K-pop group BTS is set to release their fifth studio album, ARIRANG, on March 20, 2026, followed by a live concert special on Netflix the next day. The event marks the group's first full performance since completing mandatory military service in 2022. A documentary about their reunion will premiere later in the month.
BTS, consisting of members RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook, has revealed details of their highly anticipated comeback after a hiatus for South Korea's mandatory military service. The group, which debuted in 2013, went on break in 2022, with members pursuing solo projects in the interim. SUGA was the last to be discharged in July 2025.
The fifth studio album, ARIRANG, is scheduled for release on March 20, 2026. It features 14 tracks, including the title song "Swim" and closing track "Into the Sun." BTS collaborated with producers such as Diplo, Mike Will Made It, El Guincho, Ryan Tedder, and Kevin Parker of Tame Impala. All members are credited as songwriters on the tracklist. Ryan Tedder contributed to five songs: "Body to Body," "SWIM," "Marry Go Around," "NORMAL," and "Please." In an Instagram post, Tedder expressed gratitude to the group and fans, jokingly mentioning his collaboration was motivated by Jimin's "secret bulgogi recipe."
The album release precedes the live concert special, BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG, streaming on Netflix from Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on March 21, 2026, at 8 p.m. KST (7 a.m. ET / 4 a.m. PT). Directed by Hamish Hamilton and executive produced by HYBE and Big Hit Music, the one-hour event is the first full group performance since 2022 and expects around 260,000 in-person attendees. A trailer released on March 4 shows members reflecting on their time apart, with RM stating, "We promised our fans that we’d be back," and Jung Kook saying, "So emotional. I really miss them." RM added, "Seven together, we can do anything."
Following the concert, Netflix will release the documentary BTS: The Return on March 27, 2026, directed by Bao Nguyen. It covers the making of ARIRANG and the group's reunion process. The comeback leads into the BTS WORLD TOUR ARIRANG, starting April 9, 2026, in Goyang, South Korea, with 82 dates across 34 cities worldwide through March 2027. Select concerts, including April 11 in Goyang and April 18 in Tokyo, will have theater broadcasts.
