BTS held a two-day concert in El Paso as part of their ARIRANG world tour. It marked the group’s first time performing for fans in the city, and it had been four years since their last return to the United States. Both nights concluded in an electrifying atmosphere with more than 40,000 attendees each evening, making it one of the most memorable stops of the tour.
Not only did they deliver a spectacular setlist, but BTS also surprised fans at Sun Bowl Stadium with four special songs across the two nights, including “ON,” “Outro: Wings,” “Dionysus,” and “Best Of Me.” A 180-minute BTS concert is always considered an unmissable experience. As a result, many fans attending in person chose to livestream on social media platforms to share the atmosphere with those who could not attend.
According to observations, on the second night in El Paso alone, there were around 20 livestream accounts across various social media platforms, with the highest concentration on TikTok. These streams featured sharp image quality and stable camera angles, offering online viewers clear views of both the stage and the big screens at the venue. Each livestream attracted thousands to tens of thousands of viewers depending on quality and stability, with some high-quality streams even reaching up to 100,000 concurrent viewers at peak moments.
However, an υиєχρє¢тє∂ phenomenon occurred during the concert that left online viewers confused. At one point, about half of the active livestreams suddenly stopped mid-broadcast, right after the members’ talking segment on stage. Since some streamers did not explain the reason, many αѕѕumed there were connection issues or that the streams had been taken down due to copyright. Others briefly said goodbye, but due to the loud stadium environment, their explanations were unclear.
After some investigation, fans discovered the real reason: it stemmed from a message delivered by members V and Jimin. While interacting with the au∂ιєnce, V remarked, “I see a lot of phones right now,” and Jimin gently followed up, saying, “ARMY, let’s put it away and enjoy this moment together.” Many attendees confirmed that immediately after this moment, numerous livestreams—including those with over 100,000 viewers—were voluntarily shut down.
Although V and Jimin asked fans to put their phones away, others could not blame those who had been livestreaming. First, many of them respected the artists’ request as soon as it was made. Second, throughout the broadcasts, streamers had still shown enthusiastic support by singing along, doing fanchants, cheering, and actively engaging. Third, many fans pointed out that these livestreams allowed others to experience the concert, especially since HYBE did not offer official online streaming tickets, and waiting months for official content releases was simply too long. They also expressed gratitude to those who generously shared the experience while also supporting the decision to stop streaming in response to the artists’ request.
At the same time, fans understood that V and Jimin’s reminder was meant to encourage everyone to fully enjoy the concert experience. There have been cases where individuals focus entirely on recording, мιѕѕιиg out on real interactions, or even using BTS footage for personal gain. At a previous concert in Goyang, there were instances where fans continued filming without reacting, even when the members approached the barricades to interact directly.
A video explaining why multiple livestreams from the second night in El Paso were suddenly shut down is currently gaining significant attention among fans, sparking a wide range of reactions, including:
- I was watching one with over 100K viewers, but the live ended and I don't even know if they started it up again. The quality was perfect
- BTS, please leave at least one stream up, I need to watch the show!
- Guys, I get them. But if there’s no livestream, we can't watch it. And I literally can’t survive waiting until October.
- Ahhhh, so that's why most of them turned off their phones. I was so confused before
- OMGGGG I’M SORRY I WANT TO SEE YOU GUYS SO HARD SO I JOINED IT
- I was like yes put your phones down, but not you girl I still want to watch the concert
- Everyone except the person that I’m watching the concert stream on throw your phones away immediately
- I was there yesterday and only recorded a few moments; I truly lived the whole concert and it was the best experience. The phone usage was overwhelming, though. People don't go to see them anymore—they go to record or livestream, and personally, I don't agree with that
- When BTS says to do soмєтнing you do it no questions asked lol
- So we wouldn't know the surprise songs and would lose our minds (when we found it then)
- The way Jimin saiddddd ughhhh. My PHONE WOULD HAVE FLEW
- They’re right though. Why even go to the show then? If you’re going, you should enjoy it! Put down that phone you use every single day—this concert is literally a once-in-a-lifetime experience
