BTS played their first UK show in seven years at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 6 July, marking the start of the Arirang World Tour. The performance was an unbelievably enjoyable spectacle of pyro and panoptical staging, showcasing the purest distillation of what makes a boyband precision-engineered to capture fans' hearts.
Versatility and Energy
BTS are the biggest K-pop group in the world, with more than 40m albums sold and a fanbase called the Army. This tour is their first since a three-year hiatus for each member to complete 18 months of compulsory military service, accompanied by a new album, Arirang. The show started hard with black outfits, wraparound sunglasses, and pyro, but gradually softened into a communal and relaxed atmosphere.
The band's versatility was astonishing, moving from pop-rap crossover Hooligan to the Tame Impala-indebted Like Animals, which felt like it was being sung directly to each of the 62,000 people in the room. Industrial-level bangers mid-show provided a thrilling energy release, and surprise songs delighted even the band, who grinned and sang along to each other's parts.
Fan Connection
The joy onstage was reflected back approximately one million-fold, reverberating through the wall of screams and the sea of lit-up Army Bomb sticks. Fans had photos of their favourite members woven into their hair and dangling off handbags. The show ended on a gentle note, with band members motioning to each other to remove their in-ear monitors to hear fans sing Into the Sun back to them.
According to the reviewer, who started the show ambivalent and ended with a favourite member (Jimin) and an urge to learn Korean, "Whatever BTS has, it’s potent." The concert took place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 7 July, continuing the tour.
