K-pop supergroup BTS will celebrate its return after nearly four years with a monthlong cultural festival across Seoul. The event, titled «BTS The City Arirang Seoul,» will feature riverside drone shows, media art installations and musical fountains.
The group shared details on Monday via Hybe’s fan platform Weverse. BigHit Music said the festival, running from Friday through April 19, was organised in partnership with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to let locals and tourists experience culture and art in a new way while enjoying BTS’ comeback. Related events will span the food, beverage and mobility sectors.
Media Shows and Drone Performances
The group previously staged similar «The City» festivals in Las Vegas in April 2022 and in Busan in October 2022, coinciding with their concerts. On Friday, to mark the release of their fifth studio album, Arirang, media facade shows will begin at 7 p.m. at Sungnyemun Gate and Namsan Seoul Tower, followed by a 15-minute drone show over Ttukseom Han River Park at 8:30 p.m.
Pre-events will lead into a free BTS concert at Gwanghwamun Square the next night, expected to draw around 260,000 attendees, including 22,000 ticket holders. A large outdoor screen will stream exclusive BTS content from 7 p.m. Friday to midnight Saturday.
Additional venues include Dongdaemun Design Plaza and Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain, which will host music-and-light shows from March 20 to April 12 and March 21-22 respectively.
Interactive Experiences for Fans
The festival also includes an interactive «stamp rally» at major locations such as Yeouido’s financial district, DDP and the main Shinsegae Department Store building. Yeouido Han River Park will host the «Love Song Lounge» from Friday through Sunday for fans to enjoy BTS tracks together.
From 6-12 April, DDP’s Exhibition Hall 1 will become «ARMY Square» for the BTS fandom, while the «Love Quarter» programme will run along Cheonggye Stream and at Yongsan Station from April 6-19, projecting messages from the new album onto public spaces.
BigHit confirmed the «BTS The City Arirang» festival will later expand to other major cities worldwide.
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