BTS Kick Off World Tour Today: “We Hope the Venue Feels Like One Giant Club”

\r\n
[Financial News] "I hope the entire venue feels like one giant club."
RM, the leader of BTS, described this as the key highlight of the "Arirang World Tour," which opens today (the 9th).
Through their agency Big Hit Music, RM said, "It still doesn’t feel real. I feel like I’ll come to my senses and suddenly find myself on stage. Preparing for a 360-degree show wasn’t easy, but once it starts, I think it will be a lot of fun. Above all, I’m incredibly excited to hold a microphone again after so long and meet ARMY, the official fandom of BTS, all around the world."
He went on, saying, "The moment when we can all jump together on stage is what I’m looking forward to the most. I hope the entire venue feels like one giant club. There’s a song we made with that feeling in mind, and if that scene actually unfolds, I think I’ll be truly happy."
This 360-degree open stage is their first in seven years, since a fan meeting in 2019. Jin said with a laugh, "With a 360-degree stage, we use every direction as if it were the front. The stage rotates and we move around too, so you’ll be able to enjoy a different kind of fun."
Suga added, "It’s a show with a lot of theatrical elements, so there will be plenty to enjoy just by watching." J-Hope also said, "Because it’s a 360-degree stage, each song will have a completely different atmosphere. That’s the biggest thing to watch for in this world tour. The staging will make it feel like you’re watching a show, and the aesthetics that express Korea are also very intriguing."
Jimin of BTS said, "We’ve done countless performances so far, but this time we’re trying to present a stage that is completely different from before." He continued, "In the past, many of our stages focused heavily on performance, so it wasn’t easy to try a wide variety of production ideas. This time, though, we put much more effort into the staging so that the audience can enjoy the show with their eyes as well."
V asked fans to look forward to the tour, saying he worked harder than ever. "Because it’s our first tour in a long time, I worried that maybe I’d lost my touch, so I prepared several times harder," he said. "I think the set list, the staging, and the overall structure are all really solid. I’m confident in this show, and proud to present it to you."
Jung Kook said, "I can’t wait to get back on stage," adding, "I’m really looking forward to it, and I’m thrilled at the thought of finally meeting audiences in person again. Since we’ve prepared so hard, I want to enjoy the concerts together with everyone as soon as possible."
The world tour will begin in Goyang and then move on to Tokyo, North America, Europe, South America, Asia, and other regions, with 85 shows in 34 cities. It marks the highest number of concerts ever for a solo tour by a Korean artist. Additional shows are also planned in Japan and the Middle East, so the scale of the tour is expected to grow even further.
jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-ah Reporter