BTS returns via historic royal route

Feb 05, 2026, 08:18 am

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BTS performs at Gwanghwamun Square during its comeback concert on March 21. / BigHit Music

K-pop supergroup BTS is set to make a dramatic return by walking a symbolic “royal route” through the heart of Seoul, blending Korea’s cultural heritage with contemporary pop spectacle.

According to industry sources and the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Tuesday, the organizers of BTS’s comeback concert scheduled for March 21 have applied to use major sites in and around Gyeongbokgung Palace, including Geunjeongmun Gate, Heungnyemun Gate and Gwanghwamun Gate. This suggests the group will enter the stage after traversing the traditional ceremonial path once reserved for kings, moving from the palace grounds toward Gwanghwamun Square.

The stage will be installed near Yukjomadang Plaza on the northern side of Gwanghwamun Square. Following the opening sequence, BTS will perform alongside 50 dancers and a 13-member Arirang traditional music ensemble before fans from around the world. Media façade installations featuring Korean traditional culture will illuminate the walls around Gwanghwamun on the day of the concert, while similar content will be projected onto Sungnyemun Gate and the Seoul Fortress Wall on March 20, the day before the album’s release.

The concert, titled BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE: ARIRANG, will be free of charge. Ticketing details will be announced soon via HYBE’s fan platform Weverse. With as many as 200,000 people expected to gather near the venue, organizers are discussing crowd control measures that would allow about 15,000 spectators inside Gwanghwamun Square and an additional 13,000 at City Hall Plaza and the Sejong-daero intersection.

The show’s overall direction will be led by Hamish Hamilton, who has previously directed the Super Bowl halftime show, one of the largest music events linked to global sports. The performance will be livestreamed via Netflix to viewers in more than 190 countries, reaching an estimated global audience of 300 million.

Industry observers say the event will serve not only as BTS’s long-awaited comeback but also as a landmark cultural showcase, fusing national heritage with K-pop’s global reach in an unprecedented public performance.

#BTS #Gwanghwamun Square #comeback concert #Arirang #K-pop