Feb 06, 2026 1:40pm IST
BTS: ‘THE CITY SEOUL’ Gears Up To Provide ARMYs An Immersive Experience Of Korean Culture
With K-Pop megastars, BTS, set to make a comeback after five years, the frenzy around their return has reached fever pitch. The album is titled "Arirang", a term that has a deep connection with Korea and its history. A 600-year-old folk song, "Arirang" means beloved. It perfectly represents the love between BTS and its fans. To present a once-in-a-lifetime experience to ARMYs, South Korea’s capital city, Seoul will partner with the K-Pop band for ‘BTS THE CITY ARIRANG SEOUL’ (hereafter ‘THE CITY SEOUL’). The whole city will celebrate BTS and its fandom, ARMY, from March 20 to April 12. This news comes on the heels of the announcement of their fifth full-length album "ARIRANG" and the "BTS Comeback Live: ARIRANG."
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Global giant Netflix will be telecasting live the comeback performance to be held at Gwanghwamun Square. The location was home to the Joseon kings, perfectly befitting the stature of BTS. 'THE CITY SEOUL' is an immersive fan experience across Seoul, blending music, art, installations and modern media. Every bit of Seoul will have a bit of BTS, allowing fans to enjoy Korean culture to the fullest as they celebrate their favorite band.
BTS will be releasing the album on March 20, 2026 and the city of Seoul will be celebrating the comeback of South Korea’s national pride. Major landmarks like Sungnyemun and N Seoul Tower will be lit up with media facades. BTS’ leader RM, aka Kim Namjoon, is known to promote Korean artists and art. We will see modern media art installations in heritage sites like Sungnyemun. This ‘THE CITY SEOUL’ project aims to create memories of a lifetime for BTS fans, art lovers and tourists by amalgamating Korean tradition and modern art.
One of the highlights will be a lounge-style program at Yeouido Hangang Park. It will be a two-day affair for BTS fans to enjoy this epic comeback of Bangtan Sonyeondan. Fans will know Hangang Park from famous Korean dramas like “Legend Of The Blue Sea”, “Itaewon Class”, to name a few. We have seen how birthday projects of BTS members lit up Seoul every year. This April, this will be amplified as we will see installations across Seoul transforming stone walls, stairways, and tree-lined streets into exhibition-like spaces. BTS’ song lyrics will be brought to life through media installations featuring light and video.
BIGHIT MUSIC has worked with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to bring forth the culture of South Korea while celebrating the comeback of the K-Pop stars. This is a multidimensional activity roping in various sectors like F&B and mobility.
BTS had taken over Las Vegas in 2022 with ‘BTS PERMISSION TO DANCE THE CITY - LAS VEGAS’, where the American city turned purple. Seeing the craze, Busan adopted the same model for the ‘BTS THE CITY in BUSAN’ in October 2022. Fans shared pictures of hotels wrapping toiletries in purple, and pop-up cafes hosted fans. ‘THE CITY SEOUL’ aims for something bigger with a fan experience that encompasses the entire capital city.
The ‘THE CITY SEOUL’ schedule will be announced at a later date via the BTS global superfan platform Weverse. ‘BTS THE CITY ARIRANG SEOUL’ will launch in Seoul and will roll out in other cities as well. The BTS World Tour will start from April 9, 2026, in Goyang, South Korea, covering 79 shows in 34 cities across continents.
BTS, an acronym for Bangtan Sonyeondan, was formed by BIGHIT MUSIC in 2013. They are a Grammy-nominated boy band whose popularity is on par with The Beatles. BTS has seven members: RM, Jin, SUGA, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook.
From their first album, “Dark & Wild” to “Proof”, they have won countless hearts with their self-produced music and enthralling stage performances. In 2018, they were the first Korean band at the UN, where RM went viral for his ‘Speak Yourself Speech’. The fandom of BTS, ARMY, has been waiting for their comeback after the mandatory military service with patience, love and excitement.
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