BTS celebrates 13th birthday with two-night homecoming stand in Busan

Members of K-pop boy band BTS perform the group's ongoing "ARIRANG" World Tour at Busan's Asiad Main Stadium, Saturday. Courtesy of BigHit Music

BUSAN — K-pop juggernaut BTS marked its 13th anniversary with a massive homecoming, bringing the group's ongoing "ARIRANG" World Tour to Busan's Asiad Main Stadium on Friday and Saturday for a two-night run that felt as much like a celebration as a concert.

The timing was no accident. The shows landed squarely on June 13, the group's debut anniversary, sending fans worldwide into a frenzy well before the first note dropped.

Busan, too, carries deep meaning for the group — it is the hometown of members Jimin and Jung Kook, and the site of "Yet to Come," the sprawling farewell concert that preceded the members' mandatory military service in 2022.

Drone formations depicting the faces of members of BTS light up the night sky above Gwangalli Beach in Busan's Suyeong District on Friday, ahead of the group's two-night concert at Asiad Main Stadium. Yonhap

The group's return had been building for weeks. "BTS THE CITY ARIRANG BUSAN," a large-scale urban festival running since early June, had transformed the city's landmarks into extensions of the "ARIRANG" album's themes, stretching from a grand welcome at Busan Station to a drone light show above Gwangalli Beach.

By Saturday evening, 55,000 fans packed the stadium, a crowd that had already endured a roughly 75-minute delay the night before and a further 23-minute wait on Saturday. Neither dampened the mood. As the clock ticked down, the crowd channeled their energy into chanting each member's name, one by one. The two nights drew a combined 110,000 attendees.

When the show finally started, a wave of dancers sprinted onto the stage and the volume surged. The seven BTS members — RM, Jin, J-hope, Suga, Jimin, V and Jung Kook — arrived leading a full dance crew, launching into an opening sequence that set the tone immediately — "Hooligan" and "Aliens" from the "ARIRANG" album, followed by the fan-favorite "Run BTS."

V of K-pop boy band BTS performs onstage during the group's ongoing "ARIRANG" World Tour at Busan's Asiad Main Stadium, Saturday. Courtesy of BigHit Music

Jimin of K-pop boy band BTS sings during the group's ongoing "ARIRANG" World Tour at Busan's Asiad Main Stadium, Saturday. Courtesy of BigHit Music

V set the scene in a brief address to the crowd.

"Busan holds so many good memories for me," he said, citing the 2019 "BTS 5th Muster: Magic Shop" show and "Yet to Come." Jimin leaned in with the more personal, saying, "I'm so happy to be in my hometown, on such a meaningful day, singing and dancing with all of you. Let's have fun tonight."

The setlist that followed struck a satisfying balance between new material and crowd-tested classics. Newer material including "they don't know 'bout us," "Like Animals," "SWIM," "2.0" and the Korean version of "NORMAL" gave way to a cathartic hip-hop stretch — "FAKE LOVE," "Not Today," "MIC Drop" and "FIRE" delivered in quick succession, turning the stadium into something between a mosh pit and a revival.

K-pop boy band BTS performs during the group's ongoing "ARIRANG" World Tour at Busan's Asiad Main Stadium, Saturday. Courtesy of BigHit Music

The most distinctly Korean moments, however, were the evening's standouts.

"Body to Body," the "ARIRANG" album's opening track, featured a communal singalong of the traditional folk song "Arirang," and watching 55,000 people belt it together under a night sky was quietly staggering.

A performance of "IDOL" staged as a procession around the vast stadium, underscored by traditional Korean percussion, carried a different charge in Busan than it had during earlier stops in Gwanghwamun and Goyang.

Jung Kook, the youngest member of K-pop boy band BTS, performs during the group's ongoing "ARIRANG" World Tour at Busan's Asiad Main Stadium, Saturday. Courtesy of BigHit Music

Suga of K-pop boy band BTS, performs during the group's "ARIRANG" World Tour at Busan's Asiad Main Stadium, Saturday. Courtesy of BigHit Music

Jin, the eldest member of K-pop boy band BTS, performs during the group's "ARIRANG" World Tour at Busan's Asiad Main Stadium, Saturday. Courtesy of BigHit Music

The members themselves were at a different level, too. Performing with handheld microphones throughout, all seven delivered live vocals and rap without flagging, rewarding their fans' loyalty with a confidence that left little room for doubt about where the group stands.

Production kept pace. Fireworks filled the sky in waves throughout the night, while large-scale water cannons drenched the standing section at key moments, sending the crowd into a collective eruption.

The premiere of "Come Over" preceded a closing run that had the whole stadium on its feet — "Butter" and "Dynamite" gave way to a surprise addition not listed on the original setlist, "One More Night" and the beloved finale "Into the Sun," which sent fans out roaring.

J-Hope of K-pop boy band BTS performs during the group's "ARIRANG" World Tour at Busan's Asiad Main Stadium, Saturday. Courtesy of BigHit Music

RM, the leader of seven-piece K-pop boy band BTS, performs during the group's "ARIRANG" World Tour at Busan's Asiad Main Stadium, Saturday. Courtesy of BigHit Music

The Busan run is one stop in a world tour spanning 34 cities and 86 shows, and the "ARIRANG" campaign has been generating its own headlines along the way.

The group received a special commendation in El Paso, Texas for boosting tourism; in Mexico City, they were received as distinguished guests by the president. In Las Vegas, where "BTS THE CITY ARIRANG" ran alongside the concerts, the Sphere was lit in the album's signature crimson, and the Strip and Downtown districts were blanketed in the group's music and imagery.

Members of K-pop boy band BTS address the crowd during their ongoing "ARIRANG" World Tour at Busan's Asiad Main Stadium, Saturday. Courtesy of BigHit Music

Some 55,000 fans cheer for K-pop boy band BTS during the group's ongoing "ARIRANG" World Tour at Busan's Asiad Main Stadium, Saturday. Courtesy of BigHit Music