BTS turns Busan concert into heartfelt homecoming as fans rise, sing and relive group’s return together

BUSAN — When BTS kicked off its “Arirang” world tour in Goyang, Gyeonggi, two months ago, I was struck by the spectacle: the seven members, the 360-degree open stage, the fire, smoke, lights, confetti and carefully placed homages that made each tableau feel like something to study carefully.

On Saturday in Busan, I watched the group again from nearly the same vantage point. The setlist was largely unchanged, as were the details and the two-and-a-half-hour running time. But this time, the show flew by. I laughed, swayed and hummed with the crowd as BTS, back onstage for its June 13 debut anniversary weekend, seemed less intent on proving something than on savoring the joy of being BTS.

“This is our birthday today,” Jimin said, looking out over a sea of purple lights during the septet’s “Arirang” concert in Busan, his hometown, on Saturday. “I’m so happy and delighted to sing and dance with you in the place I was born.”

BTS released its fifth full-length album “Arirang” on March 20 and kicked off the world tour of the same title in Goyang, Gyeonggi, in April, which is set to be the largest K-pop tour ever, spanning 34 cities and 86 shows.

This year’s anniversary carried particular weight, as it was BTS’s first debut anniversary celebrated together after the group’s military hiatus, which followed its 2022 “BTS Yet To Come in Busan” concert at the same stadium — the septet’s last full-group activity before the break.

“It is the 13th anniversary on June 13, which will never come again,” RM said. “So I hope we can sing together and jump together, so that we remember today forever.”

Saturday’s show began about 20 minutes after its scheduled 7 p.m. start, following a 75-minute delay the previous night caused by slow entry procedures, including gift handouts.

One thing has stood out across BTS’s recent performances, from its Gwanghwamun comeback show on March 21 to the Goyang kickoff and the latest Busan concert — the crowd does not need prompting to stand up.

On Saturday, almost every section visible from my seat just behind the standing area rose the moment the BTS members made their entrance. Few sat down again until the short break before the encore.

The set followed the same order as other shows on the “Arirang” tour: an intense opening run from the hip-hop-heavy “Hooligan” and “Aliens” to “Run BTS” (2022), followed by a slower, increasingly sentimental medley through “they don’t know ’bout us,” “Like Animals,” “Fake Love” (2018), “Swim” and “Merry Go Round.”

While the stage was nearly identical in scale to the one used in Goyang, one subtle difference came from the curved open wall, which rose slightly higher around the audience seats in Busan. The change made the setup feel more intimate and gave the stage a greater sense of depth, which stood out during the Korean version of “Normal,” a vocal-heavy B-side from “Arirang” performed for the first time at the Busan concert.

As the stage and crowd gradually glowed in a warm shade of orange, there were few additional staging elements beyond the synchronized ARMY Bombs and the moving lift stage, which made the stadium itself the focus — a vast field of light that seemed to pulse as one.

The first major highlight run of the night came with “Not Today” (2017), “MIC Drop” (2018), “FYA” and “Fire” (2016), before the energy surged again with the extended remix of “Body to Body” and “Idol” (2018), during which massive water cannons soared over the stadium with the opening verse by RM, “I need the whole stadium to jump” — a new addition for the Busan shows.

The last intermission before the final segment started with ARMY singing happy birthday to BTS among themselves, and showing their heartfelt messages and slogans whenever the camera captured them on screen.

BTS came back to the stage with “Come Over,” a song produced by member Suga, which was first included in the deluxe vinyl edition of the album. BTS released the song for online streaming on Friday to mark its debut anniversary.

Along with ARMY, BTS also sang the birthday song onstage after performing “Come Over,” with RM joking, “There are 50,000 birthday candles here.”

One of BTS’s biggest global hits, “Butter” (2021), kept the momentum going with another blast of water cannons, followed by “Dynamite” (2020). For “karaoke time,” a segment with a couple of songs that change from show to show, BTS marked the special occasion with “Dimple” (2017) and “Ddaeng,” a hip-hop track released on SoundCloud in 2018, as well as another spontaneous performance of “Magic Shop” (2018).

Before the night closed with “One More Night” and “Into the Sun,” followed by fireworks, the members looked out over the sea of lights filling the vast stadium and reflected on their turbulent 13-year journey that rewrote the history of K-pop.

“The Busan shows have given us some peace of mind,” Jin said after blowing his signature kiss to the cheering crowd. “We’ve spent 13 years together, and that was only possible because you were there with us.”

J-Hope said that while concerts around the world always remind the group how much love they receive, performing at home holds a special place in their hearts.

“All seven members of BTS are Korean,” J-Hope said with a smile. “There’s nothing like performing in our country, our home — so I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.”

RM began his remarks by saying it had been a while since he had felt such a mix of emotions.

“A lot has changed over time,” the leader said. “The K-pop industry has become massive, and some younger friends come to me to ask how we have kept our team together for such a long time.”

RM said the members and ARMY had kept him going, while also allowing him to reflect on himself throughout the journey.

“It’s always such an honor to be with you,” he said. “Whenever and wherever we are, we will always try to show ourselves as we are, so please stay with us for a long, long time. Thank you, and I love you.”

BY SHIN HA-NEE [[email protected]]