BTS opened the North American portion of their Arirang World Tour with a sold-out concert at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium on Saturday. The performance featured surprise encores of 'Permission to Dance' and 'Magic Shop'. The group has three shows scheduled in Tampa before moving to other cities.
BTS performed the first of three sold-out nights at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Saturday, marking the start of their tour's North American leg following concerts in Seoul and Tokyo. The set list remained largely consistent with prior shows, but the encore included the tour debut of their 2021 single 'Permission to Dance,' followed by 'Magic Shop,' which had not been played since 2019 or earlier on this tour. The stadium was packed with fans for the event. The tour continues with performances on Sunday and Tuesday in Tampa, then heads to El Paso, Texas, on May 2 and 3. Upcoming stops include three nights in Mexico City, three shows at Stanford Stadium in Santa Clara, California, in May, and dates at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. A European leg follows in June and July, with a return to the US for two shows at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on August 1. The Arirang World Tour, BTS's first since completing mandatory military service, extends until March 2027. Jin told Rolling Stone that the members were eager to tour again: 'I think we’ll probably get back into touring harmony without much trouble. All of the members have been wanting to tour so bad; they’ve been going at it with gritted teeth. It’s been tough for me to keep up, but I’ll do my best.' Another member explained the tour's expansion to reach more fans worldwide, turning a planned four-month trek into over a year.
