BTS World Tour fever extends beyond North America and Europe to South America - 스포츠경향

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BTS has kicked off the ‘ARIRANG’ South America tour in Bogota, Colombia.

On the 2~3 (local time hereafter), starting at Estadio El Campín in Bogota, Colombia, they begin the ‘BTS WORLD TOUR ‘ARIRANG’’ South America leg. They will then stage 14 performances across five cities including Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Sao Paulo, Brazil.

This is the first time BTS performs as a full group in Colombia and Argentina. As the Bogota concerts draw near, new projections have emerged on the economic ripple effects they will bring. Previously, the Tourism Observatory (Observatorio de Turismo de Bogotá) under the Bogota Institute of Tourism (Instituto Distrital de Turismo) forecast that spending from the two concerts would exceed 99 billion Colombian pesos (approximately 40.6 billion KRW).

Subsequently, the Secretaría Distrital de Desarrollo Económico estimated that the economic impact would reach about 126.054 billion Colombian pesos (approximately 51.7 billion KRW) and create 5,244 direct and indirect jobs. Director María del Pilar López Uribe assessed that BTS’s visit could translate into job creation for Bogota residents.

Chile is also focusing on the economic impact BTS may generate. According to a study commissioned by the local business daily Diario Financiero to a consulting firm, the three shows to be held in Santiago on the 14th and 16~17 are projected to produce an economic effect of about 53 million dollars (approximately 72 billion KRW). As spending around the tour rises not only for ticket sales but also for transportation, lodging, food and beverages, and merchandise, the impact is expected to spread across the city’s broader economy.

In Peru, excitement is running high ahead of BTS’s first visit. PROMPERÚ, the Peruvian government’s export and tourism promotion agency, spotlighted the concerts as a representative case of music tourism through its study ‘Music Tourism and the BTS Effect’ (Turismo musical y el efecto BTS). According to the agency, the waiting list for concert tickets alone has surpassed 521,000 people.

It also gave a strong assessment that Lima could establish itself as a key stop on global tours. In Lima’s Costa Verde, fans are organizing a special welcome event: the first BTS tribute drone show to be held in South America. The event was made possible as ARMY (ARMY. the fandom name) across countries including Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Colombia rallied more than 25,000 entries on online platforms.

In Brazil, the final stop of the South America tour, overwhelming ticket demand has been confirmed. According to Ticketmaster Brasil, more than 630,000 people flocked to the Sao Paulo show FC membership presale over two days. Based on the seating scale and prices disclosed by Ticketmaster, the business daily Exame estimated that ticket revenue from the three Sao Paulo shows would reach at least 216.8 million reais (approximately 56.4 billion KRW).

BTS albums are also enjoying long-running success. The fifth full-length album released in March, ‘Arirang’ (ARIRANG), ranked No. 3 on Spotify’s ‘Weekly Top Albums Global’ (aggregation period: September 25~October 1). The title track ‘SWIM’ rose to No. 24 on ‘Weekly Top Songs Global’, continuing its steady popularity.