BTS, the global K-pop sensation, has wrapped up their South American stadium tour, selling out all 14 performances across five countries and drawing over 853,000 fans.
HYBE announced on Monday that BTS concluded the South American leg of their world tour ARIRANG with shows on October 28, 30 to 31at São Paulo’s Morumbi Stadium in Brazil.
The South American tour began on the 2nd of last month in Bogotá, Colombia, and continued through Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and São Paulo, Brazil. All 14 shows across these five cities were completely sold out, with a total attendance of 853,000.
The septet thrilled audiences with tracks from their fifth studio album ARIRANG, alongside crowd-pleasers like “Fake Love,” “Not Today,” “Mic Drop,” “Fire,” “Idol,” “Butter,” and “Dynamite.” They kept fans on their toes by switching up the setlist for each show and connected with the audience in their local languages.
Reflecting on the tour, the members shared that South America was one of the legs it was most excited about, given how rarely they get to visit. Some of the most cherished memories were made here, and it’ll treasure them forever.
This tour marked several milestones for BTS, including their first full-group performances in Colombia and Argentina, and their debut visit to Peru. They also made long-awaited returns to Chile and Brazil after 9 and 7 years, respectively.
The concerts garnered significant attention from local media. Peru’s El Comercio hailed the Lima show as an extraordinary experience, while Argentina’s La Nación dubbed BTS a global phenomenon. Music outlet Bandwagon described the São Paulo concert as a love letter to Brazilian fans.
The BTS effect extended beyond music, boosting tourism and transportation in host cities. A survey in La Plata showed that 96% of attendees at the Buenos Aires concert were out-of-town visitors, with over 130,000 experiencing La Plata for the first time. The economic impact was substantial, with an estimated 53 billion Argentine pesos spent on accommodations, food, and transportation, excluding ticket sales.
The tour’s impact was felt across South America. Bogotá saw a 46.6% increase in flight bookings during the concert period compared to the previous year. In Lima, ride-hailing demand skyrocketed up to 15 times the norm on the first concert day, peaking at 48 times post-show. Santiago experienced a whopping 200% surge in accommodation searches year-over-year.
BTS launched their ARIRANG world tour in April in Goyang, South Korea, following the March release of their fifth studio album. With the addition of three South American dates, the tour expanded to an impressive 85 shows across 34 cities.
As they bid farewell to South America, BTS is set to continue their global domination. Their next stop is Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on November 19, followed by shows in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Jakarta. The tour will then head to Australia, with performances scheduled in Melbourne and Sydney in February next year.
