"Because it's a festival we share. We're preparing with joyful hearts."
The group BTS, returning as a full lineup, will open the 'BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG'' at the main stadium of Goyang Sports Complex on the 9th and 11th–12th. This world tour will take place over 85 shows in 34 cities including Goyang, Tokyo, North America, Europe, South America and Asia. It is the largest number of shows for a single tour by a Korean singer. Additional performances are also planned in Japan and the Middle East, so the scale of the tour is expected to expand further.
At this concert, attendees will be able to hear not only tracks from the new album 'Arirang' (ARIRANG) but also long-beloved hit songs. Anticipation is rising sharply for the overwhelming performances to be staged on a 360-degree stage. Through their agency BigHit Music, they shared their feelings ahead of the world tour and the highlights to watch for in the performance.
Q. How do you feel about starting a tour after a long time?
RM: I still can't quite believe it. Before I know it, I think I'll already be on stage. Preparing for a 360-degree show wasn't easy, but once it starts I think it will be really fun. Above all, I'm very excited to hold a microphone after a long time and meet ARMY fans around the world.
Jin: We all agree that concerts are the most important thing for singers. We want to meet audiences around the world as soon as possible, and because this is a world tour held after a long time, we want to directly feel each region's culture and the concert atmosphere.
Suga: Since I was young I thought concerts were the most important thing for a singer, and I still feel that way. All the members are really looking forward to this world tour. We ask for your interest and anticipation.
J-Hope: World tours are always fun and happy. Since it's a festival with ARMYs around the world, we're preparing this time with joyful hearts as well.
Jimin: We've done many performances so far, but this time we plan to show a stage completely different from before. Of course it's a big challenge, but I hope you'll look forward to it.
V: Because it's a tour after a long time, I worried I might have lost my touch, so I prepared many times harder. Please look forward to it, and I want to show you everything we've prepared.
Jungkook: I want to get on stage quickly. I'm really looking forward to it, and thinking about meeting the audience in person after a long time makes me very excited. Since we've prepared hard, I want to enjoy it together at the venue as soon as possible.
Q. Please pick the highlights to watch for in this tour.
RM: I'm most excited for the moments when everyone can run freely on stage. I hope the entire venue feels like one huge club. There's a song we made with that feeling, and if that scene actually unfolds it will make me really happy.
Jin: We will use the 360-degree stage so that every direction feels like the front. It seems to be a method we're trying for the first time since the 2019 fan meeting. The stage turns and we also move, so you will feel a new kind of fun (laughs).
Suga: I'm most looking forward to the moment we first face the audience. Since the show includes many theatrical productions, I think viewers will have plenty of visual enjoyment.
J-Hope: Because it's a 360-degree stage, the atmosphere felt in each song will be different. I think that is the biggest highlight of this world tour. From a production standpoint it feels like watching a show, and the aesthetic expressing Korea is also interesting.
Jimin: The most anticipated moment is meeting the ARMYs who have waited a long time. Until now, many stages have emphasized performance, so it was not easy to try many production variations. But this time we put more effort into production so the audience can also enjoy it visually.
V: I think the songs, set list, production and structure themselves are really solid. It's a performance we can present with confidence and pride.
Jungkook: Because it's a 360-degree show, there is a lot of worry. I worry about making mistakes, but being able to be with the audience all around will make it more fun and special. There will be lots to see, so I hope you look forward to it.
BTS's world tour, including three shows in Goyang, sold out all seats for a total of 46 shows including Tokyo Dome and tours in North America and Europe. In North America they will hold solo performances for the first time by a Korean singer at El Paso Sun Bowl Stadium, Stanford Stadium, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium and Arlington's AT&T Stadium.
They will continue to set new records in South America. They will be the first Korean singer to perform at Estadio El Campín in Bogotá, Colombia and Estadio Único de La Plata in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Also, at Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile, they will hold the first solo concert by a Korean singer.
Starting on the 9th, near concert sites the Korean Intellectual Property Office's special judicial police for trademarks will conduct a nationwide campaign to crack down on counterfeit K-pop goods and promote a culture of respecting intellectual property. This activity aims to block the distribution of counterfeit goods that unlawfully use artists' trademarks in advance and to share the importance of purchasing genuine products.
[Photo] Provided by BigHit Music (HYBE).
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