shows across five cities, including stops in Spain, Belgium and the United Kingdom, with all tickets sold out.
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