BTS to kick off global tour in April

Global K-pop supergroup BTS will embark on a large-scale world tour in April, returning to the global stage nearly four years after wrapping up its “Permission to Dance on Stage” concerts in Las Vegas in 2022.

According to BigHit Music on Jan. 14, BTS will kick off the tour with shows on April 9 and April 11 and 12 at the Goyang Sports Complex in Gyeonggi Province. The group will also perform on June 12 and 13 in Busan. The June 13 concert carries special meaning, as it coincides with the anniversary of BTS’ debut.

As of now, 79 performances in 34 cities worldwide have been confirmed for the overseas leg of the tour. BigHit Music said the schedule marks the largest number of shows ever staged by a K-pop artist on a single tour, adding that additional dates in Japan and the Middle East will be announced later.

The North American leg will begin on April 25 and 26 local time at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The itinerary includes venues hosting K-pop concerts for the first time, such as Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. At Stanford Stadium on the campus of Stanford University in California, BTS will become the second act, after British band Coldplay, to headline a solo concert at the venue.

The European tour will run from June through July, featuring 10 shows across five cities, including London and Paris. BTS will also stage its first solo concerts in Madrid and Brussels. The group will then continue the world tour in South America, with stops in cities including Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. BigHit Music said the tour will incorporate features such as a 360-degree stage designed to heighten audience immersion.

Ahead of the tour, BTS will release its fifth full-length album, featuring 14 tracks, on March 20. The release will mark the group’s first full-member comeback in about three years and nine months.


사지원 4g1@donga.com