BTS holds the 'THE CITY ARIRANG' project in New York... Cultural event at American landmarks

BTS carried out a large-scale complex cultural project, ’BTS THE CITY ARIRANG - NEW YORK,’ in New York. This project took place at major landmarks including MetLife Stadium, Grand Central Terminal, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and the Korean Cultural Center New York. Not only concert attendees but also local residents and tourists naturally participated, engaging in various experiential programs. The Rockefeller Center observation deck, ’Top of the Rock,’ was wrapped with BTS’s album logo and key visuals, and BTS’s music echoed throughout the site, turning the heart of Manhattan into a performance venue. At ’The Weather Room,’ a special menu themed around ’The City Arirang’ was offered. At Grand Central Terminal’s ’Vanderbilt Hall,’ a T-shirt customization experience space was set up, drawing long lines of music fans and terminal users. Participants created their own T-shirts and viewed an exhibition of BTS’s stage costumes. This location was where BTS performed ’ON’ on NBC’s ’The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ in February 2020, continuing a meaningful connection after six years and six months. A large-scale performance was held at Times Square with a local famous dance crew. As BTS’s music played, citizens and tourists surrounded the dance crew, and the dance team’s performance and random play dance sessions transformed the scene into a festive atmosphere. Local artists presented guerrilla performances reinterpreting BTS’s music through violin playing, live vocals, and dance performances. When the track ’Arirang’ echoed against the backdrop of the New York skyline, the audience responded with cheers and applause. The double-decker bus ’Big Bus Tour’ circulated key points such as Grand Central Terminal, Times Square, and Koreatown under the concept of ’The City New York.’ A guide was on board to introduce the landmarks, accompanied by BTS’s music. At the Korean Cultural Center New York, the ’Arirang Theater,’ light stick DIY experience, and various sponsor booths were operated. The Bank of Hope Manhattan branch also hosted a donation-linked ’Stamp Rally’ program. Each location was organically connected, creating a structure where BTS’s music and Korean culture could be experienced together. The ’The City’ project extended from Seoul, Las Vegas, Busan, and London to New York, demonstrating its potential as a participatory content model linking performances, city landmarks, and local cultural infrastructure. BTS once again proved its influence as a global mega IP encompassing not only music but also space, culture, and fan experience. According to the latest chart released by Billboard on August 8, BTS’s fifth full-length album ’Arirang’ ranked 15th on the ’Billboard 200,’ marking its 19th consecutive week on the chart. On the ’Hot 100,’ ’SWIM’ ranked 82nd, ’NORMAL’ 89th, ’Aliens’ re-entered at 156th on the ’Global 200,’ and 94th on the ’Global (excluding U.S.)’ chart. Recently, BTS attracted worldwide attention in the music industry by boycotting the Grammy Awards. BTS stated, ″I hope music can be heard and loved as music itself, rather than being divided by region or language.″