BTS review – pure joy and astonishing versatility at K-pop titans’ first UK show in seven years
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- BTS performed their first UK concert in seven years before 62,000 fans in London, their first live appearance since each member completed 18 months of compulsory military service during a three-year hiatus
- The Arirang tour supports the group's new album "Arirang" and features in-the-round staging, heavy pyro, and light-up "Army Bomb" sticks wielded by fans throughout the set
- BTS has sold more than 40 million albums globally, with a fanbase known as the Army that triggered London-wide activations including a takeover of the London Eye
- The two-hour set showcased the group's range from hard rap ("Hooligan") to soft, Tame Impala-indebted balladry ("Like Animals"), with surprise songs that the band themselves visibly enjoyed performing
- BTS closed the show by removing their in-ear monitors to hear the crowd sing "Into the Sun" back to them, converting an initially ambivalent reviewer into a fully converted fan by the final note
Why it matters: Selling 62,000 tickets in London on their first UK visit since 2019 demonstrates that BTS's Army fanbase survived the group's three-year military-service hiatus intact, validating Hybe's commercial bet that the K-pop act could pause and resume without losing scale.
