‘Arirang’ Chant Rocks Stanford Stadium Behind BTS; 150,000 Fans Turn Out

A ‘Taegeukgi’ sea moved by 150,000 fans… ‘BTS’ writes a new chapter in pop history at the U.S. ‘Stanford Stadium’

Global top-tier group ‘BTS’ completely took over the U.S. ‘Stanford Stadium’, proving its overwhelming status. According to a release from its agency BigHit Music, a total ‘152,000 people’ packed the ‘ARIRANG (ARIRANG)’ shows—the ‘world tour’—held over three days from the 16th to the 17th and the 19th (local time), setting an unprecedented box-office record.

The second-ever standalone concert, at the peak of the global music market

The ‘Stanford Stadium’ where this performance took place is a storied venue that opened in 1921 and is also regarded as an iconic stage in the pop music world. After the globally renowned band ‘Coldplay’ (Coldplay), ‘BTS’ is the second act in history to hold a standalone concert here. This makes clear that they are firmly entrenched not just as a K-pop group, but at the very center of the global music market.

A ‘Taegeukgi’ wave of 150,000 fans and a booming ‘Arirang’ chant—an emotional finale

The standout moment of the show was a large surprise event led by local concertgoers on the final day. During the stage performance of the title track from their fifth regular album, ‘Body to Body’, the tune of ‘Arirang’, a traditional Korean folk song, filled the stadium. Fans who had packed the venue whipped out ‘Taegeukgi’ flags they had prepared in advance and performed a historic spectacle—singing along in Korean together in a massive chant.

Moved by the unexpected warm welcome, the members couldn’t hide their emotions. ‘BTS’ said in the closing stretch of the show, “I’m having the best moment of my life right now. I was deeply moved by the event you showed.” They added, “I’ll remember this moment forever, and I’ll look forward to seeing you again.”

As of now, ‘BTS’ is building a new milestone in music history worldwide by successfully carrying out an enormous ‘world tour’ with a total of 85 shows across 34 cities around the globe.