BTS powers local economies, generates World Cup-scale spending: The Guardian
The British newspaper noted that BTS is driving hundreds of millions of dollars in local economic activity through its U.S. tour stops while also boosting interest in Korean culture.
Boy band BTS performs during its “Arirang” world tour at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Aug. 1.BIGHIT MUSIC
Boy band BTS has become a global economic juggernaut by revitalizing local economies through its ongoing tour, according to British media The Guardian.
The media noted on Friday that BTS — even after a four-year hiatus — is driving an economic boom in the United States wherever it stops for its “Arirang” world tour, generating spending impact comparable to that of the recently held FIFA World Cup 2026.
BTS performed in Tampa, Florida, in late April, and then in Stanford, California, and Las Vegas in May.
“In Las Vegas, concertgoers who attended four sold-out shows in May generated an estimated $340 million in economic activity, with events at huge hotels on the strip and at tiny Chinatown cafes,” the Guardian reported.
Another 14 shows across the United States are scheduled in six U.S. cities this month and in September.
“The economic impact of BTS concertgoers is expected to match that of football fans who crowded MetLife Stadium for the World Cup final — which included a BTS performance — a few weeks ago,” the British newspaper reported.
The group delivered a two-night “Arirang” concert to a combined crowd of 157,000 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday and Sunday. On both dates, the Koreatown area in Manhattan saw a flock of BTS fans, known as ARMY.
Michael Mariano, head of economic development at industry research agency Tourism Economics, likewise compared BTS's economic impact to that of the World Cup in terms of average visitor spending, according to the Guardian.
BTS fans pose for a photograph in front of MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Aug. 1.YONHAP
The British media also noted that BTS’s concerts at MetLife Stadium have had a spillover effect across nearby New York City, raising the profile of Korean culture.
The Korean Cultural Center in New York became a playground where BTS fans were able to experience K-beauty and decorate light sticks, BTS’s agency BigHit Music added.
Similarly, the Arte Museum in Manhattan is hosting a BTS-themed exhibit featuring digital art centering on the group’s music.
“It’s about sharing our culture, great heritage and Korean contemporary digital art through the lens of BTS, using an enduring folk song that is continually reinterpreted by every generation,” Lee Sang-jin, head of the creative team of d’strict, the owner of the museum, told the Guardian.
BTS will now head to Foxborough, Massachusetts, for its “Arirang” world tour on Wednesday and Thursday. The group will then perform in Baltimore; Arlington, Texas; Toronto; Chicago; and Los Angeles.
