Seoul is not just hosting a BTS concert on March 21. It is hosting a month.
Detailed plans for "BTS The City Arirang Seoul" were revealed Monday through the group's fan platform Weverse. The festival runs from March 20, the day the new album "Arirang" releases, through April 19, turning the city's most recognizable landmarks into a sprawling, interactive celebration of the group's return.
{img}The first night alone sets the tone for what is coming. On March 20, media facade displays will light up N Seoul Tower and Sungnyemun, one of Seoul's historic Four Great Gates, from 7 p.m. At 8:30 p.m., a 15-minute drone light show will take over the skies above Ttukseom Hangang Park. Gwanghwamun Square will broadcast comeback-related content on large outdoor screens from 7 p.m. that evening until midnight the following night. Music-synchronized light shows tied to BTS' new songs will also run at Dongdaemun Design Plaza and the Banpo Bridge Moonlight Rainbow Fountain.
Fans in the city can take part in a stamp rally running across key locations including Yeouido Hangang Park, DDP and Shinsegae Square. From March 20 to 22, Yeouido Hangang Park will host the "Love Song Lounge," a music listening space with busking performances and photo zones. The "DDP Army Madang" exhibition space opens at Dongdaemun Design Plaza from April 6 to 12, followed by the "Love Quarter" media program along Cheonggyecheon and near Yongsan Station later in April.
The project is organized in partnership with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and HYBE, with additional collaborations across mobility, hospitality, finance and food sectors. Supporting partners include Samsung, Shinsegae, Kakao T, JW Marriott Hotel, The Westin Josun Seoul, Compose Coffee, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, among others.
{img}After the Seoul edition wraps, the project is expected to expand to major cities worldwide.
For international fans planning a trip around the concert, the festival gives a reason to arrive before March 21 and stay well past it. Seoul will essentially be wearing BTS for a month, from the Han River to the historic gates of the old city.