BTS draws French president to Paris concert ahead of World Cup halftime show

French President Emmanuel Macron and first lady Brigitte Macron are featured on the giant screen during a BTS concert at the Stade de France in Paris, Friday (local time). Captured from X (formerly Twitter)

K-pop powerhouse BTS drew French President Emmanuel Macron and first lady Brigitte Macron to its stadium concert in Paris on Friday (local time), highlighting the global influence of the band ahead of its historic upcoming performance at the World Cup final.

President Macron shared a video of the concert on his social media on Saturday with a message in French saying "Bienvenue a Paris," which means welcome to Paris.

The K-pop band held the European finale of its world tour, titled "BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG,’” at the Stade de France from Friday to Saturday. During the first show on Friday, the French leader and the first lady surprised the audience by watching the performance from the stands.

The presidential couple appeared on the stadium's giant screens during the concert while the band members were moving around the stage to interact with the crowd. The stadium instantly erupted into cheers as the screens showed the couple smiling and holding the official BTS glowing fan light sticks.

BTS members take the stage at the Stade de France in Paris, Saturday (local time). Courtesy of BigHit Music

French media observed the concert took place as Korea and France celebrate the 140th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year, making the couple's attendance a visible symbol of deep cultural ties and mutual respect between the two nations.

The French first lady has previously expressed her deep affection for K-pop in several interviews, noting that her grandchildren are also big fans of the genre. During a state visit to Korea in April, President Lee Jae Myung and the first lady gifted her a white porcelain tableware set along with signed CDs from various K-pop stars, including BTS, Stray Kids and G-Dragon.

The Paris concert drew approximately 92,000 spectators on Friday alone, combining 88,000 seated fans with floor area ticket holders. The huge turnout comes as the group's track enjoys a major resurgence on global music charts.

According to the group's agency BigHit Music on Sunday, "NORMAL," a track from their fifth studio album "ARIRANG," made a reentry to rank ninth on the Spotify Daily Top Songs Global chart.

The album's lead track "SWIM" sat right next to it at number 8, maintaining its position in the top 10 after spending 25 consecutive days at the top spot following its release four months ago.

Members of K-pop band BTS perform at the Stade de France in Paris, Friday (local time), as fans pack the stadium for the first night of its weekend shows in the French capital. Courtesy of BigHit Music

Following its successful stadium shows in Paris, the seven-member band immediately departed for New Jersey to perform at the 2026 FIFA World Cup final halftime show on Sunday (local time).

The halftime show marks the first time in World Cup history that a massive concert performance will take place during the final match, where Spain and Argentina will compete for the championship trophy.

BTS will take the stage at the New York New Jersey Stadium alongside global pop icons Madonna, Shakira and Justin Bieber to deliver a historic performance before millions of sports and music fans worldwide.