BTS Begins Highly Anticipated ARIRANG Tour In South Korea

BTS opened the ARIRANG World Tour at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, South Korea, on Thursday, embarking as a full touring group for the first time in nearly four years. The tour takes its name from the K-pop stars’ recently released album, ARIRANG, which spent multiple weeks atop the Billboard 200 Albums chart.

The concert marked the group’s official return to the stage following the completion of mandatory military service by all seven members. BTS – RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook – last toured together during the Permission To Dance On Stage Tour in 2021 and 2022.

The sold-out, rain-drenched show ran nearly three hours and featured a 360-degree in-the-round stage design. The group performed through heavy showers, delivering a +20-song set that drew from the newly released album ARIRANG as well as older material. “SWIM,” the chart-topping single from the chart-topping new album, was part of the opening night setlist.

The show began with “Hooligan” and included ARIRANG tracks “Aliens,” “they don’t know ’bout us,” “Like Animals,” “Merry Go Round,” “2.0,” “NORMAL,” “FYA” and “Body to Body,” among others

Legacy material included remixed arrangements of “FAKE LOVE,” “Run BTS,” “Not Today,” “MIC Drop,” “Fire” and “IDOL.” The encore featured “Come Over,” “Butter,” “Dynamite,” “Mikrokosmos,” “I Need U,” “Please” and “Into the Sun.”

BTS has two more ARIRANG World Tour shows planned at Goyang Stadium. Scroll through audience-captured video footage of opening night below: