BTS South America tour draws 853,000 fans and boosts local economies

BTS concluded their 'ARIRANG' world tour in São Paulo last month after selling out 14 shows across five cities. The tour drew 853,000 spectators and generated significant economic impact, including an estimated 53 billion Argentine pesos in spending in La Plata.

The group BTS has once again proven their status as global superstars, heating up the South American continent. They sold out all 14 performances held in five cities, ranging from Colombia to Brazil, drawing a total of more than 850,000 spectators. The enthusiasm of the fans filling the venues went beyond mere musical popularity, leading to an impact that moved the overall economies of the host cities, including tourism, transportation, accommodation, and dining.

BTS successfully concluded their South American tour with performances for 'BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG'' held at Morumbi Stadium in São Paulo, Brazil, on the 28th and the 30th–31st (local time) of last month. The tour began in Bogotá, Colombia, on October 2, and continued through Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and finally to São Paulo. All 14 shows across the five cities were sold out, with a cumulative audience reaching 853,000.

The stages were designed to condense the musical narrative of BTS by organically weaving together new songs and existing hits. Centered on tracks from their 5th full-length album 'ARIRANG', the performances heightened the excitement with globally beloved songs such as 'FAKE LOVE', 'Not Today', 'MIC Drop', 'FIRE', 'IDOL', 'Butter', and 'Dynamite'. Surprise song selections that changed every show added new tension and anticipation to the repeating tour, while the members closed the emotional distance with local fans by communicating directly in the languages of each region.

The significance of the South American tour is difficult to explain through the number of performances or the scale of the audience alone. This was the first time BTS performed as a full group in Colombia and Argentina, and it was also their first visit to Peru since their debut. It was their first return to Chile in nine years and to Brazil in seven years. For fans who had waited a long time for their stage, this tour was not just an overseas concert, but a special meeting that compensated for the time spent waiting.

The members also expressed deep gratitude for the enthusiastic welcome from South American fans. "Since it is difficult to meet in South America often, it was one of the schedules we looked forward to the most. We were really excited even before coming here, and as expected, you all are amazing," BTS stated. They added, "The emotion we received this time is so great that we felt we should come back quickly to return it. One of the happiest memories of my life was made here," and reflected on the time spent with local fans, adding, "We will cherish this memory and return."

Local media also covered the BTS performances extensively. The Peruvian daily El Comercio highlighted the special significance of the concert, noting that it is rare to experience a concert of such scale and perfection in Lima. Argentina's La Nación introduced BTS as a "global phenomenon," noting the immediate response of the audience and the concert composition centered on the fans. Brazil's Bandwagon described the stage as a "love letter to Brazilian fans." The media also showed interest in the stage sets inspired by traditional Korean pavilions, Gyeonghoeru Pavilion at Gyeongbokgung Palace, and the Taegeukgi, evaluating how Korean aesthetics were integrated into a large-scale stadium performance.

The influence of BTS was evident in concrete figures outside the concert venues. In La Plata, where the Buenos Aires, Argentina performance was held, it was surveyed that 96% of the audience came from outside the region, with more than 130,000 people visiting the city for the first time. Spectators flowed in from 11 countries, and more than 48,000 people stayed in La Plata for at least one day. The average stay was 3.5 nights. Excluding ticket purchase costs, the amount spent on accommodation, food and beverage, transportation, and leisure was estimated at approximately 53 billion Argentine pesos, or about 46 billion won.

Similar economic effects were confirmed in other host cities. In Bogotá, Colombia, flight reservations during the performance period increased by 46.6% compared to the same period last year. In Lima, Peru, the use of ride-hailing services increased 15 times more than usual on the first day of the concert, and soared up to 48 times immediately after the concert ended. Accommodation search volumes in Santiago, Chile, also increased by approximately 200% compared to the same period last year. As the movement of the fandom spread into various consumption areas such as aviation, accommodation, transportation, and dining, the influence of BTS's world tour on local economies was reaffirmed.

This South American tour showed that BTS is crossing the boundaries of nations and languages through music and fandom, while simultaneously expanding the symbolism of Korean popular culture and its local economic impact. In particular, the fact that the stage production inspired by traditional Korean culture drew attention from local media suggests that K-pop is evolving in the global performance market from a stage of simply exporting music to a stage of delivering cultural identity as well.

Having successfully completed the South American schedule, BTS will move their stage of activity to Asia and Australia. Starting with the Kaohsiung performance on the 19th, they are scheduled to continue the tour heat through Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Jakarta, and then to Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. Attention is focused on what records and scenes they will create in the next continent after captivating 850,000 spectators in five South American cities.

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