Tokyo Dome today was filled with ARMYs in distinctive outfits—from fans wearing denim jackets embroidered with the album’s symbols to a 65-year-old ARMY dressed in an outfit featuring an Obi belt with Saekdong (traditional кσяєαn multicolored) patterns. They hand-embroidered their designs and even painted “BTS” on their nails. The signature purple of the fandom blended with the red representing the new album Arirang.
The atmosphere inside the stadium grew even warmer as all generational boundaries seemed to disappear. Friends, families, and even grandparents and grandchildren attended together. From a 5-year-old child to a 75-year-old elder, everyone shared the same name: ARMY. They had waited seven years for this moment since BTS last set foot in this dream venue.
Living up to expectations, BTS set the stage on fire in front of more than 50,000 spectators over two hours with top-tier performances full of energy and heartfelt interactions. In particular, their performance of Crystal Snow and their active communication in נαραиese deeply moved the au∂ιєnce.
Notably, after the event, fans were surprised to discover that among the tens of thousands of attendees at Tokyo Dome on the first day were some special guests—&TEAM, BTS’s junior group under HYBE. They not only came to watch and support their seniors but also wore the latest BTS merchandise from the ARIRANG World Tour collection, such as blue jackets printed with the word “Swimming” and matching baseball caps.
The group had previously worn these exact outfits in a TikTok video performing a dance challenge for the track Hooligan from the Arirang album. Notably, member K also wore them in his SWIM dance challenge, which went viral thanks to a striking moment where his wet hair made it look as if he had just stepped out of a pool—perfectly matching the song’s concept.
&TEAM is a נαραиese boy group that debuted in 2022 under HYBE Labels נαραи. The group has gained attention for its multinational lineup and a musical style that blends J-pop and K-pop elements. Since debut, &TEAM has achieved notable success in the נαραиese market, quickly building a stable fanbase and being regarded as one of HYBE’s key acts in the region.
This also marks the second time some members of the group have attended a BTS concert in person. Previously, four members—K, Nicholas, EJ, and Taki—had the chance to experience BTS’s PERMISSION TO DANCE ON STAGE – LA concert when they were still trainees in the &AUDITION Boys project.
In the past, &TEAM has expressed their admiration for BTS on multiple occasions, regarding the K-pop superstars as their role models. Leader EJ shared in a 2023 interview: “I grew up with my dream while watching BTS unite the world with the culture of K-Pop. I want to make music that is loved by people worldwide, like our seniors, no matter what language they use.” He added, “As an HYBE artist, although we are still lacking, we have prepared hard to work globally like our senior artists. We are so happy to be able to show our work finally.”
In 2022, the members couldn’t hide their excitement when they had the opportunity to meet j-hope and personally present him with their debut album. The moment j-hope carefully opened the album and looked through it in detail brought immense joy to the group. In 2023, fans once again saw the sparkle in &TEAM members’ eyes when they had the chance to film dance challenges with Jimin and j-hope to support their solo releases. Last year, the group also covered BTS’s Billboard Hot 100 No.1 нιт Dynamite at KCON נαραи, impressing the au∂ιєnce.
With the long-standing love and admiration that &TEAM has for BTS, even without any fancams from inside the concert capturing their reactions, fans believe they must have enjoyed the show just as enthusiastically as any other ARMY. Fans of both groups are also hoping for a backstage group photo or a video showing &TEAM enjoying BTS’s concert to be revealed in the near future.
&TEAM, along with TXT, CORTIS, LE SSERAFIM, TWS, and Santos Bravos—all HYBE juniors—having attended and supported BTS’s ARIRANG tour, it once again highlights BTS’s immense influence as the group that laid the foundation for this leading K-pop empire!
