BTS held the second show of their Arirang world tour at Goyang Stadium on April 11 after a hiatus for mandatory military service. Tens of thousands of fans lit up the venue with purple light sticks as the group performed new tracks and hits. The tour spans 85 shows across 34 cities, the largest ever for a K-pop act.
A stadium northwest of Seoul burst into purple lights on April 11 as BTS took the stage for the second of three concerts at Goyang Stadium. The seven members, dressed in black, opened with "Hooligan" from their fifth studio album Arirang, released last month, followed by "Aliens" and "Run BTS." Jungkook addressed the crowd, saying, "The weather is much better than yesterday. Isn't it cold? It may still be a little chilly, but we'll warm you up."
Rain had soaked performers and fans on Thursday's opener, but Saturday's energy peaked as Jin urged cheers and ARMY waved glowing purple light sticks. The setlist mixed past hits like "Fake Love," "Butter," and "Dynamite" with new tracks including chart-topper "Swim" and "Body to Body." A 360-degree stage allowed views from all angles.
Reflecting Arirang's Korean themes of longing, the production featured dancers with traditional masks, flowing fabrics inspired by seungmu dance, and sangmo-style ribbons in a circle dance during "Body to Body."
The show climaxed with "Mic Drop," "Fire," and a singalong to "Body to Body" sampling the folk melody, then "Idol" with marching flags. Closing, RM said, "The seven of us decided to do this together, and what has not changed is our sincerity toward you... please be generous with the changes, keep watching us and trust us. Thank you. We will work hard."
The group had paused activities in June 2022 for military service, reuniting after completion. Arirang topped the Billboard 200 for two weeks—a K-pop first—and Swim debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100. A third Goyang show follows Sunday before Tokyo dates on April 17-18.