BTS to hold events at Seoul landmarks as it gears up for comeback

K-pop supergroup BTS will hold a “The City” cultural project at key sites in the Korean capital to mark its highly anticipated return after a nearly four-year hiatus, the group’s agency BigHit Music announced Friday.

The event, titled “BTS The City Arirang Seoul,” will run from March 20 to April 12, featuring a 23-day program combining music, media art, and urban installations.

The seven-member act is set to release its fifth studio album, “Arirang,” named after the famous Korean folk song, on March 20. It will be its first release since “Proof” in June 2022 and the first since all members completed their mandatory military service. The group is scheduled to hold a free concert the following day to mark the reunion at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul, where organizers expect approximately 150,000 to 200,000 fans to gather.

On the day of the new release, the city’s major landmarks, including the Sungnyemun gate and Seoul Tower, will light up a large-scale media facade.

“Adding contemporary media expressions to cultural heritage sites like Sungnyemun will present symbolic scenes where tradition meets the present, and highlight the value of Korean heritage to global audiences,” BigHit Music said in a statement.

A lounge-style program will open at Yeouido Han River Park through March 22, allowing visitors to relax and experience BTS’ music together.

In April, walls, stairways and tree-lined streets in central Seoul will turn into outdoor exhibition spaces, projecting lyrics of the group’s hit songs as media art.

BigHit said the project is being organized in partnership with the Seoul metropolitan government to allow both tourists and locals to “experience culture and art in a new way and enjoy BTS’ comeback.” Related events will also be held across various sectors, including food, beverages and mobility.

The band previously staged similar “The City” festivals in Las Vegas in April 2022 and in Busan that October to mark its concerts in those cities, drawing massive crowds.

Detailed schedules for the upcoming project will be released later via BTS’ channel on Hybe’s K-pop fan platform Weverse. Following the Seoul event, the “BTS The City Arirang” will expand to other major cities worldwide later in the year, the agency said.