Sheinbaum Confirms BTS Will Return to Mexico's National Palace in 2027

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum says BTS is confirmed to return to the National Palace in 2027, after Stray Kids skipped a planned appearance.

During a Thursday morning press conference on September 24, 2026, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that Stray Kids would appear at the National Palace alongside South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who was in Mexico on an official state visit. Dozens of fans gathered outside the palace in Mexico City, but the group — Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. — did not show. That evening, in a video posted to her official TikTok, Sheinbaum explained the mix-up: "We thought perhaps he was coming with the group Stray Kids." She added that the group has been invited to visit Mexico on another occasion.

The headline development came in that same video, where Sheinbaum confirmed news fans would not expect so soon: "We have already confirmed that BTS is coming next year." Per Complex, the group is set to return to Mexico's National Palace in 2027, following their May 6, 2026 visit, when the members met Sheinbaum and appeared on a balcony of the presidential residence to wave at roughly 50,000 ARMY packed into the Zócalo, according to Mexico City government figures cited by both outlets. A presidential confirmation of a return engagement — before any formal tour announcement — is the kind of detail fans are treating as the real story of the day.

Billboard reported that the bilateral sit-down between Sheinbaum and President Lee was centered on trade and investment cooperation, along with the expansion of South Korean cultural content in Mexico. Complex notes that Sheinbaum said Mexico and South Korea are discussing the possibility of establishing a center in Mexico dedicated to K-pop, signaling that the cultural push goes beyond one-off visits. The presidential stage has become a genuine diplomatic venue for K-pop: BTS drew about 50,000 fans to the Zócalo in May, and the possibility of a permanent cultural institution would formalize that fandom infrastructure.

The no-show carries real fan-relation stakes. Billboard and K-Jewel 99.3 FM both report that only Sheinbaum and President Lee appeared on the presidential balcony to greet the crowd that had gathered, with videos of the moment going viral on social media. Sheinbaum had also raised eyebrows at her morning press conference, saying of the group, "They're kind of like BTS, but younger. I don't know if they're boys and girls." K-Jewel notes Stray Kids' ages range from 25 to 28, while BTS members are 29 to 33. The group still has its Mexican moment: two shows at GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City on September 25 and 26.

The immediate calendar belongs to Stray Kids, whose GNP Seguros Stadium dates land on September 25 and 26, with an open invitation from Sheinbaum to return to the palace on a future occasion. For BTS, the 2027 National Palace return is confirmed only at the level of the president's announcement, with no specific date, format, or performance details given in the pack's reporting. Complex also flags broader context fans are watching: the outlet notes BTS skipped submitting their album 'ARIRANG' for Grammy consideration, and that Stray Kids' mini-album 'This & That' debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 last month — their ninth chart-topper — underscoring how high the diplomatic and commercial stakes run for Korean acts in Mexico.