Global superstars BTS made their epic comeback on stage at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on Saturday night for BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | ARIRANG, performing to an audience of over 104,000 and drawing in 18.4 million global viewers exclusively on Netflix. BIGHIT MUSIC / HYBE partnered with Netflix for the group's comeback event, three years and nine months after their last performance together at the Yet to Come concert in Busan.
BTS members RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook took a break afterward to begin their mandatory military service in South Korea. Three years later, after all the members were discharged, they began working on their anticipated comeback album, ARIRANG.
The group began working with the streaming company on their documentary, BTS: The Return, which documents the process behind ARIRANG. The partnership grew from there, prompting HYBE to apply for permission to use the historic grounds of Gwanghwamun Square to host a BTS concert. When it was approved in January of this year, HYBE and Netflix began their work.
The venue itself was culturally significant for South Koreans as it was the first standalone concert ever staged there and served as the entrance to the royal palace of Korea’s Joseon dynasty, Gyeongbokgung Palace. The approval of the location underscored BTS’s status as global ambassadors to the country, sharing their message and national pride worldwide.
“It was very clear from the start that this opportunity was one we could not pass up,” Brandon Riegg, Netflix VP of Nonfiction Series and Sports, said during the Netflix Press Briefing in Seoul. “We view these live events as an opportunity to reach fans and members around the world in a way that is becoming increasingly tough to find: singular events that really pull people together.”
Nothing like this has ever been done before in South Korea. Netflix had held live events before, but nothing to this extent. BTS is the biggest group in the world, and this comeback had to be done right.
Netflix enlisted the help of live event production company Done + Dusted and Emmy-winning British director Hamish Hamilton to handle the filming. Hamilton had directed large-scale events like the Super Bowl Halftime Show, the Oscars, and the London 2012 Olympic ceremonies. He’s worked with stars like Beyoncé, U2, Madonna, and The Rolling Stones. He now adds BTS to the list.
“BTS is the greatest band in the world, so it’s a huge honor to be asked to direct this live show in such an iconic location,” says Hamilton. “Working with the greater Done + Dusted team to create and stage this significant occasion is both a joy and a challenge. Both Done + Dusted and I live for moments like this.”
The concert venue utilized every aspect of the Square, extending about 1.2 km to Seoul City Hall. According to Netflix VP of Production Jonathan Mussman, about 1,075 production staff were hired for staging, tech, cameras, lights, editing, and more, with the majority being local Korean staff. Their base was set up near the Sejong Performing Arts Center, with 5.90 miles of power cable supplying the entire event. The team used a 23-camera setup to capture the best angles for the show—the same one used to film the Avatar movies. There were several special cameras used to document the massive crowds that all gathered to witness this moment, including on several rooftops.
With the growing interest in the show, Netflix had to ensure its streaming service could handle the number of accounts logging in to watch the group.
During BTS's free livestream of their Yet to Come Concert in Busan, the Weverse servers could not handle the volume of viewers, resulting in several crashes throughout the show. ARMY had to resort to illegal streams of the free concert.
Netflix was prepared. The production used 40 terabytes of server storage and 108 TB of potential video content. They even considered sound quality, including 5.1 broadcasting, with plans to deliver in Dolby Atmos.
When it came to the details that Hamilton wanted to focus on, he revealed their “complex choreographed numbers.” Known for their intricate dance routines, BTS enlisted the help of famed dance choreographer Sienna Lalau, a frequent collaborator.
Hamilton also wanted to capture the intimate moments between the members, “where you have insight into their personalities, become part of the song, and just perform seamlessly together.” He shares, “Then there’s the ARMY, a relationship unlike anything I have encountered; it lifts everything. When you have that in a live setting, it becomes its own force.”
It's not a Netflix event without a pre-party for Netflix and HYBE stars, celebrities, content creators, and media, featuring Academy Award-winning director Maggie Kang, singer Becky G, BTS: The Return director Bao Nguyen, and more.
Several guests were dressed in their finest ARIRANG-inspired outfits, donning red and white to match the album. Others in the crowd wore purple accents, representing BTS's official colors.
Inside the party, filled with food and refreshments, a glam bot was installed, allowing everyone to take a keepsake photo against their BTS Comeback ARIRANG palace backdrop. Guests were gifted a BTS ARMY lightstick along with batteries and hand warmers prior to the outdoor concert.
With 31 entry points fitted with metal detectors, the entire event was well managed, with tight security that checked every colored wristband, ticket, and bag for all participants. It went very smoothly as each section had monitors to keep rowdy audiences in check. Ticket-holders were given a time to arrive, with those at the main stage encouraged to queue early for a better view (first-come, first-served, standing only). The other sections with screens were seated, and additional screens were available for any spillover crowd. There was never any dangerous situation at hand. Everything was in order, ready to start the program.
For safety reasons, the Seoul government, HYBE, and other organizations deployed a combined 8,200 personnel (including SWAT units equipped with anti-drone systems) and 15 medical stations. Due to the low temperatures, heat packs were offered at the medical stations. There were multiple restroom trailers, offering over 2,500 toilets throughout the square.
