BTS wraps up sold-out South America tour with 853,000 attendance - The Straits Times

BTS will be performing in Singapore for four nights in December during their Asian and Australian tour.

SEOUL – South Korean boy band BTS wrapped up the South American leg of their Arirang world tour after drawing 853,000 concertgoers across 14 sold-out shows in five cities.

The group concluded the leg with three concerts at Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo on Oct 28, 30 and 31. The South American tour began in Bogota, Colombia on Oct 2 and continued through Lima in Peru, Santiago in Chile, Buenos Aires in Argentina and finally Brazil.

The set list featured tracks from BTS’ fifth LP, Arirang, alongside favourites such as Fake Love, Not Today, Mic Drop, Fire, Idol, Butter and Dynamite. Along with never-before-seen surprises – a signature segment BTS has added during this Arirang tour – the septet sparked buzz for sporting Brazilian football uniforms. Members Jin and RM also wore cocar, a traditional, sacred feather headdress worn by the country’s indigenous peoples.

“South America was one of the schedules we were looking forward to the most because we don’t get to meet you often,” said J-Hope, as BTS wrapped up their final concert in Sao Paulo on Oct 31. “We were excited to perform here even before arriving and had so many expectations. As expected, you were all incredible.”

The members added that the experience had left them eager to return in the future.

“Thank you so much for waiting for us (until now). We were all so happy, and the South America tour will remain a really good memory for us,” said Jimin, during BTS’ Weverse live on Oct 31. “It may sound like a cliche, but it still amazes me how so many people on the other side of the world love us so much, and I’m so grateful. We’ll take this memory with us, prepare well and come back next time.”

The tour also marked BTS’ first full-group concerts in Colombia and Argentina and the group’s first visit to Peru since their debut. It also marked their return to Chile and Brazil after nine and seven years, respectively.

Before the concerts, BTS were named guests of honour in Bogota and Buenos Aires in recognition of their cultural influence and the attention their visits were expected to bring to the cities. In Santiago, a street was temporarily renamed Avenida BTS, or BTS Avenue, to welcome the group’s return, while landmarks across the Chilean capital were illuminated in purple – BTS’ signature colour.

The concerts also generated measurable effects on tourism, accommodation and transportation in several host cities.

According to a local survey cited by Big Hit Music, in La Plata, where the Buenos Aires-area concerts were held, 96% of attendees came from outside the city, and more than 130,000 were visiting it for the first time. More than 48,000 visitors stayed in La Plata for at least one night, with an average stay of 3.5 nights. Excluding ticket costs, spending on accommodation, food, transportation and leisure was estimated at about 53 billion Argentinian pesos (S$44.1 million).

In Bogota, flight bookings during the concert period increased 46.6% from a year earlier. In Lima, ride-hailing demand rose to 15 times the usual level on the first concert day and as much as 48 times the normal level after the show, according to figures cited by the agency.

Accommodation searches in Santiago, meanwhile, increased by about 200% from a year earlier.

Following the South American leg, BTS will move on to Asia and Australia, beginning with Kaohsiung in Taiwan on Nov 19. They are also scheduled to perform in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Jakarta until Dec 29 before moving to Melbourne and Sydney in February. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK