BTS' 'ARIRANG' comeback to turn Seoul landmarks into art
A tourist takes a photo in front of a promotional display announcing BTS' comeback on the stairs of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, Jan. 22. Yonhap
BTS is preparing to transform Seoul into a citywide cultural playground as part of its “ARIRANG” comeback, bringing music, art and large-scale media installations to iconic locations across Seoul.
The K-pop group is set to release its fifth studio album, “ARIRANG,” on March 20, with a massive comeback performance at Gwanghwamun scheduled for the same day.
On Friday, BigHit Music announced a new immersive program titled “BTS The City Arirang Seoul,” which will run from March 20 to April 12 and turn major parts of the city into a multilayered fan experience.
On March 20, the day the album is released, key landmarks — including Sungnyemun and N Seoul Tower — will light up with large-scale media facades. At Sungnyemun, modern media art will be projected onto the historic gate, creating a symbolic visual blend of tradition and technology aimed at connecting global audiences with Korea’s cultural heritage.
BTS kicks off the 24-hour worldwide event "Global Citizen Live" with a performance filmed at Sungnyemun, South Korea's National Treasure, streamed on YouTube Sept. 26, 2021. Courtesy of BigHit Music
Additional events are planned at Yeouido Han River Park, where a lounge-style program will invite fans to relax, gather and enjoy BTS’ music through March 22. In April, the project moves to downtown Seoul, transforming stone walls, staircases and tree-lined streets into open-air exhibition spaces reinterpreting BTS’ lyrics through light and video art.
“We collaborated with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to curate programs that allow both tourists and citizens to experience culture and art in new ways,” BigHit Music said. The agency added that the project will include partnerships across food and beverage and mobility sectors to create a multidimensional experience.
Several buildings in Las Vegas showcase lit billboards in purple with the phrase “Borahaegas,” a combination of “Borahae” and Las Vegas, for K-pop band BTS’ concerts there. For BTS and its fans, “Borahae” means “I will love you till the end.” Courtesy of HYBE
This follows the success of earlier “The City” projects — large-scale “urban play parks” designed to provide an expanded fan experience — previously held in Las Vegas in April 2022 and Busan in October 2022.
While the free comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square remains the performance centerpiece, “BTS The City Arirang” is expected to expand beyond Seoul to other major global destinations.
Detailed schedules will be released on the global fan platform Weverse.
This article from Xportsnews is adapted by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.