BTS attracts 853,000 people on South America tour...14 shows sold out

BTS successfully concluded the world tour ″ARIRANG″ held in five South American cities. The tour sold out all 14 performances, attracting a total audience of 853,000. The tour began on the 2nd of last month in Bogotá, Colombia, and continued to Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and São Paulo, Brazil. The final performances took place on the 28th, 30th, and 31st of last month (local time) at Morumbi Stadium in São Paulo, Brazil. BTS performed as a full group for the first time in Colombia and Argentina, and visited Peru for the first time since their debut. They performed in Chile and Brazil for the first time in nine and seven years, respectively. The setlist included songs from their fifth studio album ″ARIRANG″ as well as hits like ″FAKE LOVE,″ ″MIC Drop,″ ″FIRE,″ ″Butter,″ ″Dynamite,″ ″Not Today,″ and ″IDOL,″ with some songs swapped out at different shows. The members greeted the audience in the local languages, and the stage featured elements and visuals inspired by traditional Korean pavilions, Gyeonghoeru Pavilion of Gyeongbokgung Palace, and the Taegeukgi flag. Local media also paid attention to the tour. Peru’s daily El Comercio reported that concerts of this scale are rare in Lima, while Argentina’s La Nación highlighted how BTS tailored their performances to the audience. Music media Bandwagon described the Brazil shows as a ″love letter″ to local fans. The cities hosting the concerts also saw impacts on tourism and spending. According to surveys by La Plata City and the National University of La Plata in Argentina, 96% of the Buenos Aires concert attendees were visitors from outside the city, with over 130,000 people visiting La Plata for the first time. Audiences came from 11 countries, and spending on accommodation, food and beverages, transportation, and leisure was estimated at approximately 53 billion Argentine pesos (about 46 billion Korean won). In Bogotá, Colombia, flight bookings increased by 46.6% compared to the same period last year during the concert dates, and accommodation searches in Santiago, Chile, rose by about 200%. In Lima, Peru, ride-hailing requests on the first day of the concert were 15 times higher than usual, reaching up to 48 times higher after the concert ended. BTS shared their thoughts, saying, ″South America was one of the most anticipated schedules because it’s hard to meet there often. The emotion I felt this time was so great that I thought I should come back quickly to return the favor. One of the happiest memories of my life was made here. I will cherish this memory and return home.″ After completing the South American schedule, BTS will resume the tour on the 19th in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and continue with performances in Bangkok, Thailand; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Singapore; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Melbourne and Sydney, Australia.