The only problem many in the audience faced—aside from the low temperatures—was the uneven flooring and the lack of screens in some spots, making it hard to see the stage and the performers without holding up one's phone. This caused a cascade of phones to rise from behind, further obstructing the view for those seated at the back of the section.
As the time for the performance drew closer, the lights came up, reflecting off the palace walls. Greetings from BTS popped up on the screens, along with the trailer from their upcoming Netflix documentary, BTS: The Return. A countdown would pop up now and again.
In the final half hour, the lightsticks automatically connected, all shining in Union, lighting up the entire street. It was time for the biggest comeback in pop culture history.
At 8 pm, the lights dimmed, and the sound of traditional Korean instruments mixed with a modern beat filled the air. Dancers, dressed in black, appeared, forming a pathway as soldiers of the past would have created for their kings as they walked by.
BTS entered calmly, dressed in a modern reinterpretation of traditional Korean hanbok styles, designed by Songzio creative director Song Jae-woo. Inspired by sori-kkun (narrative storytellers), they incorporated traditional Korean cultural elements into a modern look. There’s so much symbolism with BTS arriving onstage with the Gyeongbokgung Palace as a backdrop, bringing their history to the global stage.
RM greets the screaming crowd, “안녕 (Hello), Seoul! We’re back.”
The hour-long concert featured 12 songs, including eight tracks from their new ARIRANG album, performing them live for the first time—“Body to Body,” “Hooligan,” “2.0,” “Aliens,” “FYA,” “SWIM,” “Like Animals,” and “NORMAL.”
The first song, “Body to Body,” which is also the first on their new album, blends hip-hop beats with the melody of the traditional Korean folk song “Arirang.” The first half showcased BTS’s powerful raps and vocals. The latter half of the performance was emotional, featuring a choir and musicians dressed in traditional hanboks and Joseon-era attire, singing “Arirang,” which echoes off the walls of the historic sites inspired it There was so much symbolism behind this performance.
For their performance of “Aliens,” a track about being seen as different, but they embraced the difference. During the song, black-and-white geongongamri (lines) graphics flowed dynamically across the screens, referencing the four black trigrams in the corners of the South Korean flag and the harmony and movement of cosmic forces—namely, heaven, earth, water, and fire. In “Like Animals,” “NORMAL,” “FYA,” and “SWIM,” there were visuals in the background featuring symbols inspired by the Taegeuk’s Geon, Gon, Gam, and Ri patterns, adding more historical context to the show.
In between their new tracks, BTS sprinkled in a few of their popular classics, including “Butter” and “Mic Drop.” As the songs played, everyone sang the fan chants associated with the latter song, not missing a single beat or name. This felt like a time machine, going back to their past concerts as the crowd sang the lyrics back to them.
During their performance of their lead single, “SWIM,” the choreography was finally shown to the crowd, though the production crew may have spoiled it by taking their group photo onstage before the show, performing the dance routine while recording a video, and taking a photo.
At the end of the night, the members said their thank-yous and goodbyes, telling their fans they’ll never forget this night, to enjoy their new music, and to look forward to more from them.
“You know the seven of us always feel the same way, right?” Jung Kook says. “As long as you’re with us, we’ll always do our best to bring you great music and performances.”
RM adds, “No matter what happens, we promise to keep swimming together. This is just the beginning. We love you, ARMY.”
They ended the night with “Dynamite” and their fan-favorite “Mikrokosmos,” a song written for ARMY from 2019’s Map of the Soul: Persona. During the last song, the LED cubes lit up with stars as it was projected moving across the Gwanghwamun walls, serving as a reminder that the fans are BTS’s “little universe,” with the fans singing the outro back to the group: You got me / I dream while looking at you / I got you / Inside those pitch black nights / Shine, dream, smile / Oh, let us light up the night / We shine in our own ways / Shine, dream, smile / Oh, let us light up the night / We shine just the way we are / Tonight.
At the end of the night, many were left with happy tears, feeling joy in witnessing BTS finally back together.
As the lights came on around 9 pm, the large screens displayed messages telling them to return home safely and to leave each section in an orderly fashion. It was very well organized, quick, and safe. Everyone waited for their turn to exit the venue.
But not everyone left.
ARMY, which is an acronym for Adorable Representative MC for Youth, represented well that night, taking the initiative to clean up the venue. Over 400 ARMY volunteers, wearing purple sashes and gloves, gathered trash and cleaned up Gwanghwamun Square. They expressed that they wanted to leave a good impression on the city and to ensure BTS would never be criticized for any mess. By the time the cleaning crew came, there was not much for them to do.
BTS continued their ARIRANG promotions with performances in New York before returning to South Korea for the start of their 2026 BTS WORLD TOUR: ARIRANG, with the first three concerts in Goyang, South Korea. They then perform three nights in Tokyo, Japan, before setting out for their sold-out shows in North America and Europe (with plans to perform in Busan for their anniversary in June). They make history as South Korean artists with the most tour dates and the broadest regional reach to date, spanning 82 shows across 34 cities.
It looks like BTS is back, and they’re busy as ever.
