BTS To Stage ‘The City’ Events At Seoul Landmarks For Comeback

SEOUL, Feb 6 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- K-pop supergroup BTS will hold a “The City” cultural project at key sites in the South Korean capital to mark its highly anticipated return after a nearly four-year hiatus, the group’s agency BigHit Music announced on Friday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the event, titled “BTS The City Arirang Seoul”, will run from March 20 to April 12, featuring a 23-day programme combining music, media art and urban installations.

The seven-member act is set to release its fifth studio album, “Arirang”, named after the famous Korean folk song, on March 20. It will be the group’s first release since “Proof” in June 2022 and its first since all members completed their mandatory military service.

The group is scheduled to hold a free concert the following day to mark the reunion at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, where organisers expect approximately 150,000 to 200,000 fans to gather.

On the day of the new release, the city’s major landmarks, including Sungnyemun Gate and Seoul Tower, will light up with large-scale media façades.

“Adding contemporary media expressions to cultural heritage sites like Sungnyemun will present symbolic scenes where tradition meets the present, and highlight the value of Korean heritage to global audiences,” BigHit Music said in a statement.

A lounge-style programme will open at Yeouido Han River Park through March 22, allowing visitors to relax and experience BTS’ music together.

In April, walls, stairways and tree-lined streets in central Seoul will be transformed into outdoor exhibition spaces, projecting lyrics from the group’s hit songs as media art.

BigHit said the project is being organised in partnership with the Seoul metropolitan government to allow both tourists and locals to “experience culture and art in a new way and enjoy BTS’ comeback”.

Related events will also be held across various sectors, including food, beverages and mobility.

The band previously staged similar “The City” festivals in Las Vegas in April 2022 and in Busan that October to coincide with its concerts in those cities, drawing massive crowds.

Detailed schedules for the upcoming project will be released later via BTS’ channel on Hybe’s K-pop fan platform Weverse. Following the Seoul event, “BTS The City Arirang” will expand to other major cities worldwide later in the year, the agency said.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP