BTS To Kick Off World Tour After Landmark Seoul Comeback

Seoul: South Korean K-pop megastars BTS kick off their world tour on Thursday, riding the momentum of a chart-topping comeback album and a landmark performance in the heart of Seoul.

The seven-member group -- widely regarded as the world's biggest boy band -- took to the stage together for the first time last month following a years-long hiatus prompted by mandatory military service, and after releasing their latest studio album "ARIRANG".

The performance, on the doorstep of the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace, drew more than 100,000 fans to central Seoul, the group's label said, while its Netflix livestream attracted an estimated 18.4 million viewers worldwide, according to the streaming giant.

Spanning 85 shows in 34 cities worldwide, the highly anticipated tour -- starting in BTS leader RM's hometown, Goyang potentially outdoing Taylor Swift's recent Eras Tour, according to analysts.

The cities include Tokyo, Manila, Toronto and Buenos Aires, and marks the highest number of shows for a single tour by any South Korean artist, according to the group's label.

"We all agreed that the most important thing for a singer is a concert," member Jin said in a statement released hours ahead of the concert.

"We want to meet audiences all over the world as soon as possible, and since this is our first world tour in a long time, we want to experience the culture and concert atmosphere of each region firsthand."

Their latest album "ARIRANG" -- also name of the tour -- is billed as reflecting the maturing boy band's Korean identity.

It is named after the traditional Korean folk song about longing and separation, often dubbed South Korea's unofficial national anthem.

Ahead of the tour, the group has moved beyond themes of adolescent pain and internal conflict, entering "a realm of looking more deeply" into themselves, Kim Jeong-seob, the author of "The universe of BTS", told AFP.

MENAFN09042026000063011010ID1110961158