Ahead of BTS's two nights of performances in Canada, the Toronto City Council is considering a proposal to temporarily rename a section of the North York area to "BTS Boulevard". If approved, this will be the second time the city has applied this form to welcome an international artist, after the case of Taylor Swift in 2024.
According to the proposed content, the Yonge Street section passing through North York area - where a large Korean community and many Korean businesses are concentrated - will be installed with the nameplate "BTS Boulevard" from the end of August to the end of September, coinciding with BTS's performance in Toronto.
Not only changing the street name, the city also plans to decorate the sign system with purple light, a color associated with BTS and the ARMY fan community. In the explanation sent to the City Council, the proposal emphasizes the desire to send greetings to BTS and fans, and at the same time spread the message "You Never Walk Alone" - the name of a famous group song.
This move shows that BTS's appeal is not only limited to the entertainment field but also has a significant impact on the localities hosting performances. In recent years, each group's tour has attracted a large number of international audiences, contributing to promoting tourism, accommodation, food services and commercial activities in the host city.
Along with the government's plan, the ARMY community in Canada is also preparing many response activities. Notably, the "Permission to Golf" event is scheduled to take place on August 9, gathering fans from many countries to participate in giao lưu activities before BTS officially performs.
According to the schedule, BTS will hold two performance nights at Rogers Stadium on August 22nd and 23rd. This is a stadium with a capacity of more than 50,000 spectators per night, meaning about 100,000 spectators are expected to come to see the group's two performances.
After all members completed their military service, BTS is resuming joint activities and starting a new world tour. The group's return quickly created heat at many stops as performance tickets continuously received great attention from fans around the globe.
If approved by the Toronto City Council in the meeting at the end of July, "BTS Avenue" will become a symbol welcoming the group during their tour in Canada. This will also be the second time Toronto has temporarily renamed a street to honor an international artist, after naming it "Taylor Swift Way" during the "The Eras Tour".
The fact that a major city proactively implements welcoming activities before the concert shows that BTS's influence has gone beyond the scope of music. Not only possessing a large number of fans around the world, the group is also considered one of the artists capable of creating a positive effect on tourism and economy in the localities hosting performances. Therefore, the "BTS Avenue" proposal is considered a cultural promotion activity, while recognizing the spread of the Korean group to the international community.
