BTS just kicked off the North American leg of the world tour "Arirang" with two performances at MetLife Stadium (New Jersey, USA), attracting about 160,000 spectators. This is not only the group's reunion with fans at one of the largest stadiums in the United States but also the first performance night after BTS announced that they would not send the album "Arirang" to participate in the 2027 Grammys.
Notably, MetLife Stadium is also the venue for BTS to perform in the half-time program of the FIFA World Cup 2026 final two weeks ago. The group's rapid return to this stage further attracted much attention from the public and the media.
About 80,000 spectators present in each performance night created a lively atmosphere. Just hours before the program started, long lines of fans from many countries lined up outside the stadium. Many people brought national flags, banners and cheering items, turning the area around MetLife Stadium into a festival for music lovers.
Inspired by the album "Arirang", the stage is designed with many images associated with Korean culture. The central stage system uses lines that evoke the extreme symbol on the Korean national flag, combined with lighting effects and traditional artistic elements throughout the program.
Not only creating attraction on stage, the two performances in New Jersey also showed BTS's ability to create economic impact on the host country. During the program, a large number of fans from many countries flocked to the New York - New Jersey area (USA). In addition to ticket purchase costs, audiences also spent on travel, accommodation, food, shopping and experiential activities related to the tour.
At the same time BTS performs, the "BTS the City Arirang" project is held in New York (USA) with many activities such as art exhibitions, Korean cultural experience spaces, culinary and shopping programs. This model helps expand the scope of influence of the concert, turning a music performance into a multi-day experience series.
The appeal of the "Arirang" tour is placed in the context of global events that have the potential to create a major economic effect. In the New York - New Jersey region, where the FIFA World Cup 2026 matches are held, the tournament has generated about 3.3 billion USD in economic impact, attracting more than 1.2 million visitors and creating tens of thousands of jobs related to tourism and services.
The similarity between the World Cup and large-scale stadium tours like BTS's "Arirang" lies in the ability to attract a large number of non-local audiences, thereby promoting demand for hotels, restaurants, transportation and related services. However, if the World Cup creates an economic effect through a series of matches lasting many weeks, BTS creates "explosive points" in a short time thanks to the strength of the global fan community.
Besides the economic value, the messages BTS conveyed on stage also attracted attention. In the song "MIC Drop", group leader RM changed part of the lyrics, emphasizing the group's Korean origins and affirming that BTS continues to pursue their own music path, despite external reviews.
The song "Aliens" was also included in the performance list with content revolving around the feeling of being considered "aliens". The choice of these two songs is seen by many fans as a continuation of the message BTS once sent after the decision not to participate in the 2027 Grammys.
Previously, BTS confirmed that they would not submit the album "Arirang" to the 2027 Grammys after the US Academy of Recording added the category "Best Asian Pop Performance". The group believes that music should not be divided by language or region, but should be evaluated based on artistic value.
After two nights of performances at MetLife Stadium, the total audience of the "Arirang" tour has exceeded 1.6 million. With the next stops in North America, BTS continues to show influence beyond the scope of music, becoming one of the artists capable of connecting entertainment, tourism and promoting Korean culture globally.
