21 March,2026 07:04 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
BTS The Comeback Live
BTS is back on stage for the first time in nearly four years with BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang. The Koran boyband is performing a comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square on Saturday, in the heart of Seoul, before an expected crowd of up to 260,000 fans, or the BTS ARMY.
The group started off their set at Seoul's Joseon-era Gyeongbokgung Palace as the live stream kicked off by revealing the seven members of BTS standing in front of the palace. "Hello, Seoul," the group's leader RM, said to the crowd, before declaring, "We're back."
The show started right with the song Body to Body, which ended with a group of performers in traditional Korean hanbok, playing the Korean folk song Arirang, which is also the name of their much-anticipated comeback album. The group then performed their new songs Hooligan and 2.0 from their album. The band members then introduced themselves to the gathered crowd. "We are finally here, and we are seeing you again," Jimin said, followed by "The fact that I'm speaking here, I am so moved."
BTS resumed through the show, playing some of their other hits, not from Arirang like Butter and MIC Drop. They then continued their set with Arirang's songs like Aliens, FYA, Swim, Like Animals and Normal.
After finishing the song Normal, J-hope said, "BTS 2.0 is just getting started, as Jin added, "Thank you for waiting, ARMY."
The concert, titled BTS The Comeback Live: Arirang, marks the group's first full-group performance since the band halted their activities in 2022, as all seven members enlisted for South Korea's mandatory military service. Authorities expect the crowd of fans to stretch over a kilometre from the main stage to Sungnye Gate, marking one of the largest public gatherings in the area since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup.
The free-for-all concert is also being broadcast live, bringing the Seoul performance to a global audience in real time. BTS The Comeback Live: ARIRANG is streaming live exclusively on Netflix, also marking the group's first major collaboration with the platform.
The seven members, RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook, announced their comeback earlier in January 2026. They released their new album ARIRANG on Friday, March 20, a day before taking the stage at one of Seoul's historically significant public squares.
