On March 21, 2026, the heart of Seoul pulsed with a singular energy as BTS, the world-renowned K-pop group, staged their long-awaited comeback live performance, 'BTS COMEBACK LIVE: ARIRANG', at Gwanghwamun Square. The event was more than just a concert—it was a cultural phenomenon that transformed the city, drew fans from across the globe, and shone a spotlight on inclusivity and shared experience.
From the early morning hours, fans—affectionately known as ARMY—began converging on Gwanghwamun Square. Some, like Mara Eilan from Argentina, arrived the night before, camping out to soak up the pre-concert atmosphere. "I thought there wouldn’t be many people here the day before, but the crowd was huge," she told Donga Ilbo. "It felt like everyone wanted to experience this moment together." By the afternoon of March 21, over 28,000 people had gathered near Gwanghwamun and Deoksugung, with more than 6,000 at the square itself—numbers that would swell to an estimated 260,000 by showtime, according to JoyNews24 and News1.
The anticipation was palpable, and not just among Korean fans. International ARMYs from countries as far-flung as the United States, Japan, Germany, Indonesia, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, and Argentina mingled in the crowd, sharing merchandise, trading photo cards, and listening together to BTS’s newly released song, 'SWIM'. The diversity of the crowd was unmistakable, with the 'BTS effect' credited for a 32.7% surge in foreign visitors to Korea in March, especially among teenagers and those in their twenties, as reported by Donga Ilbo.
Security was tight, befitting the scale of the event. More than 6,700 police officers, including a significant number of female officers, were deployed to manage the crowd and ensure safety. Subway stations nearest the venue—Gwanghwamun, City Hall, and Gyeongbokgung—restricted entry after 2 PM, with trains passing through without stopping. Thirty-one nearby buildings had access limited to prevent accidents, and even the National Museum of Korean Contemporary History closed temporarily for the day. The government had raised the terror alert for central Seoul to 'caution' status, reflecting the event's national significance.
For many, simply being near the venue was enough. Tickets for the free, 22,000-seat concert were snapped up almost instantly, but thousands of fans who missed out still flocked to the area, hoping to catch a glimpse of the action or feel the collective excitement. Large LED screens were set up along the length of the square, broadcasting the performance in real time for those further from the stage. And for the first time ever, a solo artist’s concert at Gwanghwamun Square was live-streamed globally on Netflix, reaching fans in 190 countries—a testament to BTS’s unprecedented international reach.
The concert itself was a spectacle. BTS performed tracks from their freshly released fifth album, 'ARIRANG', with 'SWIM' as the title song. The stage, designed with both tradition and modernity in mind, was set up near the Government Seoul Building and stretched from Sejong-daero intersection to City Hall Plaza, accommodating the massive standing audience. Garrett English, executive producer at Done and Dusted, explained, “We spent a lot of time designing the stage to harmonize with the historical significance of Gwanghwamun while highlighting BTS’s modern vision.”
The event wasn’t confined to the square. As part of the 'BTS The City Arirang Seoul' project, landmarks across Seoul—from Namsan Seoul Tower and Lotte World Tower to Cheonggyecheon and the Han River parks—were illuminated in BTS’s symbolic red and purple hues. Media facades, drone light shows, and music light events turned the city into a living tribute, while fan engagement programs like the 'Love Song Lounge' and 'Love Quarter' ran throughout April, extending the celebration far beyond the concert night. According to Hybe Music Group’s APAC head, Yoo Dong-joo, “We wanted to create a culturally rare experience where fans, locals, and foreigners could celebrate together in an iconic Korean location. This isn’t just a concert—it’s a historic cultural event.”
Among the crowd were special fans who experienced the music in their own unique way: the 'Deaf ARMY'—hearing-impaired BTS fans. An Jung-seon, a deaf fan, recounted her journey to the concert. After missing out in the first ticket sale, she succeeded in the second round and immediately requested a sign language interpreter. “I was so happy to get a ticket,” she told BBC. “Music videos, I watch with subtitles. For songs, I connect my hearing aid via Bluetooth. I pay special attention to the lyrics and messages, especially RM’s poetic words.”
For An and others like her, accessibility has come a long way. She recalled feeling isolated at her first concert in 2018 due to the lack of sign language interpretation. But after witnessing interpreters at a 2019 Los Angeles show, she campaigned for similar accommodations in Korea—writing to the management company and raising awareness on social media. Her efforts bore fruit, and since 2019, sign language interpreters have been arranged at BTS concerts. “Thanks to these improvements, I can now enjoy concerts with other deaf fans,” she said. Still, she noted, more could be done: “It’s difficult to see both the interpreter and the stage at the same time. A separate sign language seating system, like for wheelchairs, would help. Real-time lyrics on the big screens would be great, too.”
The inclusivity extended beyond accessibility. The festive atmosphere encouraged acts of kindness and sharing. Local businesses joined in, with a nearby restaurant serving 1,000 bowls of Pyongyang cold noodles to concertgoers, inspired by RM’s description of 'SWIM' as “a song with the clean and gentle charm of Pyongyang naengmyeon.” Volunteers handed out photo cards and memorabilia, and fans collected special edition newspapers—published by major dailies such as Kyunghyang Shinmun, Seoul Shinmun, and The Korea Times—as prized souvenirs. “I’m collecting them all as keepsakes,” said Park Min-jin, an 18-year-old fan, while Lisa from Japan, dressed in a purple hanbok, planned to bring her newspapers home as mementos.
As the sun set and the city lights glowed purple and red, BTS took the stage at 8 PM. For about an hour, they performed a setlist blending new songs from 'ARIRANG' with their greatest hits, electrifying the crowd and, thanks to Netflix, millions more around the world. For Seoul, the night was more than a concert—it was a landmark moment, a testament to the power of music to unite, inspire, and transform a city into a global stage.
With every detail, from inclusive fan experiences to citywide celebrations, BTS’s Gwanghwamun comeback proved that music’s impact can ripple far beyond the stage, leaving memories—and perhaps a little more hope—etched across the world.