BTS Close Latin American 'Arirang' Leg With 853,000 Fans
By @sharedot · · 6 pages
- K-pop
- Bts
- Arirang World Tour
- Latin America
BTS wrapped the Latin American leg of their Arirang world tour with 14 sold-out shows drawing 853,000 fans, per BigHit Music, before heading to Asia.
A sold-out sweep across five cities
The Latin American leg began in Bogotá, Colombia, on Oct. 2 and carried BTS through Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; and Buenos Aires, Argentina, before three closing nights at the MorumBIS Stadium in São Paulo on Oct.
28, 30 and 31. BigHit Music said Monday that all 14 shows across the five cities were sold out, with a total of 853,000 concertgoers attending.
The Korea Times notes the tour takes its name from the group's fifth studio album, "ARIRANG," itself named after Korea's best-known traditional folk song, and that the setlist mixed new tracks with hits like "Fake Love," "Idol," "Butter" and "Dynamite," with members addressing crowds in local languages.
Firsts and long-awaited reunions
What makes the leg remarkable for fans is how many milestones it packed in. Both outlets report the band performed as a full group for the first time ever in Colombia and Argentina, and reached Peru for the first time since its 2013 debut.
BTS also returned to Chile after nine years and to Brazil after seven.
"We were looking forward to the shows because we don't get to meet [fans] in Latin America often," the members said in a statement carried by Korea JoongAng Daily, adding that "one of the happiest memories of our lives were made here."
The Korea Times adds that Argentine daily La Nacion called BTS "a global phenomenon," while Brazilian outlet Bandwagon highlighted stage designs inspired by traditional Korean pavilions and the Korean national flag.
The economic wave the shows created
The concerts lifted local economies far beyond ticket sales, according to figures both outlets cite.
Korea JoongAng Daily reports that a city survey found 96 percent of Buenos Aires concertgoers came from outside La Plata, where the shows were held, and that the concerts generated an estimated 53 billion Argentine pesos ($34.5 million) in economic activity excluding tickets, with more than 48,000 visitors staying at least a day for an average of three-and-a-half nights.
Flight bookings to Bogotá rose 46.6 percent year-on-year during the concert period, while The Korea Times reports ride-hailing requests in Lima reached up to 48 times the usual level after the first show.
Next stop: Kaohsiung and the Asia-Australia run
With South America behind them, BTS now turn to the Asia-Australia leg of the "Arirang" tour. Both outlets report the run opens with shows at Kaohsiung National Stadium in Taiwan on Nov.
19, 21 and 22, before moving on to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, and then Melbourne and Sydney in Australia.