BTS is back, and the group is preparing one of the biggest comebacks in K-pop history.
On January 19, BIGHIT MUSIC confirmed that BTS is considering holding a free concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. The agency said, “Discussions are currently ongoing, and an official announcement will be made once the venue, schedule, and other details are finalized.”
The group has also applied to the National Heritage Administration to use and film around Gwanghwamun Square, Gyeongbokgung Palace, and Sungnyemun Gate. The Cultural Heritage Committee is scheduled to review the application on January 20.
This comeback marks BTS’s return to group activities after their military hiatus, which ended in June of last year. They are set to drop their fifth full-length album, ARIRANG, worldwide on March 20. The album will feature 14 songs and draws its title from Korea’s famous folk song.
Alongside the album, BTS is launching a massive new world tour that will be one of the largest in K-pop history. The tour kicks off at Goyang Stadium in South Korea on April 9, 2026, and will cover 34 cities with a total of 79 shows.
Concerts are scheduled across Asia, North America, Europe, and Latin America, and additional dates in Japan and the Middle East may be added.
BTS will make history in the United States, becoming the first Korean artists to perform at multiple stadiums, including El Paso, Foxborough, Arlington, and Baltimore. Other major stops include Tampa, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, and Mexico City.
In Asia, they will perform in Busan, Tokyo, Kaohsiung, Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta, Melbourne, Sydney, Hong Kong, and Manila. European cities include Paris, Madrid, Brussels, London, and Munich. Latin American stops include Bogotá, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, and Santiago.
Tickets for North America, Canada, Mexico, the UK, and Europe will be managed through Ticketmaster and require a Weverse-linked email to purchase.
BTS also has a tradition of memorable public performances. Their last major pre-enlistment performance was the free “Yet To Come” concert in Busan in 2022. The concert supported South Korea’s World Expo 2030 bid and drew tens of thousands in person, along with millions online.
The ARIRANG album, the free Seoul concert, and the massive world tour signal BTS’s strong return to the global stage.
