BTS’s ARIRANG World Tour attracted attention even before it began, thanks to its unprecedented scale, featuring 88 concerts across cities around the world and running through April next year. Notably, tickets for most shows sold out almost immediately during the initial sale.
According to the αмєяι¢αn music magazine Billboard, the latest Boxscore figures released in late September showed that “ARIRANG” had become the seventh group tour to surpαѕѕ $500 million in ticket sales. However, all six groups that had previously reached this milestone were rock bands, making BTS the first pop group to join this exclusive club.
BTS’s August revenue was also the second-highest in Billboard Boxscore history, surpαѕѕed only by Beyoncé’s figures from August 2023. With more than half of the tour’s shows still ahead, Billboard projected that “ARIRANG” could generate $1 billion in ticket sales by the time the tour concludes.
BTS concerts have an undeniable appeal, and their performances throughout the two-hour show are naturally a major part of that. Even the smallest details—from stage outfits that reflect the local culture to surprise songs and the fireworks display that closes each show—are executed with remarkable care and precision.
However, one aspect of the concerts has left many fans wondering: the show features no solo performances whatsoever. Even during transitions between segments, there are no solo or subunit stages, as many idol groups typically include—or as BTS themselves did on their previous tours.
Addressing the question, the members personally explained the reasoning behind this unique decision, and their answer deeply moved countless ARMY!
Jungkook revealed that excluding solo stages had been a deliberate decision from the very beginning. "It’s pretty unusual for a group to fill an entire concert exclusively with group songs from start to finish anymore. We wanted to remind everyone what BTS is like as a group, and since it’s been so long since our last tour, we tried to focus on the kind of energy we have when we’re all together. Obviously that makes things harder, but we wanted to immerse the au∂ιєnce in that feeling of all seven of us putting on the show together, all the way through..", he explained.
V shared the same perspective. According to him, the most important goal of this tour was not to highlight each member individually, but to celebrate BTS' return as a complete seven-member group. He added: "We all felt that we should be focusing on the group rather than subunit or solo songs. I think that is the core of this tour. Having the seven of us back together after all this time feels special, and it’s also our way of saying we want to keep doing this together."
RM explained that the decision also stemmed from the group's desire to reaffirm BTS' identity after spending such a long time away from group activities. "We wanted to put more weight on reaffirming the BTS brand that’s brought all of us this far." He continued: "It’s like, we have to do soмєтнing to show that we’re locked in as a group, now that we’re back after such a long time away. After all, we’re talking about 13 years of history that the seven of us and ARMY have been building together."
Finally, SUGA summed it all up with one simple yet powerful sentence: "I think it’s so “Bangtan” that the seven of us are still so aligned.."
The members' heartfelt remarks quickly went viral across social media platforms, leaving fans deeply touched by the unbreakable bond they continue to share. In today's K-pop industry—where stories of disbandments and members leaving their groups after only a few years have become increasingly common—the fact that BTS, now in their 13th year together, still chooses to place the group above everything else is soмєтнing truly rare and irreplaceable. Fans couldn't help but express their admiration:
- When the whole crew shines, even the flowers feel jealous. THEY SAID "IN THIS BANGTAN SH1T FOR LIFE"
- The way bts is the truest ot7 fιgнтer out of everyone cs despite the pressure from every sides asking them to still do solo stuffs, they still put the group first. they like being together so much more than we could ever understand
- I will actually cry. They said BTS is 7, BTS will always be 7
- BTS are reaffirming their brand through the setlist and how it's ot7 beginning to end and it also shows how THEY want to continue doing this as 7 for a long long time
- We already know how pαѕѕionate they are about their craft, how deeply they cherish each other as seven, and how much they love army, but getting to hear these from bts themselves is just wonderfully reαѕѕuring as a fan. it reminds us how special their and our bond is
- BTS is seven, and they'll always be seven. Their return was so important, both for them and for us, and i feel like their bond has grown even stronger. I‘m so so happy for them and i hope we can all stay together for a really long time
- The whole interview with bts being them expressing how grateful they are to be back together as 7 people and continue on their journey as a group.....NEVER SEPARATE MY FAMILY EVER AGAIN
- This is so hard to describe to non-ARMY. That sense of belonging that is only complete with seven, but also: we are not seven with you
